Bed Bug | Bed Bugs | Pest Control

The Bed Bug Bites Again

The Reappearance Of The Bed Bug

With the widespread use of DDT in the early 1940s and 1950s, the bed bug (Cimex lectularius) was believed to have been eradicated in the United States and elsewhere across the globe. After a 50-year slump, however, these bugs are back with a vengeance, leaving pest control companies perplexed on how to address their resurgence. In New York alone, infestations have increased dramatically to 34% during the past year, while the National Management Control Association reported a 71% increase in bed bug -related calls. Worse, these critters seem to be moving out of the bed and into couches, airplanes, and even movie theaters!

Investigating The Reappearance Of The Bed Bug

So where are these pests coming from? Why are they on the rise? One recent theory about bed bug reappearance involves potential geographic epicenters, with investigators finding three such apparent United States locations at poultry facilities in Arkansas, Texas and Delaware, and discovering that the workers in these facilities were the main spreaders of these pests, unknowingly carrying them to their residences and elsewhere after leaving work.

Authorities, on the other hand, point their fingers at the increase of international travel, believing that individuals traveling abroad bring back these pests in their clothes and their suitcases. Travelers within the US may also pick up these pests from hotels that are frequented by international travelers and bring them home. Yet another perceived cause is the increased use of gel-based pesticide baits for control of cockroaches and ants instead of residual sprays, since use of the latter also resulted in the collateral control of bed bug populations in the past, something that newer pest-control methods do not seem to accomplish.

Bed Bug Reappearance Presents Challenges To Pest Control Companies

Reappearance of these insects may have presented new challenges for pest control due to their developed resistance to various pesticides including DDT and organophosphates, but more recent trends have also been developed to combat their resurgence. One such trend uses canine detection teams to pinpoint infestation areas in what is known as a sweep. A bed bug dog can detect bugs in a bedroom within minutes with an accuracy rate of 90%, whereas a human pest control practitioner would need an hour to complete the task.

There are also more frequent reports of success in controlling these pests with the use of diatomaceous earth as an environmental-friendly and non-toxic insecticide which the bed bug cannot develop a resistance to. The diatomaceous earth abrades the waxy cuticle that covers an insect’s exoskeleton, causing them to die of dehydration within two days of contact.

Contact us today to find out what Singapore bed bug solutions we have for you to protect your home.