Bed Bugs and Blood-Sucking Conenose

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are blood-feeding insects (Figures 1 -3) that feed mainly on the blood of humans, but also suck blood from other animals, such as birds, bats, and rodents. Bed bugs usually feed at night when people are asleep because the host is unaware that they are being fed upon. As bed bugs feed (Figure 3 ), they inject a salivary secretion into the wound to prevent coagulation. This fluid often causes the skin to itch and become swollen. Scratching causes sores which may become infected. Bed bugs are not known to transmit any human pathogens but can cause emotional distress to those affected.

When associated with humans, bed bugs generally infest dwellings such as houses, hotels, dormitories, and cruise ships, but have also been known to infest places such as subways, movie theaters, nursing homes, hospitals, and planes. During the day, bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices and can be found in wall outlets, behind baseboards, wallpaper and pictures, between bed joints and slats, along the seams of mattresses and in bed linens. The cryptic nature of bed bugs makes them difficult to detect and locate, making control a complex and laborious process that usually consists of an integrated approach that combines insecticides with other methods.

Bed bugs are transmitted from one place to another because they “hitchhike” on belongings, such as clothes, suitcases, second-hand beds, furniture, and bedding. Female bed bugs disperse more than any other stage, so it is likely that the bed bugs that “hitchhike” on peoples belongings are mostly females. Because female bed bugs can store male sperm for 4-6 weeks, it is also likely that they are pregnant. Therefore a single, pregnant female that is transferred to a different location can begin a new infestation. Severe bed bug infestations tend to have a sweetish, foul odor which is caused by an oily liquid they emit.

Life Cycle

The adult bed bug is about 1/4 inch long, flat, ovoid in shape, and has no wings. It is generally brown in color except after a blood meal. The body then becomes swollen and the color changes to dark red from the ingested blood. One female can produce a total of 200-500 eggs in her lifetime, laying anywhere from 10 to 50 eggs at a time. The eggs are 1/25" long and are slightly curved. They are usually deposited in clusters and fastened to cracks and crevices or rough surfaces near adult harborages with a sticky cement-type substance.

The eggs hatch in one to three weeks. The newly hatched nymph is similar in shape to the adult but much smaller and straw colored before feeding. The newly hatched nymphs and eggs can be very difficult to see without the use of magnifying equipment. The newly hatched nymph turns red or purple in color after getting a blood meal (Figure 4 ). There are 5 nymphal stages for bed bugs to reach maturity, which usually take 35-48 days. Adult bed bugs can survive for 6-7 months without a blood meal and have been known to live in abandoned houses for 1 year. In some cases they survive without humans by attacking birds and rodents.

Detection

Because there are so many possible harborages for bed bugs, detection of the pest can be difficult. It is especially difficult to locate small, early infestations of bed bugs because of their cryptic behavior. To complicate matters, many people have delayed reactions to bed bug bites and some people dont react to the bites at all, making it almost impossible to determine the specific timeframe a person was exposed to an infestation. These factors make it difficult to detect early infestations until the populations are excessive and overwhelming, but early detection makes control cheaper and more successful.

 

Blood-Sucking Conenose

The blood-sucking conenose (Figure 5), or “kissing bug”, primarily feeds at night on the blood of sleeping people or animals, such as raccoons and opossums that burrow in the vicinity. Most bites from conenose bugs are rarely felt, however, some can be quite painful. Infection can occur if the bite wounds are scratched. It is a potential vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in Latin American countries.

The blood-sucking conenose is a brown, winged bug, 3/4 inch long with the edges of its abdomen alternating in light and dark colors. They have a slender straight beak with piercing-sucking mouthparts. The antennae are inserted on the side of the head between the eyes and the end of the beak.

The blood-sucking conenose enters into a home by either crawling through cracks in the foundation, torn window screens, or other structural inadequacies; many times they enter by simply clinging to a domestic pet or to the clothing of an unaware person. Once indoors, they are found in bedding, cracks in the floors and walls or under furniture.

Life Cycle

The life cycle of the conenose varies considerably depending on temperature, humidity, and availability of hosts. Females lay one egg at a time, up to 5 eggs each day. A total of 200-300 eggs can be produced each year by one female. The females place the eggs in basements, attics, under baseboards, and other inconspicuous places. The eggs are 1.5 mm long, white and hatch in approximately 13-35 days. There are 8 nymphal instars before the conenose reaches maturity. The adults can live from 6 months to 3 years.

 

Think you may have Bed Bugs?  – Call A1 Super Heroes at

(954) 255-2233 and our professionals will eliminate this problem.

 

To view this complete article, please reference the EDIS website for the Univerisity of Florida