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diff --git a/old/63229-8.txt b/old/63229-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1cee3a2..0000000 --- a/old/63229-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1165 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 754: The Bedbug -(1934), by Charles Lester Marlatt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 754: The Bedbug (1934) - -Author: Charles Lester Marlatt - -Release Date: September 18, 2020 [EBook #63229] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK USDA FARMERS' BULLETIN NO. 734 *** - - - - -Produced by Tom Cosmas from files generously made available -by USDA through The Internet Archive. All resultant -materials are placed in the Public Domain. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber Note - -Text emphasis denoted as _Italics_ and =Bold=. - - - - =THE BEDBUG= - - - C. L. MARLATT - - _Entomologist and Assistant Chief_ - - - - - FARMERS' BULLETIN 754 - - UNITED STATES - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - - -A strenuous struggle, a vigorous campaign, is before any housewife who is -called upon to dispute the occupancy of her home with that persistent pest -unfavorably known as the bedbug, who, gorged with the blood of his victim, -lieth up in his lair from daylight to candlelight, only to swoop down upon -his helpless sleeping prey during the midnight watches. - -Even a flood of gas or electric light will not protect the human host, for -the stress of hunger will cause the bedbug to emerge from its place of -concealment in a well-lighted room at night, and even attack, voraciously, -in broad daylight, if long without food. - -Certain natural enemies of this pest are to be found in our homes, but -they are almost as unwelcome to the housewife as the bedbug itself, and, -besides, furnish little, if any, effective control. - -There are remedies--many of the most effective of which are the -old-fashioned household remedies, some are preparations recently put on -the market by their manufacturers, while others are fumigants, requiring -more than common care and more than ordinary intelligence in their use, as -the gases are deadly poisons. - -This bulletin tells all about them--but the main factor of success is -eternal vigilance. - - - Washington, D. C. - - Issued October 14, 1916 - Revised January, 1918 - Slightly revised August, 1934 - - - - -=THE BEDBUG=[1] - -[1] _Cimex lectularius_ L.; order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, family -Cimicidae. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - Page. - - Its presence explained 3 - - Origin; common names; distribution 4 - - Varieties and related insects 5 - - General characteristics 5 - - The "buggy" odor 6 - - Habits and life history 6 - - Food and longevity 9 - - Influence of temperature 10 - - The bite of the bedbug 11 - - The bedbug and human diseases 11 - - Natural enemies of the bedbug 12 - - Remedies 13 - - - - -=ITS PRESENCE EXPLAINED.= - - -The presence of the bedbug (fig. 1) in a house is not necessarily an -indication of neglect or carelessness; for, little as the idea may be -relished, this insect may gain access in spite of the adoption of all -reasonable precautions. It is very apt to get into the trunks and satchels -of travelers, or into baskets of laundry, and may thus be introduced into -homes. Unfortunately, also, it is quite capable of migrating from one -house to another and will often continue to come from an adjoining house, -sometimes for a period of several months, gaining entrance daily. Such -migration is especially likely to take place if the human inhabitants of -an infested house leave it. With the failure of their usual source of -food, the migratory instinct of the bedbugs is developed, and, escaping -through windows, they pass along walls, water pipes, or gutters, and thus -gain entrance into adjoining houses. In these or other ways anyone's -premises may be temporarily invaded. - -Nevertheless, the presence of the bedbug in houses, both from the -standpoint of personal comfort and the possible carriage of disease, is -not to be lightly considered, and the failure on the part of anyone to -institute immediate efforts of eradication will warrant the odium which -is properly attached to "buggy" premises. The most important purpose of -this bulletin is, in addition to giving a general account of this house -pest, to indicate effective means by which it can be eradicated promptly. - - - - -=ORIGIN; COMMON NAMES; DISTRIBUTION.