Bed Bug Information for Health Care Workers and Building Staff

by Marcia Anderson and Dr. Changlu Wang
Funded by US EPA

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Worried about BED BUGS?

Many people will enter places they suspect may have bed bugs. Home health workers, maintenance and cleaning personnel, persons making deliveries and installations, travelers, first responders and emergency personnel must enter structures that are potentially bed bug infested. Following these tips will help to keep you and your family safe from bed bug nightmares.

Prevent and Protect Yourself From Bed Bugs !

Traveling Tips

1. Inspect mattress & headboard with flashlight.
2. When traveling keep bags, luggage, and backpacks off the bed. Inspect and then use a luggage rack.
3. Never place clothes, or jackets, on bed or couch. Do not store clothes in dresser.
4. If you find a bed bug, collect a specimen, give to the hotel manager and ask for a different room.
5. If you are concerned about exposure, after traveling, seal all items in plastic bags for washing, hot drying or other treatment.
6. Unpack clothes directly into washer / drier. Dry on high heat.
7. Inspect luggage closely with flashlight and magnifying glass for bed bugs upon returning home.

Day-to-Day Prevention

1. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers, so be extra careful when traveling or having visitors in your home. Be aware of where you sit and place your belongings.
2. Provide a special place for visitors to place their belongings. Then clean it shortly after they leave.
3. Wash bedding regularly.
4. Do Not bring second-hand furniture into your home unless you have thoroughly inspected and cleaned the items first.

On-the-job Exposure to Bed Bugs

1. Minimize the amount of items you bring into a place suspected of having bed bugs.
2. If you bring items in, seal them in a garbage bag or plastic bin when not in use.
3. If you use disposable bags, discard them before you return to the vehicle.
4. Keep most of your belongings sealed in containers inside your vehicle.
5. If you bring items in, do not place them on beds, couches or chairs and avoid physical contact with this furniture, if possible.
6. Spray DEET onto your shoes and pants before entering an infested area.
7. Keep a dedicated set of clothing and shoes – just for that work site. Change in the bathroom. Change back just before you leave. Place work clothes and shoes in a plastic bag to await treatment when you get home.

Physical Control Methods

1. Vacuuming reduces bed bug populations. Clean and vacuum bed bug prone areas daily. Immediately seal and dispose of vacuum bag.
2. Install encasements on mattress and box spring.
3. Make the bed an island: Keep bed away from the wall and do not let bedding touch the floor.
4. Install bed bug interceptors under bed and furniture legs.
5. Remove clutter where bed bugs can hide.
6. Keep clothing off of the floor.
7. Isolate infested items in sealed plastic bags or containers. Treat items in a hot dryer for 30 minutes.
8. Clean and scrub furniture fabric seams and folds with detergent.
9. Seal cracks where bed bugs can hide.
10. If you live in an apartment or other multi-family dwelling, and you see a bed bug, contact your landlord immediately.

NOTIFICATION / EDUCATION

If even a single bed bug is found, it is imperative that all personnel in, and management of the affected building space be notified of the situation and provided with this information. Provide employees with actions they should take, such as increased vigilance of their surroundings and scrutiny of their possessions to avoid inadvertently taking one home. Personnel should employ plastic storage bins to isolate items that are routinely carried back and forth from home as a protective measure.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

1. Adults are rusty red, and apple seed sized, <1/4", with six legs, oval, and flattened from top to bottom.
2. They do not jump or fly, but are good runners and hitch hikers.
3. They tend to congregate together.
4. Eggs are tiny, white, and glued to surfaces.
5. Nymphs are 1/16th" and light colored.
6. Bed bugs can live several months without a blood meal.

Signs of Bed Bugs

1. Infestations will leave small, whitish shed skins, and black and rusty spots on bed linens which are droppings and blood stains from crushed bugs.
2. You may have red, itchy welts or rashes from bites; however, bite marks alone are not a reliable indication of a bed bug infestation, as bites could be from any number of other sources.

Important, Be Sure Your Pests are Bed Bugs!!

1. Capture and contain several examples of the pest and have them identified by a qualified expert before taking any further actions.
2. Skipping this step could be an expensive mistake. Many people have been treated for bed bugs without actually having them.

Recognizing and Finding Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs Hiding Places

1. Check for spots on your blankets, bed sheets and pillows.
2. Check mattresses: along seams and piping, under handles and labels.
3. In bed frames and head boards.
4. Check box springs: under the thin dust cloth on bottom hidden in nail holes, cracks, by staples, springs and nails.
5. Seams and folds in curtains and furniture, including chairs and sofas.
6. Under and along edges of wall-to-wall carpeting and padding.
7. Anywhere there are cracks, crevices or nail holes in walls, and under wood moldings.
8. Under loose wallpaper and seams.
9. In and behind picture frames and mirrors.
10. In clothing and clutter stored under beds in closets and elsewhere.
11. Inside switch plates, electrical outlets, clocks, computers, phones, and televisions.
12. On and in luggage, backpacks and bags.

For more information on bed bugs and IPM go to:
www.epa.gov/bedbugs
Pesticide Poisoning: Call 1-800-222-1222