Bed bug resources

by nobugsonme on April 20, 2008

Bed Bug Resources: Table of Contents

University and Government Fact Sheets
Comprehensive Guides to Bed Bugs and Treatment
Get a suspected bed bug sample identified
Bed Bug Policy Advocacy Groups, Local “Task Forces”
Bed Bug Blogs and Personal Accounts
Other Sources of Information and Support
French
Spanish
Information on Pesticides
Information and Help for Landlords and Tenants
Information for the Hospitality Industry
Information for Shelter Operators
Information for Home Visitors, Health Care and Social Workers, and others who work in people’s homes
Selected Articles (trade and popular)
Selected Research Studies (academic)
Sources of Legal Advice
Register Infested Addresses
Audio, Video, Photos of Bed Bugs
Information on Biting Mites, Bird Mites, etc.

Fact Sheets and Bed Bug Information Pages (university, government)

Illinois Department of Public Health: Bed Bugs Prevention & Control
University of Kentucky on bed bugs
The New York City Bed Bug Portal (many resources are useful for those outside NYC)
New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYSIPM) at Cornell FAQ List for Bed Bugs
Ohio State (PDF)
Ontario’s bed bug portal. Looks very helpful.
Penn State
Purdue University
San Francisco Department of Public Health Director’s Rules and Regulations for Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs (revised 2012) (PDF)
Toronto Environmental Health’s Bed Bugs page
US EPA: Bed Bugs
Vancouver Coastal Health: Guide to Bed Bug Control (revised 2012) (also available as a PDF)
WHO: The Public Health Significance of Urban Pests (2008) (while not a fact sheet, this report is a very useful resource for anyone claiming bed bugs are not a public health problem)
WHO Vector Control section on bedbugs

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Comprehensive Guides to Bed Bugs and Treatment

Armed Forces Pest Management Guide to Bed Bugs (by Harold Harlan)
Bed Bugs (comprehensive information from the US Environmental Protection Agency)
Bed Bugs: How to Protect Yourself and Your Home (PDF) (brief but informative booklet from Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension)
Bedbugsinfo.ca (Ontario government)
Bed Bug Code of Practice (Dr. Stephen Doggett, Australia)
“Bed Bugs in Office Buildings: the Ultimate Challenge?”(Larry Pinto, Richard Cooper, and Sandra Kraft, PCT Magazine, Feb. 2010)
Protocols for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs in Multiunit Housing (City of Boston, Inspectional Services Department, Housing Division) (PDF)
Guide for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bug Infestations in California (PDF) (August 2007; based on 2006 version of San Francisco’s guidelines)
California Department of Health Services, Vector Borne Disease Section, PDF of presentation) The Nitty Gritty of Bed Bug Inspections
Michigan’s bed bug page and Michigan Manual for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs (PDF)
National Pest Management Association’s Bed Bugs Best Management Practices (html) (PDF)
New York City Bed Bug Portal (NYC government)
NY State IPM Program at Cornell: Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities
Rutgers’ NJAES video Bed Bugs and Integrated Pest Management. Note: because you can (a) spread the problem in your home, and (b) clear away evidence of the problem, do not plunge right into the decluttering or DIY methods described if you have the option of and plan to get someone in to treat; wait for their inspection and advice.
University of Florida’s manual Bed Bugs: Containerized Fumigation and Heat Treatment (click here to download PDF) includes information on methods developed at U of F to heat treat furniture and belongings in a controlled manner; see “Economical, Localized Heat Treatment for Control of Bed Bugs infestations” in the Table of Contents). Other U of F resources here. See also “Using heat to kill bed bugs” below.
Using heat to kill bed bugs (PDF) by Dini Miller, Virginia Tech
U of Minn: Inspection / Treatment Guide for PCOs (PDF)

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Get a suspected bed bug sample identified