= - - -As with nearly all the insects associated with man, the bedbug has had the -habits now characteristic of it as far back as the records run. It was -undoubtedly of common occurrence in the dwellings of the ancient peoples -of Asia. The Romans were well acquainted with it, giving it the name -Cimex. It was supposed by Pliny--and this was doubtless the common belief -among the Romans--to have medicinal properties, and it was recommended, -among other things, as a specific for the bites of serpents. It is said to -have been first introduced into England in 1503, but the references to it -are of such a nature as to make it very probable that it had been there -long before. Two hundred and fifty years later it was reported to be very -abundant in the seaport towns, but was scarcely known inland. - -[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Bedbug (_Cimex lectularius_): _a_, Adult female, -engorged with blood; _b_, same from below; _c_, rudimentary wing pad; -mouth parts, _a, b_, Much enlarged; _c_, highly magnified. (Author's -illustration.)] - -One of the old English names was "wall-louse." It was afterward very -well known as the "chinch," which continued to be the common appellation -for it until within a century or two, and is still used in parts of this -country. The origin of the name "bedbug" is not known, but it is such a -descriptive one that it would seem to have been very naturally suggested. -Almost everywhere there are local names for these parasites, as, for -illustration, around Boston they are called "chintzes" and "chinches," and -from Baltimore comes the name "mahogany flat," while in New York they are -styled "red coats," and in the west "crimson ramblers." - -The bedbug has accompanied man wherever he has gone. Ships are very -apt to be infested with it and have been the chief means of its wide -distribution. It probably came to this country with the earliest -colonists; at least Kalm, writing in 1748-49, stated that it was plentiful -in the English colonies and in Canada, though unknown among the Indians. - - - - -=VARIETIES AND RELATED INSECTS.= - - -What may eventually prove to be mere variations of the ordinary type of -human bedbug have been described as distinct species in several instances. -For example, the common bedbug of southern Asia is supposed to present -some slight variations from the European type, chiefly in being somewhat -more elongate. These slightly diverging forms of the bedbug in different -parts of the world, which are not known to have any special bird or animal -host other than human beings, may prove to be merely local races or -varieties of the ordinary bedbug. - -Birds, bats, and poultry are attacked in various parts of the world by -a considerable number of parasitic bugs, closely related to the bedbug, -which live on their hosts and in nests and about roosting places. One of -these species, occurring abundantly in southwestern United States and -Mexico,[2] probably originally a parasitic messmate on birds and bats, has -come to be an unmitigated poultry pest, and from the close association in -these regions between poultry and human beings, is often a serious house -pest--more so even than the true bedbug. Others of the species infesting -birds and bats may also on occasion become house pests. For example, the -nests of the common barn or eaves swallow of this country often swarm with -the barn-swallow bug,[3] and from such nests under the eaves of dwelling -houses these bugs sometimes gain entrance to houses and beds and are the -cause of much annoyance. Similarly a species,[4] normally a parasite of -birds and bats in the Old World, and also in Brazil and the West Indies, -not infrequently becomes a human parasite. - -[2] (_Cimex_) _Haematosiphon inodora_ Dugès. - -[3] (_Cimex_) _Oeciacus hirundinis_ Jenyns. - -[4] _Cimex hemipterus_ Fab. (synonym, _rotundatus_ Sign.). - - - - -=GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.= - - -The bedbug belongs to the order Hemiptera, which includes the true bugs or -piercing insects, characterized by possessing a piercing and sucking beak. -The bedbug is to man what the chinch bug is to grains or the squash bug -to cucurbs. Like nearly all the insects parasitic on animals, however, it -is degraded structurally, its parasitic nature and the slight necessity -for extensive locomotion having resulted, after many ages doubtless, in -the loss of wings and the assumption of a comparatively simple structure. -Before feeding, the adult (fig. 2) is much flattened, oval, and in -color is rust red, with the abdomen more or less tinged with black. -When engorged the body becomes much bloated and elongated and brightly -colored from the ingested blood. The wings are represented by the merest -rudiments, barely recognizable pads, and the simple eyes or ocelli of -most other true bugs are lacking. The absence of wings is a most fortunate -circumstance, since otherwise there would be no safety from it even for -the most careful of housekeepers. Some slight variation in length of wing -pads has been observed, but none with wings showing any considerable -development has ever been found. - -[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Bedbug: Adult before engorgement. Much enlarged. -(Author's illustration.)] - - - - -=THE "BUGGY" ODOR.