,transcriber ,note ,text emphasis denoted as ,italics and ,bold4 ,,the ,,bedbug ,c4 ,l4 ,,marlatt ,entomologist and ,assistant ,chief ,,farmers' ,,bulletin #ged ,,united ,,states ,,department ,,of ,,agriculture ,a strenuous struggle1 a vigorous campaign1 is before any housewife who is called upon to dispute the occupancy of her home with that persistent pest unfavorably known as the bedbug1 who1 gorged with the blood of his victim1 lieth up in his lair from daylight to candlelight1 only to swoop down upon his helpless sleeping prey during the midnight watches4 ,even a flood of gas or electric light will not protect the human host1 for the stress of hunger will cause the bedbug to emerge from its place of concealment in a well-lighted room at night1 and even attack1 voraciously1 in broad daylight1 if long without food4 ,certain natural enemies of this pest are to be found in our homes1 but they are almost as unwelcome to the housewife as the bedbug itself1 and1 besides1 furnish little1 if any1 effective control4 ,there are remedies--many of the most effective of which are the old-fashioned household remedies1 some are preparations recently put on the market by their manufacturers1 while others are fumigants1 requiring more than common care and more than ordinary intelligence in their use1 as the gases are deadly poisons4 ,this bulletin tells all about them--but the main factor of success is eternal vigilance4 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,issued ,october #ad1 #aiaf ,revised ,january1 #aiah ,slightly revised ,august1 #aicd ,,the ,,bedbug#a #a ,cimex lectularius ,l42 order ,hemiptera1 suborder ,heteroptera1 family ,cimicidae4 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,its presence explained #c ,origin2 common names2 distribution #d ,varieties and related insects #e ,general characteristics #e ,the buggy odor #f ,habits and life history #f ,food and longevity #i ,influence of temperature #aj ,the bite of the bedbug #aa ,the bedbug and human diseases #aa ,natural enemies of the bedbug #ab ,remedies #ac ,,its ,,presence ,,explained4 ,the presence of the bedbug 7fig4 #a7 in a house is not necessarily an indication of neglect or carelessness2 for1 little as the idea may be relished1 this insect may gain access in spite of the adoption of all reasonable precautions4 ,it is very apt to get into the trunks and satchels of travelers1 or into baskets of laundry1 and may thus be introduced into homes4 ,unfortunately1 also1 it is quite capable of migrating from one house to another and will often continue to come from an adjoining house1 sometimes for a period of several months1 gaining entrance daily4 ,such migration is especially likely to take place if the human inhabitants of an infested house leave it4 ,with the failure of their usual source of food1 the migratory instinct of the bedbugs is developed1 and1 escaping through windows1 they pass along walls1 water pipes1 or gutters1 and thus gain entrance into adjoining houses4 ,in these or other ways anyone's premises may be temporarily invaded4 ,nevertheless1 the presence of the bedbug in houses1 both from the standpoint of personal comfort and the possible carriage of disease1 is not to be lightly considered1 and the failure on the part of anyone to institute immediate efforts of eradication will warrant the odium which is properly attached to buggy premises4 ,the most important purpose of this bulletin is1 in addition to giving a general account of this house pest1 to indicate effective means by which it can be eradicated promptly4 ,,origin2 ,,common ,,names2 ,,distribution4 ,as with nearly all the insects associated with man1 the bedbug has had the habits now characteristic of it as far back as the records run4 ,it was undoubtedly of common occurrence in the dwellings of the ancient peoples of ,asia4 ,the ,romans were well acquainted with it1 giving it the name ,cimex4 ,it was supposed by ,pliny--and this was doubtless the common belief among the ,romans--to have medicinal properties1 and it was recommended1 among other things1 as a specific for the bites of serpents4 ,it is said to have been first introduced into ,england in #aejc1 but the references to it are of such a nature as to make it very probable that it had been there long before4 ,two hundred and fifty years later it was reported to be very abundant in the seaport towns1 but was scarcely known inland4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4--;,bedbug 7,cimex lectularius73 a1 ,adult female1 engorged with blood2 b1 same from below2 c1 rudimentary wing pad2 mouth parts1 a1 b1 ,much enlarged2 c1 highly magnified4 7,author's illustration47 ,one of the old ,english names was wall-louse4 ,it was afterward very well known as the chinch1 which continued to be the common appellation for it until within a century or two1 and is still used in parts of this country4 ,the origin of the name bedbug is not known1 but it is such a descriptive one that it would seem to have been very naturally suggested4 ,almost everywhere there are local names for these parasites1 as1 for illustration1 around ,boston they are called chintzes and chinches1 and from ,baltimore comes the name mahogany flat1 while in ,new ,york they are styled red coats1 and in the west crimson ramblers4 ,the bedbug has accompanied man wherever he has gone4 ,ships are very apt to be infested with it and have been the chief means of its wide distribution4 ,it probably came to this country with the earliest colonists2 at least ,kalm1 writing in #agdh-di1 stated that it was plentiful in the ,english colonies and in ,canada1 though unknown among the ,indians4 ,,varieties ,,and ,,related ,,insects4 ,what may eventually prove to be mere variations of the ordinary type of human bedbug have been described as distinct species in