Post a photo to our user forums and other users may be able to ID it. Instructions for joining the site can be found in the FAQs about the forums, and once you join, here are instructions for posting an image. While we can’t guarantee you will get reliable information from all users or even from experts based on every image, this is often a quick way to determine if your sample is bed bugs or something completely different. Sometimes we get enough detail to see if you might have a closely related species (bat or bird bug), or at least to tell you you need an entomologist to take a closer look.
In the US: visit a cooperative extension office. Many have an entomologist on staff who can ID a bed bug (or closely related species like bat or bird bugs). Find your local extension office here, and call to ask if they have an entomologist who can ID an insect sample.
Call a local university entomology department and ask if someone can ID a bug sample. While you are definitely asking them to do you a favor (and should be mindful of not taking advantage of their time or contacting them repeatedly), this is sometimes a good option, especially in remote areas or in countries where pest professionals may have less experience with bed bugs and closely related species like bat or bird bugs.
Ask large PCO firms if they have a consulting entomologist. While many pest techs who come to your home may be able to ID cimex, they may not be able to identify bird bugs and bat bugs, which are often mistaken for bed bugs. If they have a consulting entomologist, ask to have them look at your sample.

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Policy Advocacy and Local “Task Forces”

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs (group is no longer active)
New York vs. Bed Bugs (the group and blog are no longer active)
Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force
Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Bed Bug Task Force

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Bed Bug Blogs and Personal Accounts (and years actively discussing bed bugs)

Bedbugger’s Reader Success Stories (2006–2007), also on the Bedbugger Forums here (2007–present)
Bedbugged! Bedbugger reader Theresa Braine’s column about her bed bug experience, on BrickUnderground.com (2010–present)
bugged out (2006–2009)
The War on Bed Bugs (2006–2007)
windy city mike’s bed bug genocide [note: this resource is offline for the foreseeable future; we hope it will return in future]
the bed bug blog: caitlin’s blog (blog removed 2011)
a picture of me (2004, 2007)
A Big Fat Waste of Time: Tales of a Bedbug Refugee (2004)

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Is your story missing? Post it on our forums, or share a link to your bed bug blog with us (contact form). Other Sources of Information and Support

Bed-bugs.co.uk: Commercial site of David Cain, a UK PCO that exclusively deals in bed bugs, with lots of information
Bed Bug Beware David Cain’s informational site, with downloadable WARNING label for infested refuse
Bed Bug Central TV, run by Cooper Pest in New Jersey
Bed Bug Resource run by PMP Sean Rollo, in Vancouver
Multi-lingual bed bug warning label from EffeCi (Franco Casini in Italy)
National Pest Management Association’s Best Management Practices for Bed Bugs
Wikipedia on bed bugs

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French

Santé Canada: Halte aux punaises de lit! Commencez par vérifier votre chambre (information from Health Canada on searching a room for bed bugs)
La cibole de cimex (from Montreal) (blog)

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Spanish

Preguntas Frecuentes en Espanol (our Spanish FAQs)
Agencia de Protección Ambiental, EE. UU.
Oficina de Programas de Pesticidas
“CHINCHES”/US Environmental Protection Agency “BED BUGS”
(2009)(PDF)
Cómo prevenir y eliminar las chinches de manera segura: Una guía para propietarios, administradores e inquilinos (PDF)

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About Pesticides

EPA’s tool for searching for EPA-registered products to treat bed bugs in various parts of the home
Pesticide Emergency Resources (from US National Pesticide Information Center)
National Pesticide Information Center’s advice about bed bugs — note: you can call their hotline (1-800-858-7378, 7 days a week/6:30 am – 4:30 pm PST) or email NPIC for specific advice about pesticides)
List of pesticides approved by the United States EPA to fight bed bugs
Pesticides Labeled for bed bugs (includes products labeled for mattresses, and not for mattresses!)
This Bedbugger post outlines some research done on the relative effectiveness of Suspend, Kicker, Phantom, Bedlam, and Steri-Fab, which was reported by Dr. Mike Potter at PestWorld 2007 (and taken from a brief PCT Online article.)
The National Pesticide Information Center’s website says you should consult with your state’s pesticide regulatory agency in the following situations:

“To inquire if a pesticide is registered for use in your state

To find out more about the rules and regulations governing pesticide use in your state

To find out if your state requires notification or postings prior to pesticide applications

To register a complaint concerning a pesticide misapplication

To find out how to become a certified pesticide applicator

To report a pesticide exposure or misuse at work.”

You can find your state’s pesticide regulatory agency here.

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For Landlords and Tenants

Ten Recommendations to Help Apartment Managers Get Rid of Bed Bugs (Techletter)
Chicago tenants can get advice from Metropolitan Tenants’ Organization. The Illinois Tenants Union helps those in Chicago, Cook County, and the suburbs.
The Michigan Tenants Counseling Program no longer offers counseling by email and phone due to budget constraints, but does have a useful Resource Library. Michigan Legal Aid may also be able to help low-income tenants or landlords.
Tenants in Minnesota can get advice from the non-profit HOMELine.
New Jersey tenants should try The New Jersey Tenants Organization.
NYC Tenants can get advice from the non-profit Met Council. And don’t forget the New York City Bed Bug Portal especially its Information for Homeowners and Tenants. You can check HPD’s complaint history or open violations here. Remember, the complaint history show tenants who have contacted HPD. Violations are filed if HPD inspects and if they find bed bugs present. As of Summer 2010, they do not always inspect in response to a bed bug complaint. It is also possible they may inspect and not find bed bugs when they’re present.
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association’s (ONPHA) Bed Bug Resources
Toronto Tenants Unite is another local tenants’ organization. In Toronto, also see the Toronto Environmental Health’s Bed Bugs page, with information for tenants and landlords.
San Francisco Department of Public Health provides information on prevention (PDF) and treatment (PDF) for residents and on prevention (PDF) and treatment (PDF) for landlords. You may find the latter useful when dealing with your landlord, even if you don’t live in San Francisco.
Tenants in Wisconsin can get advice from the Tenant Resource Center in Madison. The Landlord/Tenant Resources from the Wisconsin State Law Library may also be helpful.

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For Hospitality Industry

For HOTEL / hospitality industry

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For Shelter Operators

Bed bugs: a handbook for shelter operators (PDF)
New York State IPM’s wonderful Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities

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For Home Visitors (and others who work in potentially infested homes)

Bed Bug Precautions for Home Visitors (Cathy Newkirk, Michigan State University Extension)
Bed Bug Action Plan for Home Health Care and Social Workers (PDF) (Dr. Dini Miller, Virginia Tech, and Dr. Stephen Kells, University of Minnesota)
Plan de Acción Contra los Chinches de Cama para Trabajadores de Programas de Salud a Domicilio y Trabajadores Sociales (PDF) (Dr. Dini Miller, Virginia Tech, and Dr. Stephen Kells, University of Minnesota)

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Selected Articles (popular/trade)

Paul Bello, The Human Side of Bed Bugs, Pest Management Professional, February 2010 (posted with author’s permission)
Selected articles from Paul Bello, Lou Sorkin and Lynn Frank (collected on Bedbugger.com)

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Selected Research Studies (academic)

Stephen L. Doggett, The resurgence of bed bugs in Australia (PDF), 2004
Stephen W. Hwang, et. al. Bed Bug Infestations in an Urban Environment 2005.
Tim Myles, Beth Brown, et. al. Bed bugs in Toronto (PDF) 2003.
World Health Organization, The Public Health Significance of Urban Pests (2008)
Michael Potter, The History of Bed Bug Management– With lessons from the past. American Entomologist, Spring 2011 (PDF); a very rich history of bed bugs and our attempts to control them.
Note: you can also search for bed bug articles on the Armed Forces pest management library (it’s free and lots of the articles are hard to come by otherwise).

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Sources of Legal Advice Note: if you have questions about your legal rights as a tenant, try calling the tenant organizations listed in the Information for Landlords and Tenants above. If your local organization is not listed (most aren’t), try Googling the name of your city (or the nearest city) and “tenants organization.” If you locate one in your region, they should be able to direct you to a local group. Please let us know if your local tenants’ organization should be added to our list please email me using this contact form.

American Bar Association Lawyer Referral service: refers callers to appropriate lawyers in USA and Canada
In NYC, you can call the NYC Bar lawyer referral service.
Lawhelp.org, in the US, “helps low and moderate income people find free legal aid programs in their communities, and answers to questions about their legal rights.”
For low cost or pro bono legal help in Canada, see the resources listed in Canadian Bar Association’s FAQ.

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Register Infested Addresses