= - - -The most characteristic feature of the bedbug is the very distinct and -disagreeable odor which it exhales, an odor well known to all who have -been familiar with it as the "buggy" odor. This odor is by no means -limited to the bedbug, but is characteristic of most plant bugs also. The -common chinch bug affecting small grains and the squash bugs all possess -this odor, and it is quite as pungent with these plant-feeding forms as -with the human parasite. The possession of this odor, disagreeable as -it is, is very fortunate after all, as it is of considerable assistance -in detecting the presence of these vermin. The odor comes from glands, -situated in various parts of the body, which secrete a clear, oily, -volatile liquid. With the plant-feeding forms this odor is certainly a -means of protection against insectivorous birds, rendering these insects -obnoxious or distasteful to their feathered enemies. With the bedbug, on -the other hand, it is probably an illustration of a very common phenomenon -among animals, i. e., the persistence of a characteristic which is no -longer of any especial value to the possessor. The natural enemies of true -bugs, against which this odor serves as a means of protection, in the -conditions under which the bedbug lives, are kept away from it; and the -roach, which sometimes feeds on bedbugs, is evidently not deterred by the -odor, while the common house ant and the house centipede, which may also -attack the bedbug, seem not to find this odor disagreeable. - - - - -=HABITS AND LIFE HISTORY.= - - -The bedbug is normally nocturnal in habits and displays a certain degree -of wariness, caution, and intelligence in its efforts at concealment -during the day. Under the stress of hunger, however, it will emerge -from its place of concealment in a well-lighted room at night, so that -under such circumstances keeping the gas or electric light burning is -not a complete protection. It has been known under similar conditions to -attack human beings voraciously in broad daylight. It usually leaves its -victim as soon as it has become engorged with blood and retires to its -normal place of concealment, either in cracks in the bedstead, especially -if the latter be one of the wooden variety, or behind wainscoting, or -under loose wall paper, and in these and similar places it manifests its -gregarious habit by collecting in masses. It thrives particularly in -filthy apartments and in old houses which are full of cracks and crevices, -in which it can conceal itself beyond easy reach. As just noted the -old-fashioned, heavy, wooden-slatted bedsteads afford especially favorable -situations for the concealment and multiplication of this insect, and the -general use in later years of iron and brass bedsteads has very greatly -facilitated its eradication. Such beds, however, do not insure safety, as -the insects are able to find places of concealment even about such beds, -or get to them readily from their other hiding places. - -Extraordinary stories are current of the remarkable intelligence of this -insect in circumventing various efforts to prevent its gaining access -to beds. Most of these are undoubtedly exaggerations, but the inherited -experience of many centuries of companionship with man, during which -the bedbug has always found its host an active enemy, has resulted in a -knowledge of the habits of the human animal and a facility of concealment, -particularly as evidenced by its abandoning beds and often going to -distant quarters for protection and hiding during daylight, which indicate -considerable apparent intelligence. - -Like its allies, the bedbug undergoes what is known as an incomplete -metamorphosis. In other words, the insect from its larval to its adult -stage is active and similar in form, structure, and habit, contrasting -with flies and moths in their very diverse life stages of larva, -chrysalis, or pupa, and winged adult. - -The eggs (fig. 3, _d_) are white oval objects having a little projecting -rim around one edge and may be found in batches of from 6 to 50 in cracks -and crevices where the parent bugs go for concealment. In confinement eggs -may be deposited almost daily over a period of two months or more and -commonly at the rate of from one to five eggs per day, but sometimes much -larger batches are laid. As many as 190 eggs have been thus obtained from -a single captured female.