FAQ: Is there an insect that will eat bed bugs?
By nobugsonme on Mar 19, 2007 in bad ideas, bed bugs, bedbugs, rumors, signs and symptoms, tools and weapons, treatment
This is a less-frequently asked question than some, but it comes up surprisingly often. Today someone googled into the site via the query “what eats bed bugs?”
Put it out of your head! Um, yes, some insects will eat bed bugs, but it really isn’t a good treatment plan.
House centipedes have been known to enthusiastically eat bed bugs, a fact which endears them to me. If you see one, you might want to let it live, as it may be feasting on your bed bugs. But keep your distance, a disturbed house centipede can sting you.
Masked assassin (masked hunter) bugs also eat bed bugs, and their presence in the home is said to be a sign bed bugs are present. But I don’t know anyone who’s seen one. And watch out, they have a nasty bite of their own.
Fire ants are also said to eat bed bugs. I’ve heard that the traditional cure for bed bugs in the American Southwest is to throw your mattress on a nest of fire ants. They quickly consume the bed bugs, it’s said. I believe people really do this, though am not sure how you then get rid of the fire ants and reclaim your mattress. Again, you don’t want them stinging you.
I do not recommend seeking out predators as a form of treatment. You can’t acquire them in quantity (there’s no centipede mail order), and you can’t get rid of them once you have them in the home. All of them, en masse, could cause you serious problems.
Sorry to disappoint. Read our FAQ for advice on how to get a PCO who knows bed bugs. “Natural solutions” such as freshwater diatomaceous earth are a possible preventative, or useful part of a treatment plan. But predatory insects are not a good idea indoors, and anyone who is being bitten or seeing bed bugs should get a PCO in to treat, repeatedly, until they’re gone. Or they will breed, and your problems will be much worse.
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Edgie | Mar 22, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
When I first learned of this form of the plague, I mentioned it to my sister, who has a small housecleaning buisness, she told a friend, who related a story. She said that her dad spent time on a military boat in the pacific in WW2 and the boat encountered BED BUGS!! As the story goes, he went to some foriegn port and was told that preying manthises love to gobble up bed bugs. So, he got a few to be his roommates, and his bunker was saved. I have not tried this, but did consider it. Edgie
Kevin | Apr 9, 2007 | Reply
I know house spiders will eat bed bugs because when I had bedbugs I would see lots of them trapped in spider webs around the crevices of my wall where spiders would give them a taste of their own medicine and suck their fluids out.
I heard a way to get rid of bedbugs is to smoke a lot of pot, and then go to bed so when the bedbugs feed on you, the THC in your system will poison them and kill them.
willow-the-wisp | Apr 10, 2007 | Reply
They also bite and can be just as noxious–except they don’t drain blood yet the bites can really affect alleric reactions. That’s almost like throwing a brick at a brick to couteract the brick:keymaster is right, don’t do it!
nobugsonme | Apr 10, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, I just don’t think you could have the volume of spiders needed to get rid of bed bugs.
The suggestion about pot is fascinating, though unfortunately Bed Bug Helloise and I are in no position to test it. We ask that those who do report back with the results. It would be hard work, but in the name of science.
nobugsonme | Apr 19, 2007 | Reply
On praying mantises, Lou Sorkin (AMNH entomologist said,
“No, I don’t see mantids helping out much. I’m sure they won’t hunt for them and only eat those that are out in the open. Most mantids are also diurnal, while bed bugs are typically nocturnal.”
willow-the-wisp | Apr 19, 2007 | Reply
i trid the thc “experiment” unforutnatley the result were lost in a sea of paper and so i guess i’ll have to try and tyr again. LOL–I doubt this is true. But who woant to get a bed bug high on weed anyway? it’s o friend of mine
Rather | May 15, 2007 | Reply
“But keep your distance, a disturbed house centipede can sting you.”
Respected bug identification websites such as “Whats that bug” have repeatedly said that house centipedes are harmless. What is your source for this information?
nobugsonme | May 15, 2007 | Reply
Rather, let me make a correction–I did make an error, they may bite (not sting).
