1.  It is a parasite  Can grow to be 4 mm to 5 mm long  Feeds on blood of warm blooded animals and loves humans

2.  Prefers to feed at night when it is dark  Oval in shape rust brown color that turns to a darker red after they feed  Shape and size look similar to an apple seed

3.  In cracks and crevices  In bed frames, mattresses and bedding  In furniture, upholstery, and dressers

4.  Behind picture frames and bulletin boards  Under wallpaper  Behind baseboards

5.  Transforms from an egg to a nymph to an adult in 5 weeks & sheds their skin 5 times in the process  Females can lay 500 eggs in a lifetime

6.  Eggs hatch in one to two weeks  Live up to 18 month without food but prefer to eat every 5 to 10 days.

8.  Have been around for most of human existence.  Have existed for at least 3500 years  Almost non-existent in the US from 1950 to early 1990’s mainly due to the development of synthetic insecticides such as DDT

9.  Insecticides once used to kill bedbugs are illegal to use in the US.  New insecticides have not been developed for killing bedbugs  International & domestic travel is a main contributor to the bedbug resurgence

10.  Infested hotels/motels  Sitting on furniture that is infested  Hitchhiking in your luggage  Using used furniture

11.  Moving into an empty apartment that is infested  Mail (eggs can be transported on letters and packages)

12.  Come out of hiding at night to feast  The body temperature and sweat glands attract them to humans  Usually stay within 20 feet of their food source but can travel

13.  Dark fecal/blood spots are on sheets  Dark fecal/blood spots & trails on furniture, walls, picture frames, baseboards, clothing

14.  Bitten at night but never see what is biting you  Bites leave a welt that resemble a mosquito bite

15.  Insecticides - can take multiple treatments and is less effective in killing the eggs  Freezing – hard to freeze the entire area but is good for spot treatment  Steam – good for spot treatment

16.  Heat – best overall process for large areas and provides the best and quickest results  Hot water wash and hot dryer also kill the eggs and bedbugs

17.  Routine inspections  Do not allow used furniture  Good housekeeping practices

18.  Heat allows treatment with the least long term inconvenience to resident  Heat kills the egg and bedbug  Steam allows us to treat items students need to take out of room during treatment

19.  Student is out of room for 24 to 48 hours in most cases  No need for repeated chemical use  Heat attracts the bedbug and kills the bedbug

20.  Chemicals can drive it to adjoining rooms and do not kill the eggs  Heat requires one treatment  DHFS staff can perform the heat treatment

21.  Bedbugs do exist and any of us can bring them home on any given day.  DHFS is prepared to identify and treat them immediately.  DHFS has proven equipment and a trained team with proven results to kill the bedbugs when discovered.