Category Archives: Bed Bugs

Estimating Bed Bug Infestations

Posted on June 30, 2017 by jjneal

People who discover bed bugs in their home often wonder when the bugs were introduced. This is an important question as it could shed light on where the bugs originated by matching the timeframe of the infestation with overnight stays … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, by jjneal | 2 Comments

Bed Bug Panic

Posted on March 11, 2017 by jjneal

An alert teacher at Luzerne County High School in Pennsylvania found a bed bug and reported it to the administration. The students were moved to another room so the room could be inspected. Rumors of bed bugs at the high … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, by jjneal, News, Pest Management, Policy | 1 Comment

Living and Dying With Bed Bugs

Posted on March 7, 2017 by jjneal

A Pennsylvania caretaker is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 96 year old patient. The house where the caretaker lived with her patient was overrun with a large untreated infestation of bed bugs. The cause of death … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, by jjneal, Health, Pest Management | 1 Comment

Bats, Cave, Cavemen, Bed Bugs

Posted on January 5, 2017 by jjneal

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius has two host races. One race is associated with humans, the other with bats. Bedbugs were parasites of bats long before the evolution of humans. Tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago, human … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, by jjneal, Environment, History | 1 Comment

Bed Bug Vitamin B

Posted on October 15, 2016 by jjneal

Insects that feed on a single source of food can have an imbalance in dietary nutrients. Bed Bugs feed only on blood which is deficient for the B vitamin complex. The evolutionary line leading to insects lost the genes needed … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, Biomaterials, Environment | 1 Comment

Bed Bug Starvation Diet

Posted on October 14, 2016 by jjneal

Bed bugs and many other blood feeders only stay on their hosts long enough to feed, then retreat to a protective harborage to digest their food. After the blood meal is digested, the bed bug must once again locate a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, behavior, Biomaterials, Environment | 2 Comments

Bed Bug Rhythm

Posted on October 12, 2016 by jjneal

Bed bugs are cryptic. They hide during daylight and venture at night to feed. This is adaptive because their human hosts are typically sleeping when a room is dark. Moving bed bugs are more likely to be detected in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, behavior, by jjneal | 1 Comment