several instances4 ,for example1 the common bedbug of southern ,asia is supposed to present some slight variations from the ,european type1 chiefly in being somewhat more elongate4 ,these slightly diverging forms of the bedbug in different parts of the world1 which are not known to have any special bird or animal host other than human beings1 may prove to be merely local races or varieties of the ordinary bedbug4 ,birds1 bats1 and poultry are attacked in various parts of the world by a considerable number of parasitic bugs1 closely related to the bedbug1 which live on their hosts and in nests and about roosting places4 ,one of these species1 occurring abundantly in southwestern ,united ,states and ,mexico1#b probably originally a parasitic messmate on birds and bats1 has come to be an unmitigated poultry pest1 and from the close association in these regions between poultry and human beings1 is often a serious house pest--more so even than the true bedbug4 ,others of the species infesting birds and bats may also on occasion become house pests4 ,for example1 the nests of the common barn or eaves swallow of this country often swarm with the barn-swallow bug1#c 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 annoyance4 ,similarly a species1#d normally a parasite of birds and bats in the ,old ,world1 and also in ,brazil and the ,west ,indies1 not infrequently becomes a human parasite4 #b 7,cimex7 ,haematosiphon inodora ,dugs4 #c 7,cimex7 ,oeciacus hirundinis ,jenyns4 #d ,cimex hemipterus ,fab4 7synonym1 rotundatus ,sign474 ,,general ,,characteristics4 ,the bedbug belongs to the order ,hemiptera1 which includes the true bugs or piercing insects1 characterized by possessing a piercing and sucking beak4 ,the bedbug is to man what the chinch bug is to grains or the squash bug to cucurbs4 ,like nearly all the insects parasitic on animals1 however1 it is degraded structurally1 its parasitic nature and the slight necessity for extensive locomotion having resulted1 after many ages doubtless1 in the loss of wings and the assumption of a comparatively simple structure4 ,before feeding1 the adult 7fig4 #b7 is much flattened1 oval1 and in color is rust red1 with the abdomen more or less tinged with black4 ,when engorged the body becomes much bloated and elongated and brightly colored from the ingested blood4 ,the wings are represented by the merest rudiments1 barely recognizable pads1 and the simple eyes or ocelli of most other true bugs are lacking4 ,the absence of wings is a most fortunate circumstance1 since otherwise there would be no safety from it even for the most careful of housekeepers4 ,some slight variation in length of wing pads has been observed1 but none with wings showing any considerable development has ever been found4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4--;,bedbug3 ,adult before engorgement4 ,much enlarged4 7,author's illustration47 ,,the ,,buggy ,,odor4 ,the most characteristic feature of the bedbug is the very distinct and disagreeable odor which it exhales1 an odor well known to all who have been familiar with it as the buggy odor4 ,this odor is by no means limited to the bedbug1 but is characteristic of most plant bugs also4 ,the common chinch bug affecting small grains and the squash bugs all possess this odor1 and it is quite as pungent with these plant-feeding forms as with the human parasite4 ,the possession of this odor1 disagreeable as it is1 is very fortunate after all1 as it is of considerable assistance in detecting the presence of these vermin4 ,the odor comes from glands1 situated in various parts of the body1 which secrete a clear1 oily1 volatile liquid4 ,with the plant-feeding forms this odor is certainly a means of protection against insectivorous birds1 rendering these insects obnoxious or distasteful to their feathered enemies4 ,with the bedbug1 on the other hand1 it is probably an illustration of a very common phenomenon among animals1 i4 e41 the persistence of a characteristic which is no longer of any especial value to the possessor4 ,the natural enemies of true bugs1 against which this odor serves as a means of protection1 in the conditions under which the bedbug lives1 are kept away from it2 and the roach1 which sometimes feeds on bedbugs1 is evidently not deterred by the odor1 while the common house ant and the house centipede1 which may also attack the bedbug1 seem not to find this odor disagreeable4 ,,habits ,,and ,,life ,,history4 ,the bedbug is normally nocturnal in habits and displays a certain degree of wariness1 caution1 and intelligence in its efforts at concealment during the day4 ,under the stress of hunger1 however1 it will emerge from its place of concealment in a well-lighted room at night1 so that under such circumstances keeping the gas or electric light burning is not a complete protection4 ,it has been known under similar conditions to attack human beings voraciously in broad daylight4 ,it usually leaves its victim as soon as it has become engorged with blood and retires to its normal place of concealment1 either in cracks in the bedstead1 especially if the latter be one of the wooden variety1 or behind wainscoting1 or under loose wall paper1 and in these and similar places it manifests its gregarious habit by collecting in masses4 ,it thrives particularly in filthy apartments and in old houses which are full of cracks and crevices1 in which it can conceal itself beyond easy reach4 ,as just noted the old-fashioned1 heavy1 wooden-slatted bedsteads afford especially favorable situations for the concealment and multiplication of this insect1 and the general use in later years of iron and brass bedsteads has very greatly facilitated its eradication4 ,such beds1 however1 do not insure safety1 as the insects are able to find places of concealment even about such