[5] - -[5] Girault, A. A. Preliminary studies on the biology of the bedbug, -_Cimex lectularius_, Linn. III. Facts obtained concerning the habits of -the adult. _In_ Jour. Econ. Biol., v. 9, no. 1, p. 25-45. 1914. - -The eggs hatch in a week or 10 days in the hot weather of midsummer, but -cold may lengthen or even double this egg period or check development -altogether. The young escape by pushing up the lid-like top with its -projecting rim. When first emerged (fig. 3, _a, b_) they are yellowish -white and nearly transparent, the brown color of the more mature insect -increasing with the later molts (fig. 4). - -[Illustration: Fig. 3.--Bedbug: Egg and newly hatched larva: _a_, Larva -from below; _b_, larva from above; _c_, claw; _d_, egg; _c_, hair or spine -of larva. Greatly enlarged, natural size of larva and egg indicated by -hair lines. (Author's illustration.)] - -[Illustration: Fig. 4.--Bedbug: _a_, Larval skin shed at first molt; -_b_, second larval stage immediately after emerging from _a_; _c_, same -after first meal, distended with blood. Greatly enlarged. (Author's -illustration.)] - - -During the course of its development the bedbug molts or sheds its -skin normally five times, and with the last molt the minute wing pads, -characteristic of the adult insect, make their appearance. A period of -about 11 weeks was formerly supposed to be necessary for the complete -maturity of the insect, but breeding experiments with this insect, -conducted in this department in. 1896, indicated that the life cycle is -subject to great variation, being entirely dependent on warmth and food -supply. Under favorable conditions of temperature and food it was found -that there was an average period of about eight days between moltings -and between the laying of eggs and their hatching, giving about seven -weeks as the period under these conditions from egg to adult insect. The -molting periods are shorter in the earlier stages and lengthen in the -later stages. There are many exceptions, however, and some individuals -even under the same conditions remain two or three weeks without molting. -Under conditions of famine, or without food, as already shown, the bedbug -may remain unchanged in any of the immature stages for an indefinite -time, and the checking of development by such starvation may result in -additional molting periods. - -The breeding records referred to, and numerous confirmatory experiments -subsequently made by other investigators, indicate that ordinarily but one -meal is taken between molts, so that each bedbug must puncture its host -five times before becoming mature, and at least once afterwards before -it can develop eggs. Additional meals between molts may be taken under -favoring circumstances, however, and particularly when the insect has been -disturbed and has not become fully engorged at its first meal after a -molting or other period. The bedbug takes from 5 to 10 minutes to become -bloated with blood, and then retires to its place of concealment for 6 to -10 days for the quiet digestion of its enormous meal, and for subsequent -molting, or reproduction if in the adult stage. - -Such feeding and reproduction may, under favorable conditions of -temperature, continue throughout the year, and in one instance the -progeny of a captured female adult was carried through three continuous -generations.[6] - -[6] Girault, A. A. Preliminary studies on the biology of the bedbug, -_Cimex lectularius_, Linn. II. Facts obtained concerning the duration of -its different stages. _In_ Jour. Econ. Biol., v. 7, no. 4, p. 163-188. -1912. - -Unfavorable conditions of temperature and food will necessarily result in -great variation in the number of generations annually and in the rate of -multiplication, but allowing for reasonable checks on development, there -may be at least four successive broods in a year in houses kept well -heated in winter. - - - - -=FOOD AND LONGEVITY.