What's That Bug in My Bedroom?! A Resource Guide on Bed Bugs

Bugs can make many people feel uneasy, especially when they are found inside one’s home or apartment. Bed bugs have become a common pest in many developed societies throughout the world beginning in the mid-1990s. Originally, in the 1940s, these pests were almost completely removed from industrial societies, but infestations have recently been on the rise. The cause of this increase is unknown, but resistance to pesticides, foreign travel, and the usage of second-hand furniture could explain some of the reasons.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals. The species, Cimex lectulariu, is the specific type that prefers to feed on human blood. Although their name implies that their habitats are in beds and mattresses, bed bugs can live in and around any type of furniture as long as they remain close to their human host. Bed bugs can be very hard to detect as they are nocturnal and come out of hiding while their human host is sleeping. Many people will not wake up when bed bugs bite them as the bug injects an anesthetic as it pierces the skin to feed on blood. These bugs and infestations can be scary and damaging to one’s health, but steps can be taken to help prevent these infestations in the home and in other residences.

• Bed Bugs – Information from the University Alaska Fairbanks on the history of bed bugs, signs of infestation, eradication, and pesticides.
• How to Inspect a Bed for Bed Bugs – A video showing how to properly inspect a bed for signs of bed bugs, although physical examination does not always guarantee that a mattress is 100% bed bug free.
• Pest Guide: Bed Bugs – Data from the National Pest Management Association on bed bug appearance and normal habitats in which they can be found.
• Bed Bugs are Back! – Details from New York State’s Integrated Pest Management Program’s on how bed bugs became prevalent worldwide in modern society and what people can do to help prevent the spread of infestations.
• UK Entomology’s Bed Bugs Facts – Common facts about these bugs from the University of Kentucky’s college of agriculture, including information on preventing and getting rid of infestations.
• Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs in Residences – Help for homeowners and tenants about how to control living situations to avoid bed bug infestations from the University of Minnesota’s department of entomology.
• Bed Bug Awareness Video – A brief video from Ontario’s non-profit housing association made for tenants wanting to learn more about what to do to avert and manage bed bugs in their living situations.
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• Bed Bug Bites – A description of the health issues caused by bed bugs bites, how individuals react to the bites, and what should be done to treat the bug bites.
• Managing Bed Bugs – University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension’s informative guide to bed bugs which includes pictures and a table on some chemical treatments available to treat infestations.
• Bed Bugs: Do I have them? How Do I Get Rid of Them? – Seattle and King County’s Department of Public Health created this guide for those wanting to know if they have an infestation and if so how to get rid of the problem.

• Bed Bug Pictures – Contains up-close pictures of bed bugs and bites from the University of Wisconsin.
• Traveler Q&A: Preventing Bed Bugs from Hitchhiking to Your Home – A factsheet from the University of Minnesota on how to prevent bed bugs from traveling on luggage or clothing back to a person’s home or apartment.
• The Bed Bug Registry – A public database submitted by users from Canada and the United States of bed bug reports from hotels, apartments, and residences.
• Stop Bed Bugs in Hotels Safely – New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s FAQ on bed bugs in hotels.
• Bed Bugs Infestations in an Urban Environment – An article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the relatively recent common appearance of bed bugs in industrialized societies.
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• Bed Bugs: The New Vampires – Powerpoint slides on the history of bed bugs in modern industrialized society, bed bug biology and behavior, and the bugs’ effect on the modern world.
• Pest Management – A resource list full of pest management links from ConservationOnline (CoOL).
• Medical Entomology: Bed Bugs – Details on bed bugs as a public health risk from the University of Purdue including information on types of bed bugs and what hotel managers should be doing to prevent the spread of the bugs.
• Bed Bugs May Transmit Drug-Resistant Bacteria – An article from Medline Plus about the potential risk of bed bugs transmitting and spreading MRSA to its human hosts.
• Bed Bug Information – The Environmental Protection Agency’s informational guide to bed bugs and pesticides that are used in bed bug infestations.