Characteristics of <I>Cimex lectularius</I> (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Infestation and Dispersal in a High-Rise Apartment Building

Abstract

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), are a fast-growing urban pest of significant public health importance in the United States and many other countries. Yet, there is very little field research on the ecology of this pest due to its near absence in the United States and most developed nations for several decades. We investigated characteristics of the bed bug infestation and dispersal in a 223-unit high-rise apartment building through visual inspections, intercepting devices, and resident and staff interviews between December 2008 and April 2009. The following results were obtained: 1) 101 apartments (45% of the high-rise building complex) experienced bed bug infestations (within 41 mo of the first confirmed introduction), 2) 78% of the bed bugs trapped were nymphs, 3) an average of six bed bugs were detected dispersing through apartment entry doors every 4 wk, 4) adult bed bugs were 9 times more likely to disperse than nymphs, 5) 53% of apartments adjacent to infested apartments also were infested, and 6) 50% of the interviewed residents who had infestations were unaware of the bed bugs in their apartments. In addition to active dispersal, several passive bed bug dispersal mechanisms were observed: bringing bed bug-infested furniture into the building, travel, resident turnover, resident visits, and use of a bed bug-infested wheelchair in building common areas. These findings validate an urgent need for public education, early detection, and adoption of more effective bed bug monitoring and intervention programs to curb the exploding problem of bed bug infestations.

Bedbug Complaints among Public Housing Residents—New York City, 2010–2011

“…Bedbugs are known to disperse across adjacent dwellings in multi-unit buildings. 22,23 Thus, the association between household size and infestations might be the consequence of larger households living in larger apartment units with correspondingly greater exposure to potentially infested units (adjacent, above, or below) than households in smaller housing units. Being of lower socioeconomic status might be associated with certain practices that introduce bedbugs into homes (e.g., acquiring infested second-hand furniture).…”

“…12 After the infestation is established, households without the financial means to afford bedbug control measures (e.g., purchasing mattress encasements and frequent laundering) might complicate eradication and prolong the infestation. 22 The reasons for the observed associations between sex, race, crowding, and having a probable bedbug infestation among NYCHA households are unclear. Although race and sex are often correlated with poverty, the population in our study is restricted to low-and moderate-income households and the multivariable model was adjusted for multiple indicators of socioeconomic status.…”

A Door-to-Door Survey of Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) Infestations in Row Homes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“…2 In a recent study of bed bug infestations in a high-rise building, only half of the residents with infested households knew about their infestation. 10 The imperfect sensitivity of homeowners to infestations could have a measurable impact on prevalence estimates. Our study was also limited by our inability to accurately measure the size of bed bug infestations, and our reliance on public data sources for some covariate information.…”

“…Active spreading has been observed in genetic studies showing high relatedness among bed bugs within a high-rise building, which suggests that bed bugs may crawl between apartment units via shared infrastructure. 10 Our study aims to assess these bed bug dispersal patterns in urban row homes of one residential neighborhood.…”

Laboratory Evaluation of Insecticidal Activity of Phytolacca Dodecandra L.'Herit Leaves Extracts Against Bedbug, (Heteroptera: Cimicidae)

“…Bedbugs are wingless, reddish-brown, dorso-ventrally flattened tiny (5-7mm) insects. Their size, nocturnal and cryptic behavior as well as the potential for developing insecticide resistance makes them difficult to detect, control and eradicate [10]. Bedbug infestation and associated pruritic bites cause a variety of emotional and psychological impacts [11].…”