Quiz: How well do you know bed bugs?
Treating homes and businesses for bed bug infestations has become increasingly common over the past few years. These nasty little creatures have garnered a well-deserved reputation for being sneaky intruders that are difficult to eliminate. But how much do you, as a pest management professional, really know about bed bugs? Take our quick quiz and test your bed bug knowledge!
Q: How long can bed bugs survive without feeding?
A: It depends. While research reports indicate that a bed bug may survive up to 18 months without feeding, factors including the bed bug’s health, life stage, environment and others will also have an impact. While there is variability in the field, bed bugs can survive several months without feeding.
Q: How fast can bed bugs crawl?
a) 1 meter per minute
b) 1 mile per hour
c) 10 inches per minute
A: The correct answer is a. Dr. Stephen Kells, a research entomologist at the University of Minnesota, has found that bed bugs can crawl about 1 meter a minute. That’s equal to about 3.28 feet, or a slightly more than 1 yard.
Q: True or false: bed bugs usually bite in a “line,” with multiple bites appearing linearly on a person’s body.
A: False. Bed bugs can bite in clusters of any formation, not just in lines. While it’s true that a person suffering from bed bug bites may see a line of bites, this occurs because bed bugs prefer to not climb upon the host when possible. As such, the bed bugs are standing on the bed, and the bites appear to be in a line where the person’s body was touching the mattress.
Q: What temperature must a heat treatment reach before bed bugs will start to perish?
a) 180°F
b) 113°F
c) 320°F
A: The correct answer is b. Published research indicates that the thermal threshold for bed bug mortality is 113°F. However, bed bugs must be continually exposed to this temperature for hours to perish, whereas all life stages of bed bugs — from egg to adult — will be killed when exposed to 122°F for at least one minute. According to the thermal mortality data charts published by the University of Minnesota and others, actual mortality times will vary based on the temperature range of 113°F to 122°F and the bed bug’s life stage.
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Q: True or False: bed bugs have difficulty climbing smooth surfaces like glass or plastic.
A: True. Bed bugs have difficulty climbing on smooth surfaces such as glass, plastic and metal because they lack sticky pads. They do have tufts of hairs, however, which may allow some bed bugs to climb glass and other surfaces that are not completely smooth. Videos have been published by two noted bed bug experts — Louis Sorkin, BCE, and Paul Bello, BCE — which show bed bugs climbing glass.
Q: How long is a typical bed bug egg?
a) 5 millimeters
b) 1 millimeter
c) 1 centimeter
A: The correct answer is b. At about 1 millimeter in length, bed bug eggs are very small, sticky and pearly white in color, with one rounded end and one flattened end where the nymph emerges. Eggs and first-instar nymphs are only about 1 millimeter long, or about 1/25 of an inch. Adult bed bugs are about 1/4 inch long by 3/16 inch wide. (Note that there are 25.4 millimeters in 1 inch.)
Nuvan: The strong solution
No matter how much a pest management professional knows about bed bugs’ habits and life stages, Nuvan products from AMVAC can help them eliminate this pest from homes and businesses. Their uniqueness is derived from the active ingredient dichlorvos, which has a long history of insect control and is effective against all life stages of bed bugs. Nuvan products provide a novel mode of action to which there is no documented resistance of bed bugs.
Nuvan ProStrips and Nuvan ProStrips +
Nuvan ProStrips and Nuvan ProStrips + employ a resin strip that is impregnated with dichlorvos to provide continuous release of the active ingredient, for effective control of labeled pests for up to four months. Both products may be used to control immature bed bugs and adults that are exposed to product vapors for up to 48 hours. In difficult-to-treat areas, a minimum treatment time of 72 hours will provide better results.
Nuvan Directed Spray Aerosol
Nuvan Directed Spray Aerosol is used for localized surface applications. It is applied using a two-second spray to treat 4 to 5 feet from a distance of 12 to 15 inches from the surface being treated. This product kills bed bugs and their eggs via direct application and through vapor action.
PMP’s Direct To You provides pest management professionals with educational refreshers on timely and critical topics essential to operational success. This content is not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed to practice where you live. Look for the content-rich PMP Direct To You archives at mypmp.net/direct-to-you-archive.
This newsletter was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with AMVAC.
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