1. Presented by ETSU Nursing Students:
All About Bedbugs
Presented by ETSU Nursing Students:
Andrea Baxley
Audrey Jones
Doug Klaras
Jeanette Wilson

2. Bedbugs Attacking at Night!

3. Bedbug Identification
Small insects the size of an apple seed
They do not fly, but crawl
Brown to reddish-brown in color
Flat, oval-shaped body
Males have pointed abdomens
Females have rounded abdomens.
Produce a sweet, musty odor

4. Bedbug Identification

5. Life Cycle Females lay approximately 300 eggs in her lifetime
Eggs are pear-shaped and white in color
Eggs attach onto surfaces and hatch within 10 days to 14 days
Young bed bugs are called nymphs
Nymphs are smaller and lighter in color than adults
The nymph stage lasts 6 weeks
Nymphs and adult bed bugs live on the blood of the host (animals and humans)
Adult bed bugs can survive without a meal for 1 year or longer

6. BED BUG FEEDING
Bed bugs require blood of animals or humans for growth.
They feed at night when you are sleeping.
They have mouthparts for piercing the skin and sucking blood.
Feeding takes 3-12 minutes.
Bodies swell and become a brighter red after feedings.

7. Where are Bed Bugs? Bed bugs are found worldwide.
More common in developing countries, but on the rise in the United States due to a number of factors:
Lack of awareness
Increase in international travel
Bed bug resistance to insecticides

8. .
A Nationwide Outbreak
The map shows the reported areas of bed bug infestations

9. Where are Bedbugs? Bedbugs like crowded lodging.
Apartment complexes
Dormitories
Homeless shelters
Hotels
Military Barracks
They hide in cracks and crevices during the day.
Mattresses
Box springs
Bed frames
Headboards
Chairs
Sofas

10. Where are Bedbugs?

11. How do they get into your home?
Luggage
Pets
Furniture
Clothing
Boxes

12. Who can get Bedbugs?

13. Anyone, anywhere can get bedbugs!

14. Risk Factors High turnover environments: Hotels Hostels
Homeless shelters
School dormitories
Furnished apartments
Multi-family dwellings
*Bed bugs can easily spread where people come and go frequently.

15. Risk Factors Recent travel: Airplanes Trains Buses Taxis
*Bed bugs are thought to be spread by means of luggage and clothing.

16. Risk Factors Secondhand furniture in the home: Refurbished mattresses
Furnished apartments
*Beg bugs hide in items such as furniture and mattresses.

17. How to Prevent Bedbug Infestations
At home
When traveling
Inspect any previously owned items like mattresses and couches before it enters your home (look in folds and creases, around zippers, and under buttons)
Vacuum regularly
Seal cracks, crevices, and holes in the walls/ceilings/floors
Eliminate clutter
Place protectors over pillows, mattresses, and box springs (these can be found at Bed Bath & Beyond and Wal-Mart)
Inspect the seams of hotel mattresses
Store luggage off the floor
Inspect the seams of suitcases before re-entering your home

18. What to Look for Bedbugs on fabric.
Photos courtesy of

19. What to Look for
Red/bloody spots on sheets showing where bedbugs have been squished.
Photos courtesy of

20. What to Look for: Bedbug eggs on cardboard.
Photos courtesy of

21. How to Prevent Bedbug Bites
Wear very covering pajamas
There are no insect skin repellants specifically for bedbugs, and other forms will not work

22. How to Inspect Your Bedding

23. How to Manage a Bedbug Infestation
Report any suspected infestation to management immediately!
Extermination by a professional (like Terminix) will likely be needed
Keep records of when/where you saw the bedbugs

24. How to Manage a Bedbug Infestation
Use bedbug detection systems (can be found at Bed Bath & Beyond)
Use appropriate pesticides, but use them sparingly because bedbugs are quickly becoming immune due to overuse
Photo courtesy of Bed, Bath, & Beyond

25. PESTICIDES ALONE WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM!

26. How to Get Rid of Them
Clean everything in the area where the bedbugs were found
Vacuum everywhere you can reach with vacuum or hose, pay close attention to cracks/crevices
Wash all clothes and linens in HOT water and dry in a HOT dryer
Drying on medium to high heat for 20 minutes will kill the bugs and their eggs
120°F
Place linens/clothes in a plastic bag and close it tightly
In the summer, leave the bags in the sun for a day or close the bags up in the car on a sunny day (120°F)
In the winter, leave the bags outside if temperatures are below freezing (32°F), they would have to stay there for several days

27. How to Stop the Spread
Avoid items/rooms with known infestations (if possible)
Do not carry personal belongings into areas with bedbugs
Items with large populations of bedbugs may need to be thrown out (like couches or mattresses)
If you’ve been around bedbugs, inspect all clothing, bags, shoes, purses, etc. before bringing them back into your home

28. How to Stop the Spread
Bagging these items tightly in plastic bags before entering the home then washing/drying them immediately may be the safest approach
If this isn’t possible, shake clothing carefully but thoroughly while standing outside before entering your home/car

29. How to Stop the Spread
Place encasements around pillows, mattresses, and box springs to trap the bedbugs .
Photos courtesy of

30. Signs/Symptoms of a Bite
Red with a darker red spot in the center
Groups of bumps or bumps in a jagged line
Looks like little red bumps on the skin, similar to mosquito bites
Can occur in groups of three called, “breakfast, lunch, and dinner”
Skin reaction may be delayed by a few days
Current research shows no transmission of diseases to humans

31. What do Bites Look Like?

32. What do Bites Look Like?

33. Bedbug Bite Video

34. Bedbug Bites What do bites feel like?
Itching more intense than mosquito bites
Frequently cause swelling
Usually painless
Where do they like to bite people?
Arms
Legs
Face
Neck

35. Treating Bites at Home:
Wash with soap and hot water
Oral antihistamines or topical corticosteroids may help with the itching
Oral Antihistamine
Ex: Benadryl
Topical Corticosteroid
Ex: Cortisone 10

36. Over the Counter Medicine
Photos courtesy of

37. Treating Bites at Home Calamine lotion may also help with itching
Ice will help reduce any swelling
Should resolve within 3-10 days without treatment
BUT the bites may cause scarring, especially when scratched

38. When to See the Doctor:
If an allergic reaction occurs with severe itching, redness, swelling, or hives
If any fluid with a bad odor or discoloration oozes out of the bites
If the bites have not healed within 3-10 days
***Patients with diabetes or any other immune system weakness should be especially concerned about the possibility of developing an infection from the bites or from scratching the bites.

39. Knoxville News Report on Bedbugs

40. Questions?

41. Thank You!

42. References
Bed Bugs FAQs. (2010, November 2). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
Bed Bugs. (2011, August 29). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Medline Plus:
Schwartz, R. A. (2011). Beg Bug Bites. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Medscape
Reference: