Bed Bugs in America: A Pest Management Industry Survey

Abstract

This project was supported by a grant from the Northeast Integrated Pest Management Center In the recent past the bed bug, Cimex lectularius, seemed almost a creature of myth. It was rarely seen by the structural pest control industry and the public had almost no contact with it. More recently, bed bugs have become a significant economic pest and a potential health threat in the many places where people sleep, including homes, rental units, hotels and college dormitories. The recent increase in bed bug complaints indicates a need for a national survey to quantify and the extent of the current bed bug outbreak and to characterize the use of specific chemical and non-chemical pest management practices.