= - - -Under normal conditions the food of the common bedbug is obtained from -human beings only, and no other unforced feeding habit has been reported. -It is easily possible, however, to force the bedbug to feed on mice, rats, -birds, etc., and probably it may do so occasionally in nature in the -absence of its normal host. The abundance of this insect in houses which -have long been untenanted may occasionally be accounted for by such other -sources of food, but probably normally such infestation can be explained -by the natural longevity of the insect and its ability to survive for -practically a year, and perhaps more, without food. - -There are many records indicating the ability of the bedbug to survive -for long periods without food, and specimens have been kept for a year -in a sealed vial with absolutely no means of sustenance whatever. In the -course of the department's study of this insect in 1896, young bedbugs, -obtained from eggs, were kept in small sealed vials for several months, -remaining active in spite of the fact that they had never taken any -nourishment whatever. A considerable series of experiments was later -conducted by Girault[7] bearing on the longevity of the insect under -different conditions. A large number of adults of both sexes were kept -in confinement, but with normal feeding and mating, and these survived -for periods ranging from 54 to 316 days. Similarly, the life of 71 newly -hatched larvæ, without food, ranged from 17 to 42 days, averaging about 28 -days. Partly grown captured insects lived without further feeding from 17 -to 60 days. Longevity is naturally affected more or less by temperatures. -In other words, temperatures sufficient to check the activity of the -insect and produce hibernation or semihibernation are apt to increase -longevity. - -[7] Loc. cit. - -The fact that the bedbug is able to survive for such long periods without -human blood has led to the theory that it could subsist in some fashion -on the moisture from wood or from accumulations of dust in crevices in -flooring, etc. There seems to be no basis of observed fact for this idea. - -Another very prevalent belief among the old settlers in the West, that -this insect normally lives on dead or diseased cottonwood logs, and is -almost certain to abound in log houses of this wood, seems to be equally -devoid of basis. As illustrating this belief, the department has on -file a very definite report from an Army officer that the bedbug often -occurs in numbers under the bark of dead cottonwood trees,[8] especially -along the Big Horn and Little Horn Rivers in Montana. The basis of this -report and the origin of this very general misconception is probably, as -pointed out by the late Prof. Riley, due to a confusion of the bedbug with -the immature stages of an entirely distinct insect,[9] which somewhat -resembles the bedbug and often occurs under cottonwood bark. - -[8] _Populus monilifera._ - -[9] _Aradus_ sp. - - - - -=INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE.= - - -As a messmate of human beings in dwelling houses, the bedbug is normally -protected from extreme cold, and is known to be an abundant and serious -pest far north. In fact, it is often more troublesome in north temperate -latitudes than farther south. This may be accounted for partly by the fact -that the bedbug is very sensitive to high temperatures, and a temperature -of 96° to 100° F. or more, accompanied with a fairly high degree of -humidity, results in the death of large numbers of the bugs. The mature -or partly mature bedbugs can stand comparatively low temperatures, even -below freezing, for a considerable period. The eggs and newly hatched -larvæ, however, succumb to a temperature below freezing, if this condition -is prolonged for from 15 days to a month. The feeding and developing -activity of the insect practically ceases at 60° F., the insect remaining -quiescent and in semihibernation at temperatures below this point. The -most favorable temperatures for activity are between 60° and 98° F.[10] -The activity of the insect is controlled entirely by temperature and food -supply, and, therefore, in heated houses the insect may remain active -throughout the winter. There is some protection in winter, therefore, in -sleeping in cold bedrooms. - -[10] Bacot, A. W. The influence of temperature, submersion, and burial -on the survival of eggs and larvæ of _Cimex lectularius_. _In_ Bul. Ent. -Res., v. 5, pt. 2, p. 111-117. 1914. - - - - -=THE BITE OF THE BEDBUG.= - - -The bite of the bedbug is decidedly poisonous to some individuals, -resulting in a slight swelling and disagreeable inflammation. To such -persons the presence of bedbugs is sufficient to cause the greatest -uneasiness, if not to put sleep and rest entirely out of the question. -With others, however, who are less sensitive, the presence of the bugs -may not be recognized at all, and, except for the occasional staining -of the linen by a crushed individual, their presence might be entirely -overlooked. The inflammation experienced by sensitive persons seems to -result chiefly from the puncture of the skin by the sharp piercing setæ -which constitute the puncturing element of the mouth parts, as there seems -to be no secretion of poison other than the natural