Bed Bug History and Biology

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HISTORY
•Bed Bugs have been around and have fed on man since the beginning of time.
•They were a problem in the US until the 1950's with the advent of DDT. At this point in time DDT would not be effective due to RESISTANCE. Right now bed bugs are growing resistant to many of the products used to treat them. All avenues of control must be utilized to eliminate bed bugs.



BIOLOGY
•An adult bed bug is about 3/16 of an inch. Nymphs or young are much smaller and almost colorless. Once Bed Bugs feed they turn mahogany color.
•Bed bugs can live up to 1 year. In that time period they can lay up to 500 eggs. Eggs are deposited on rough surfaces and appear almost like white seed.
•On average females lay from 1-5 eggs per day which take 21-120 days to develop into adults, depending on temperature. The eggs hatch in about 10-14 days. 
•Adults can live for several months without a blood meal. Nymphs survive a much shorter period of time.
•5 nymphal stages occur before adulthood is reached, each requiring a blood meal for its further development.
•Bed bugs have been found to be infected with over 25 disease organisms, such as plague, relapsing fever, tularemia and q fever. Comclusive evidence is lacking as far as transmission of these diseases.