House centipedes are harmless, but they will bite if you disturb them. The two facts are not mutually exclusive. My source is Lou Sorkin, entomologist of the AMNH, who has advised against people trying to obtain house centipedes for bed bug control, on the yahoo Bedbugger listserv (see links).
The google search for “house centipede bites” yields a number of websites that say house centipedes may bite and you should not expect any serious outcomes. See this.
But imagine someone with a houseful–it would not be pleasant. “Nothing worse than a bee sting” is a common refrain in those web sources, well–how many bees would you like in your home?
The bottom line is if you have some house centipedes–let them live and enjoy their bed bug-eating marathon. But don’t try to obtain more. The best reason not to see obtaining centipedes as a solution for bed bugs is that you can’t buy them, and if you have a lot of them, you have a new problem. You will also be liable to others if they get out of control.
“What’s that bug” is a great site, by the way.
Rather | May 15, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for the speedy response. That does make sense. I’m in Junior year of high school, and road racing season has just picked up. I lost 3.5 hours of much needed sleep last night to the bastards. We have had house centipedes for many years and it appears they may have slipped in their duties!
Nobugs, let me ask you something -
While my room is treated, I set up a sleeping bag, maybe a cot, and sleep on my roof. I avoid the bugs, and get some fresh air (I live in an apartment building). Does this seem like a viable alternative, even for just this week? I need to be at my peak performance for an approaching weekend of intense races.
Also, I love what you’ve done with the Wordpress stlye on the site, I use wordpress for my high school bike club website (http://www.lagca.com)
Thanks again and sorry for the long response and questions.
jessinchicago | May 15, 2007 | Reply
Hi Rather-
I know you directed your question to Nobugs, but I wanted to respond, too. Hope you don’t mind.
Listen, is it safe to sleep on your roof? What do the adults in your house think of this idea? I think you’ll be safe from bedbugs on your roof, but bedbugs aren’t the only things that go bump in the night, if you know what I mean.
I really hope you get some sleep this week, it sounds like you really need it. Good luck! Oh, and you can ask questions anytime. You might want to check out the forums, too. You can click on the blue bug in the upper right corner of your screen to get there. In the forums, people ask and answer questions pretty frequently. You’ll probably find some good advice and support there.
nobugsonme | May 17, 2007 | Reply
Hi Rather–
Thanks for your comments on the layout. I am actually using a template (info at bottom of screen) and so can’t take credit. Your blog is nice–and a fresh variation on Regulus!
Normally we don’t tell people to sleep in a different part of their home (living room, another bed room) or someone else’s home, since it will spread bugs. I note that spreading them outside is probably not the same kind of problem, though, if they set up shop out there, I suppose you might need a PCO to treat there. (Is the roof above someone else’s apartment, rather than yours? If so, you might also spread the problem to them.)
A bigger problem is that most PCOs treat your room in such a way that you need to sleep there to attract the bugs to cross the poison to their deaths. If you are away, they may not cross it and die. Treatment may be prolonged and have to be repeated more.
Sorry that’s not what you wanted to hear. Good luck with the races–and if you want to chat further–leave a message in the forums (using your blog username and password) anytime!
http://bedbugger.com/forum/
Math | Jun 6, 2007 | Reply
My housemate and I both smoke a lot of pot. A LOT of pot. This appears to have had absolutely no effect on our bedbug infestation. THC is not a ‘poisonous’ chemical. I don’t understand why anoyone should think it would kill bedbugs.
nobugsonme | Jun 7, 2007 | Reply
Hi Math,
I think our one-time commenter Kevin was suggesting THC was a “poison” to bed bugs. Not that it is poisonous to us. In the same way that other substances can harm one species and be food (or just harmless) for another.
I am sorry that pot did not help your infestation. I recommend a good PCO (one who knows bed bugs.)
But I am glad you were able to test reader Kevin’s theory.
Alright folks, put the pot away. Back to the “traditional” methods… Got that Winston???
nobugsonme | Oct 14, 2007 | Reply
OT, but: Geckos and roaches: also not a great idea.