fluids of the mouth. - -The biting organ of the bedbug is similar to that of other insects of its -order. It consists of a rather heavy, fleshy under lip (the only part -ordinarily seen in examining the insect), within which lie four threadlike -hard filaments or setæ which glide over one another with an alternating -motion and pierce the flesh. The blood is drawn up through the beak, which -is closely applied to the point of puncture, and the alternating motion of -the setæ in the flesh causes the blood to flow more freely. The details of -the structure of the beak are shown in figure 1 at _d_. - -To allay the irritation set up by the bite of the bedbug, peroxide of -hydrogen, or dioxygen, may be used with good results. - -Tincture of iodine either at ordinary or double strength is also a good -counter-irritant for use in cases of flea, mosquito, bedbug, and other -insect bites, but should be used with caution on the tender skin of -small children and on those who are affected with or disposed to eczemic -disorders. - - - - -=THE BEDBUG AND HUMAN DISEASES.= - - -In common with other insects which attack man and warm-blooded animals, -it is entirely possible for the bedbug and its close allies to be -transmitters of contagious human diseases, and already these insects have -been shown to be possible carriers or transmitters of a considerable -series of diseases, including infantile Kala-azar of northern Africa and -southern Europe, relapsing fever of Africa and Europe, the Chagas fever -of Brazil, tropical sore, plague, and possibly leprosy. In the case of -these, and perhaps other diseases, the bedbug shares the responsibility of -transmitter with other biting insects, such as body lice and fleas. - -The particular role of the bedbug as a carrier of disease has not been -satisfactorily determined, nor has it been shown that the bedbug is a -necessary alternate host in any instance. In general, the transmission -of disease by this insect has apparently resulted from the accidental -carriage of the disease elements on the mouth parts, as pointed out by -André,[11] after a careful study of the subject. As a parasite of human -beings in private dwelling houses, where it may seldom change its host, -the opportunity for the bedbug itself to become infected with human -diseases and again to transmit them to the human subject is very remote. -This condition, however, does not apply to hotels or to passenger boats, -where the human occupants are constantly changing. Furthermore, the fact -that the bedbug attacks its host at comparatively long intervals of from -a week to several weeks or months acts as a bar to its transmission of -certain insect-borne diseases, the biology of which requires a definite -and comparatively short period of development in the alternate insect host. - -[11] André, Ch. Recherches anatomiques et expérimentales sur la punaise -des lits. _In_ Jour. Physiol. et Path. Gén., v. 14, p. 600-615. 1912. - - - - -=NATURAL ENEMIES OF THE BEDBUG.= - - -Living always in houses as it does and being well concealed, the bedbug -is not normally subject to much if any control by natural enemies. -Certain other household insects, however, do occasionally prey upon the -bedbug, as, for example, the house centipede[12] and the common little -red house ant.[13] Such enemies, however, are of very small importance -and yield little, if any, effective control except under very exceptional -circumstances. One such instance is reported by the late Mr. Theodore -Pergande, of this department, who states that as a soldier in the Civil -War he occupied at one time a barracks at Meridian, Miss., which had -been abandoned some time before. The premises proved to be swarming with -bedbugs; but very shortly afterwards the little red house ant discovered -the presence of the bedbugs and came in enormous numbers, and Mr. Pergande -witnessed the very interesting and pleasing sight of the bedbugs being -dismembered and carried away bodily by these very minute ants, many times -smaller than the bugs which they were handling so successfully. The result -was that in a single day the bedbug nuisance was completely abated. The -liking of red ants for bedbugs is confirmed also by a correspondent -writing from Florida (F. C. M. Boggess), who goes so far as heartily to -recommend the artificial introduction of the ants to abate this bug -nuisance.[14] Bedbugs and other household insects, however, are not of the -sort which it is convenient or profitable to turn over to their natural -enemies in the hope that eradication by this means will follow, and the -fact that they are preyed upon by other insects furnishes no excuse to the -housekeeper for not instituting prompt remedial measures. - -[12] _Scutigera forceps_ Raf. - -[13] _Monomorium pharaonis_ L. - -[14] Bedbugs and red ants, _In_ Insect Life, v. 6, no. 4, p. 340. 