Some people have gone to the hospital with rashes they could not explain. One woman ended up in the ER of the local hospital with welts all over her body. She had just visited a hotel in the area. The diagnosis was bed bug bits. She actually had the bugs that bit her to show the hospital attendants.
Bed bugs have been a problem for thousands of years. These small members if the genus Cimex are about 4-5 mm long and about 1.5 mm in width. They are translucent at birth and have often been mistaken for lice and carpet beetles. They use pheromones to communicate with other bed bugs.
They can survive in a range of temperatures. They hibernate below 61 degrees Fahrenheit and can survive at 14 degrees Fahrenheit but die after exposure to -26 degrees Fahrenheit. They can even survive in low humidity. They cannot survive high levels of carbon dioxide for very long.
How do you manage these annoying insects?
These insects were thought to have been eradicated before 1940 probably due to the use of DDT and the fact that before that time the world was relatively isolated. After that time, they made a return and are now a huge problem.
Pesticides seem to be the best way to kill them. It does get rid of them but it takes several visits to accomplish that. The most common are the pyrethroids.
Some people are successful at reducing the incidence of bits by using a cold treatment. That usually means increasing airflow in affected areas for about 3-4 hours a day. In addition, the windows are left open to allow access to the cold air. Air conditioners work for that procedure as well.
In some cases, freezing equipment will kill these pests. The use of Cryonite, which uses the properties of CO2 and makes snow that kills the bugs, can be effective, but often does not reach secluded areas where they hide.
Vacuuming works at reducing the infestation but does not eradicate them completely.
Steam has killed the bugs. It works very well at killing all stages of the creatures. Some bed bugs hid in a number of places and seem to avoid the steam. This treatment has to be done repeatedly and thoroughly.
Professionals use heat to kill the bugs. This usually requires the whole dwelling and is unlivable for a time. While it works, like most treatments, it does not completely eradicate the pests. Bedbugs retreat into cracks and holes in furniture to avoid almost any treatment.