What a bed bug is
NSW Health describes bed bugs as small, flat, parasitic insects that feed on human blood while people sleep, with infestations found around or near the places people sleep. healthdirect adds the detail that helps you recognise one: adults are oval and grow up to 6 mm long; young bed bugs are cream, turning red to black after feeding; the eggs are cream and about 1 mm long.
They feed every 5 to 10 days but can survive many months without feeding, and while they mainly feed at night, they will come out during the day if hungry.
The signs healthdirect lists
- Spots of blood on your sheets, mattress or elsewhere in the bedroom
- Bed bugs themselves, their shed skins or their eggs
- Brown spotting, which is bed bug faeces, on the mattress
- Regularly waking with bites on your skin
Bites can cause red, itchy spots up to 2 cm across, most often on exposed skin such as arms and shoulders; on black or brown skin they may look purple and be harder to see. As many as 1 in 5 people do not react to bites, and others may not notice a reaction for up to 9 days. A large infestation can cause a sickly sweet smell.
Where they hide
Most often in mattress seams, healthdirect says, and also on bed frames, in bedside tables and picture frames, behind wallpaper and skirting boards, and under carpet edges.
Health, plainly
Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, NSW Health says, and are not considered a public health hazard. They can cause annoyance through itching and lost sleep, and scratching can sometimes lead to a skin infection. healthdirect’s advice is to see your doctor if you are concerned about bites on your skin.
healthdirect says you can call if you are concerned about bed bugs, and a registered nurse will speak with you. In Victoria it is known as NURSE-ON-CALL.
What helps, by healthdirect’s account
Bed bugs are very hard to get rid of, healthdirect says, and it is not unusual for live bugs to be killed by a treatment only for surviving eggs to hatch and reinfest. Its advice for a suspected infestation is to call a licensed pest management company, which will need to inspect your home; follow-up inspections may be needed after the first treatment. Delaying treatment may let bed bugs spread, which makes control more difficult and expensive.
It also lists non-chemical steps that can help: wash, vacuum and clean all surfaces thoroughly; wash bedding and clothes in hot water above 60°C and tumble dry them on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes; and steam clean carpets.
The temperature board
healthdirect says bed bugs are sensitive to temperature, and gives these figures.
- Over 45°CWithin an hour
Bed bugs die within one hour above this temperature.
- 60°C or higherImmediately
healthdirect’s washing advice is hot water above 60°C.
- Rapid freezing10 hours per 2.5 kg
Small items can go in the freezer overnight; healthdirect suggests 10 hours for every 2.5 kg of dry linen.
Why an apartment block makes it harder
NSW Health links to a code of practice for controlling bed bugs in Australia, published by the Department of Medical Entomology at Westmead Hospital and the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (4th edition, 2013). It has a section on multiple occupancy residential complexes. Its main points:
- If bed bugs are found in one dwelling in a complex of apartments, units, flats, townhouses or villas, the adjoining dwellings should also be inspected.
- A hotelier controls the whole building and can inspect any room; in an apartment complex that is not the case, so getting an adjoining dwelling inspected can be very difficult.
- The code says a pest manager contacting the neighbours without the client’s consent would be unprofessional and a breach of client confidentiality.
- The occupant should inform the body corporate or strata manager. If the problem stays unresolved, it may be necessary to contact an environmental health officer at the local council, the public health unit or the state health department.
The code also says control is often much more difficult in apartment complexes, because an infestation may have come from next door. Who looks after which part of the building is on panel 02.
Keeping them out
healthdirect suggests checking your bed regularly, keeping the bedroom tidy to reduce hiding spots, and inspecting second-hand furniture closely for bed bugs before you bring it indoors. When travelling, look for signs wherever you stay, including the bedding and under the mattress stitching; bed bugs turn up more often in cheap, short-stay accommodation, but can be anywhere people sleep.