1894. - - - - -=REMEDIES.= - - -Undoubtedly the most efficient remedy for the bedbug is to fumigate the -infested house or rooms with hydrocyanic-acid gas. This gas will penetrate -into every crevice in the house or room where the bedbugs conceal -themselves and has an immediate effectiveness which gives it an important -recommendation, especially when the infestation is considerable or of long -standing. This method of fumigation should be intelligently employed, -as the gas is deadly poisonous. A bulletin giving directions for such -fumigation has been issued by the Department of Agriculture.[15] - -[15] Howard, L. O., and Popenoe, C. H. Hydrocyanic-acid gas against -household insects. U. S. Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bul. 699. 8 p. 1916. - -The fumes of burning sulphur are also a very efficient means of control -where the conditions are such that this method can be used, readily -destroying the insect in all stages, including the egg. The treatment is -inexpensive compared with the use of hydrocyanic-acid gas and offers much -less risk of danger to human beings. There is, however, a considerable -risk of injury to household fabrics, furnishings, and wall papers from the -strong bleaching quality of sulphur fumes. This danger will be somewhat -diminished if the fumigation can be done at a time when the room or house -is thoroughly dried out, as in winter by a furnace or other heating -system. Further precautions should be taken by removing all metallic -surfaces from the room or building, or by protecting them with a coating -of vaseline. Two pounds of sulphur are recommended for each 2,000 cubic -feet of space, and the building should be closed for the treatment for at -least 5 or 6 hours, or preferably for 24 hours. Sulphur candles may be -used where available, or the sulphurous gas or fumes can be generated by -burning the sulphur in a dish placed in the center of the room, and for -protection set within a larger vessel. Thorough-going precautions must be -taken to prevent accidental overflowing or the starting of a fire, and -after the fumigation the house should be given a thorough airing. - -Other gases have been experimented with, such as formalin and the vapors -of benzine, naphthaline, and camphor, but these gases are of little value. -Similarly, insect powders are of little value, largely from the difficulty -of getting them into the crevices and other places of concealment of the -insects. - -Where the use of poisonous gas is difficult or objectionable, especially -if only one room is infested, the pests may be eliminated by the -application of kerosene, benzene, or any of the lighter petroleum oils, -by means of a small hand sprayer. The liquid should be directed at -close range into all cracks and crevices in the walls and behind loose -wall paper. Open spaces back of baseboards and picture moldings should -be liberally treated. The bedstead and springs should receive the same -attention, care being taken to spray the liquid into all crevices. The -mattress should likewise be carefully gone over. All seams and spaces -beneath tuftings should be thoroughly dosed. At the expiration of 10 days -the entire treatment should be repeated with the same care, regardless of -whether any bugs are seen or not. If the two applications are made with -painstaking care this should be sufficient for complete eradication. - -_Temperature control._--The possibility of temperature control is -indicated in the discussion elsewhere of the effect of temperature on -this insect. A temperature maintained below freezing for 10 or 15 days -destroys the eggs, and this temperature continued for 15 days to a -month will destroy the newly hatched young. It may be, therefore, that -if infested houses in cold climates should be opened up and allowed to -remain at a temperature well below freezing for a considerable period, all -eggs and the young, and possibly most if not all of the adults, would be -exterminated. This method of control might perhaps be practicable at least -in the case of summer houses in the north which are left untenanted in the -winter. - -The maintaining of high temperatures may be an even more efficient method -of control. The activity of the bedbug is at its greatest between 60° and -70° to 75°. As indicated elsewhere, in a temperature of 96° to 100° F., -accompanied with a high degree of humidity, newly hatched bedbugs perish -within a few days, and, if this temperature is raised to 113° F., in a few -minutes. A temperature