Winston O. Buggy | Oct 14, 2007 | Reply
Consumers of bed bugs would include pharaoh ants, roaches assassin bugs especially
the masked bed bug hunter ( with a hollandaise) but each of these hexapods would pose their own problems. Spiders as well. Unfortunately natural predators are probably not going to be the answer with these pests. Perhaps a fungus or mold will hold greater promise.
persona-non-bugga | Dec 4, 2007 | Reply
Re: whether centipedes can sting you or not.
I just killed a centipede on my dining room floor. I slammed down on it with my bare fist. Still alive, it started to speed up my wall, intent on escape. I hit it again, this time with the part of my hand beneath the knuckle of my thumb.
Now, on my hand, there are two thin raised welts (distinctly outlined - same shape & size as the centipede) where my skin made contact with the fleeing centipede. Maybe there’s something in the centipede’s exterior that causes this sort of irritation. Itching & pain are fairly mild. As I type, the swelling’s going down. But I thought I’d mention it.
I forgot that the centipede is a predator of insects. I might’ve left it alone had I remembered. But ever since my bedbug days, my impulse is to kill any creepy-crawly with a mad quickness (except spiders).
Anyway, it was alarming to see - because I’ve supposedly caulked my apartment thoroughly. Guess there’s a breach somewhere. Hope the presence of this predator doesn’t mean there are truly undesirable bugs lurking somewhere in my walls.
Anonymous | Dec 11, 2007 | Reply
I lived in a house in Seattle that was infested with spiders, and I would trade that back in an instant. We lived in fear of the dangerous Hobo spider, but never found one. We trapped and ID’d several Giant House Spiders, which out-compete the Hobo, and so we released them back into our environment and thanked them for all of their hard work.
What I would give to have just a spider problem again. Sigh.
tony | Dec 13, 2007 | Reply
I’ve had a different reaction with the spiders. Since the bed bugs appeared I suddenly have no more spiders. Very curious as I didn’t even think of that until I read this section.
bugbasher | Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
Hey, What about some sort of lizard? Maybe a gecko of some sort.That I wouldn’t mind living with!But how to keep him in the apartment without escaping before the bb’s are eradicated? Oh , I know, I’ll get collar and leash and chain him to the bed!Seriously, wouldn’t mind a lizard. I read somewhere they were using some for roach infestations in places.
badlybugged | Dec 31, 2007 | Reply
There are lots of little lizards running around here in southeast LA which is the estuary for the Mississippi river (swamp/outlet). One of my friends has noted that Louisiana should be a National Wildlife Preserve, not a State. That said, I should not have an insect anywhere in my world because of the predation, but, alas, I do. Although, last night seems to have been bug free — maybe Saturday’s (12/22) treatment is working???
buggedinphilly | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
I moved into my house two years ago and from the beginning we would see the random centipede but i already knew they were predator bugs so I never messed with them, figuring they were mopping up the spiders in the basement. A year later when we began to see more of them I started to worry b/c I knew, in the city anyway, their favorite meal is the cockroach nymph. After some investigation it turns out we had the beginnings of what could’ve become a cockroach infestation. Luckily we nipped it in the bud by throwing out all of the cardboard containers in our kitchen and bathroom (every box had eggs in it!) with generous helpings of diatomaceous earth along the floorboards, cabinets, and countertops. The adults were gone almost immediately and the nymphs only lasted another week or so. Unfortunately DE is quite indiscriminate and likely eliminated the centipedes as well.
As these are predator bugs i think you’d be hard-pressed to have anything resembling an “infestation” if you weren’t already infested with a lot more nefarious creatures . . . and since any treatment is likely to knock out both groups, well, there you are.
sara | Apr 20, 2008 | Reply
omg this is so scary id ont want to think of those eating me at night that doesnt want me to go in my bed and the centepede it can sting? im really scared now
nobugsonme | Apr 21, 2008 | Reply
Sara,
If you have bed bugs you need to get your home treated. You can get rid of them. Come to the forums (blue button above right)to talk to others.
You are unlikely to get stung by a house centipede. We are just making the point that bringing lots of them into your home is not a solution for bed bugs (for several reasons).
vacationer | Apr 24, 2008 | Reply
Sara, don’t worry. Centipedes don’t seek out people or beds, or even care about you at all except by accident. I’ve always had a few in whatever house I was living in, and they never do anything that I can tell.
-v.