Which one of these is the bed bug?

Bed bug id with labelThe bed bug is the one in the middle!

Bed bug - Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org
Bed bug – Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org

Bed bugs are an ever growing problem in the US.  As bed bugs problems began increasing in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health put together a bed bug handbook, providing information about the habits and habitats of the bed bug with an emphasis on information required by environmental health specialists dealing with infestations in hotels.

Recently, as bed bug problems continue to spread to homes, apartments, shelters, schools, dorms, and other places where people live, work, and study; it was decided to update and expand the bed bug handbook to include information on dealing with bed bugs in a wider variety of circumstances.

The revised handbook is posted on the GDPH website .

Bedbug lifecycleOne reason to update the handbook was to make it useful for people outside of public health who are dealing with bed bug issues.  Any comments or suggestions would be gratefully accepted. Please send comments to Dr. Rosmarie Kelly

Selected Information Found in the Bed Bug Handbook

Bed Bug Biology – Life cycle, habits and medical importance

Inspecting for Bed Bugs – Protecting yourself and specific methods for various structures and situations

Treatment and Control – Physical removal, temperature, Chemical control, Do it Yourself treatments, Follow-up and monitoring, and Controls for various structures and situations

Additional Information – Bedbug myths, Action plan for hotel treatment and information specific to Schools, Environmental Health Specialists, Hotel Managers and Homeowners

UF research: Typical populations of bedbugs can cause harmful blood loss in humans

Information from Southern Region IPM on Bed Bug Management!
Bed bug Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org
Bedbug – Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org

UF research: Typical populations of bedbugs can cause harmful blood loss in humans

For years, bedbugs have been turning up in sometimes odd and random places, such as subways, movie theaters, dressing rooms and schools, but scientists believed that to flourish, the insects would need more frequent access to human blood meals.

Turns out they don’t.

A new University of Florida study, published online this month by the journal Medical and Veterinary Entomology, shows the blood-sucking insects can do much more than survive — they can even thrive — with far less access to human blood than previously believed.

The three-year study also found that it takes only about 11 weeks for one pair of bedbugs to spawn a large enough population to cause harmful blood loss in a baby, and just under 15 weeks for adult humans.

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