of 113° will also destroy the eggs, and with these -higher temperatures the item of humidity is not apparently important. - -A very practical test of this method of control was made in Ontario, -Canada, by the Dominion Entomological Department,[16] adapting the -method of control of insects infesting granaries and flour mills by -superheating. In this instance an eight-room, two-story frame house, badly -infested with bedbugs, was during the month of July brought to a very -high degree of heat by making up good fires in the heating furnace and -other stoves in the house and closing up the house to retain the heat. -Recording thermometers placed in different rooms indicated a gradual -rise of temperature from 77° to 160° during the period from 9.30 in the -morning to 7.30 in the evening, the outside temperatures during the same -period ranging from 64° to 73° F. At 1.30, when the temperature in the -different rooms ranged from 109° to 130°, many adults and immature forms -had already succumbed. By 4.30 the temperature was ranging from 127° to -148° in different rooms, and all the insects were dead. The continuation -of the experiment was on the supposition that it would probably require -a higher degree of temperature to destroy the eggs. The eradication of -the bedbug from this house was complete, and no damage was done to the -house or its contents. That the temperatures ranged much higher than -was necessary is indicated by the temperature experiments referred to -elsewhere, which indicated that the eggs as well as larvæ are destroyed -within a few minutes at a temperature of 113° F. The latter temperature -was also sufficient to destroy quickly the adults of fleas, cockroaches, -and other insects. It would seem, therefore, that superheating of houses -in midsummer to a temperature of 120° to 130° F. may prove to be one of -the simplest and most effective means of eradication of this and perhaps -other household pests. - -[16] Ross, W. A. Eradication of the Bedbug by Superheating. _In_ Canadian -Entomologist, vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 74-76. 1916. - - * * * * * - -ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WHEN THIS -PUBLICATION WAS LAST PRINTED - - _Secretary of Agriculture_ Henry A. Wallace. - - _Under Secretary_ Rexford G. Tugwell. - - _Assistant Secretary_ M. L. Wilson. - - _Director of Extension Work_ C. W. Warburton. - - _Director of Personnel_ W. W. Stockberger. - - _Director of Information_ M. S. Eisenhower. - - _Director of Finance_ W. A. Jump. - - _Solicitor_ Seth Thomas. - - _Agricultural Adjustment Administration_ Chester C. Davis, - _Administrator_. - - _Bureau of Agricultural Economics_ Nils A. Olsen, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Agricultural Engineering_ S. H. McCrory, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Animal Industry_ John R. Mohler, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Biological Survey_ J. N. Darling, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Chemistry and Soils_ H. G. Knight, _Chief_. - - _Office of Cooperative Extension Work_ C. B. Smith, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Dairy Industry_ O. E. Reed, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine_ Lee A. Strong, _Chief_. - - _Office of Experiment Stations_ James T. Jardine, _Chief_. - - _Food and Drug Administration_ Walter G. Campbell, _Chief_. - - _Forest Service_ Ferdinand A. Silcox, _Chief_. - - _Grain Futures Administration_ J. W. T. Duvel, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Home Economics_ Louise Stanley, _Chief_. - - _Library_ Claribel R. Barnett, - _Librarian_. - - _Bureau of Plant Industry_ Knowles A. Ryerson, _Chief_. - - _Bureau of Public Roads_ Thomas H. MacDonald, _Chief_. - - _Weather Bureau_ Willis R. Gregg, _Chief_. - - -U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1934 - -For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - -Price 5 cents - - - - - * * * * * - - -=Transcriber Note= - -Illustrations move to prevent splitting paragraphs. Minor typos may have -been corrected. Produced from files generously made available by USDA -through The Internet Archive. All resultant materials are placed in the -Public Domain. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 754: The -Bedbug (1934), by Charles Lester Marlatt - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK USDA FARMERS' BULLETIN NO. 734 *** - -***** This file should be named 63229-8.txt or 63229-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/2/2/63229/ - -Produced by Tom Cosmas from files generously made available -by USDA through The Internet Archive. 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