http://bedbugger.com/forum/ Bed bug support forums en Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:56:21 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/batbugs-do-not-transfer-to-humans#post-61463 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:28:02 +0000 Louise 61463@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Thank you, David, for your input.</p> <p>The one casing I found (the discovery of which was concurrent with the finding of the first bug) was in fact on the windowsill. We have not seen any fecal traces anywhere, and only found three other bugs when we inspected the beds (including the dismantling of the bed whose frame sat on the floor). One bug on the tape we had placed the previous week around the on-the-floor bedframe, one bug on that mattress, and one bug the next day in the vacuum cleaner storage compartment that we had placed outside in the shed. (The last three bugs were all identified by an entomologist as batbugs.) That was all in June. </p> <p>We saw nothing the rest of the summer. No one, to the best of our knowledge, was ever bitten.</p> <p>Granted, we avoided the bedrooms except for sleeping in them at night, all clothing was kept in plastic bags and bins every time we went out to the cabin, and the windows upstairs were left open whenever we were there. It appears that we didn't bring them home with us, even though we had four weekends during which no precautions were taken (since we didn't know about them then).</p> <p>I had assumed that after excluding the bats, any bugs/mites they left behind would be dealt with by the Ficam D that was in the walls (which had been placed there in June 2008 for the carpenter ants), but apparently that was optimistic.</p> <p>Or...the bats are still there, and that's why we didn't see any bites. </p> <p>There are other cabins in the area with worse (and current!) bat problems, sans batbugs...or so it would seem.</p> <p>I'm just having trouble figuring out how concerned I should be about going back out there in the spring, and what the next plan of action should be. </p> <p>Sigh.</p> <p>Thanks again. I'm trying to piece this puzzle together...slowly.</p> <p>Louise </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/batbugs-do-not-transfer-to-humans#post-61440 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:04:18 +0000 BBcoukHome 61440@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Hi, </p> <p>I do not come across many bat bug cases in the UK but I have found something similar with the few martin bug cases I have dealt with.</p> <p>I have noticed that martin bugs <em>Oeciacus hirundinis</em> will feed on humans in the lack of a bird host but they do not tend to make these refugia or hiding places in the same locations that bed bugs do.</p> <p>Yes they will feed but they tend not to hang out in the same location, bed frames etc. They are therefore harder to find within a domestic setting and therefore harder to confirm before treatment. To illustrate this point I can call upon a recent case which I had visually confirmed as Cimex related on a single nymph sent to me isolated on tape. I did not put it under the microscope for detailed analysis as I was rushing out of the door. When I arrived at the job the usual inspection showed non of the signs that I would have expected, no faecal traces, no cast skins and certainly no live samples. The bite frequency was low but greater than 30 in total of the last 1.5 months.</p> <p>I stood there scratching my head for a while and then asked "have you had a Martins nest on the outside of the property". They shockingly replied yes but it was taken down 2 years ago. A survey of the outer walls revealed a significant number of house martin nests on the adjoining properties which lead me to investigate the windows in the affected rooms. I found what looked just like bed bug faecal traces in two locations and designed a spray pattern to cover all ingress locations and advised that someone inspect the nests on the adjoining properties for activity.</p> <p>It would appear that Martin bugs are happy to rest a long way from a food source and travel for food. This may be because they rely upon the birds for regular food and transport between locations.</p> <p>Although it is pure theory I could see the same being true of bat bugs that may only ingress into a property for food only to return to remote areas not leaving the same tell tale signs.</p> <p>I believe bat bugs are a lot more common in the US than the UK and I have only confirmed martin bugs in 5 locations now which is dwarfed by our over 13,000 cases of bed bugs.</p> <p>If you suspect bat bugs rather than bed bugs I would suggesting looking for an entomologist to have a good look and confirm and then ask them to brief the PCO on exactly what the control strategy should be.</p> <p>Hope that helps.</p> <p>David Cain<br /> Bed Bugs Limited </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/batbugs-do-not-transfer-to-humans#post-61430 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:18:03 +0000 bugfreebed 61430@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Lets start with that they believe the start of bed bugs came about 10'00 years ago when humans moved into caves and the bat bugs came down and started to feed on us , and over the years developed to the blood suckers we now fight in our homes . While the bat bug may prefer bats it is not unheard of that they will feed on humans when there's no bat around or the infestation gets that far out of control . Just like it's not unheard of bed bugs feeding on our pets when there's no people around . All insects and animals are going to do what they have to to survive . The biggest difference for treating bat bugs is to get rid of the bats and treating where they were harboring . </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/batbugs-do-not-transfer-to-humans#post-61409 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:59 +0000 Louise 61409@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Okay, what our PCO actually told us is, "Batbugs do not <strong>generally </strong>transfer to humans."</p> <p>Does anyone have any opinions on this? I have read the Ohio State University article (and various other things) that would suggest that they DO in fact transfer, and quite easily.</p> <p>However, in our case, the batbugs at our cabin don't seem to have "transferred" to us. (Allow me to knock on a piece of wood at this point...)</p> <p>What is up with that?</p> <p>Has anyone else experienced batbugs and had them NOT transfer? Or vice-versa? (And yes, I realize the former is far less likely to be on these forums...)</p> <p>Just curious.</p> <p>Louise </p>