beds1 or get to them readily from their other hiding places4 ,extraordinary stories are current of the remarkable intelligence of this insect in circumventing various efforts to prevent its gaining access to beds4 ,most of these are undoubtedly exaggerations1 but the inherited experience of many centuries of companionship with man1 during which the bedbug has always found its host an active enemy1 has resulted in a knowledge of the habits of the human animal and a facility of concealment1 particularly as evidenced by its abandoning beds and often going to distant quarters for protection and hiding during daylight1 which indicate considerable apparent intelligence4 ,like its allies1 the bedbug undergoes what is known as an incomplete metamorphosis4 ,in other words1 the insect from its larval to its adult stage is active and similar in form1 structure1 and habit1 contrasting with flies and moths in their very diverse life stages of larva1 chrysalis1 or pupa1 and winged adult4 ,the eggs 7fig4 #c1 d7 are white oval objects having a little projecting rim around one edge and may be found in batches of from #f to #ej in cracks and crevices where the parent bugs go for concealment4 ,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 day1 but sometimes much larger batches are laid4 ,as many as #aij eggs have been thus obtained from a single captured female4#e #e ,girault1 ,a4 ,a4 ,preliminary studies on the biology of the bedbug1 ,cimex lectularius1 ,linn4 ,,iii4 ,facts obtained concerning the habits of the adult4 ,in ,jour4 ,econ4 ,biol41 v4 #i1 no4 #a1 p4 #be-de4 #aiad4 ,the eggs hatch in a week or #aj days in the hot weather of midsummer1 but cold may lengthen or even double this egg period or check development altogether4 ,the young escape by pushing up the lid-like top with its projecting rim4 ,when first emerged 7fig4 #c1 a1 b7 they are yellowish white and nearly transparent1 the brown color of the more mature insect increasing with the later molts 7fig4 #d74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4--;,bedbug3 ,egg and newly hatched larva3 a1 ,larva from below2 b1 larva from above2 c1 claw2 d1 egg2 c1 hair or spine of larva4 ,greatly enlarged1 natural size of larva and egg indicated by hair lines4 7,author's illustration47 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4--;,bedbug3 a1 ,larval skin shed at first molt2 b1 second larval stage immediately after emerging from a2 c1 same after first meal1 distended with blood4 ,greatly enlarged4 7,author's illustration47 ,during the course of its development the bedbug molts or sheds its skin normally five times1 and with the last molt the minute wing pads1 characteristic of the adult insect1 make their appearance4 ,a period of about #aa weeks was formerly supposed to be necessary for the complete maturity of the insect1 but breeding experiments with this insect1 conducted in this department in4 #ahif1 indicated that the life cycle is subject to great variation1 being entirely dependent on warmth and food supply4 ,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 hatching1 giving about seven weeks as the period under these conditions from egg to adult insect4 ,the molting periods are shorter in the earlier stages and lengthen in the later stages4 ,there are many exceptions1 however1 and some individuals even under the same conditions remain two or three weeks without molting4 ,under conditions of famine1 or without food1 as already shown1 the bedbug may remain unchanged in any of the immature stages for an indefinite time1 and the checking of development by such starvation may result in additional molting periods4 ,the breeding records referred to1 and numerous confirmatory experiments subsequently made by other investigators1 indicate that ordinarily but one meal is taken between molts1 so that each bedbug must puncture its host five times before becoming mature1 and at least once afterwards before it can develop eggs4 ,additional meals between molts may be taken under favoring circumstances1 however1 and particularly when the insect has been disturbed and has not become fully engorged at its first meal after a molting or other period4 ,the bedbug takes from #e to #aj minutes to become bloated with blood1 and then retires to its place of concealment for #f to #aj days for the quiet digestion of its enormous meal1 and for subsequent molting1 or reproduction if in the adult stage4 ,such feeding and reproduction may1 under favorable conditions of temperature1 continue throughout the year1 and in one instance the progeny of a captured female adult was carried through three continuous generations4#f #f ,girault1 ,a4 ,a4 ,preliminary studies on the biology of the bedbug1 ,cimex lectularius1 ,linn4 ,,ii4 ,facts obtained concerning the duration of its different stages4 ,in ,jour4 ,econ4 ,biol41 v4 #g1 no4 #d1 p4 #afc-ahh4 #aiab4 ,unfavorable conditions of temperature and food will necessarily result in great variation in the number of generations annually and in the rate of multiplication1 but allowing for reasonable checks on development1 there may be at least four successive broods in a year in houses kept well heated in winter4 ,,food ,,and ,,longevity4 ,under normal conditions the food of the common bedbug is obtained from human beings only1 and no other unforced feeding habit has been reported4 ,it is easily possible1 however1 to force the bedbug to feed on mice1 rats1 birds1 etc41 and probably it may do so occasionally in nature in the absence of its normal host4 ,the abundance of this insect in houses which have long been untenanted may occasionally be accounted for by such other sources of food1 but probably normally such infestation can be explained by the natural longevity of the insect and its ability to survive for practically a year1 and perhaps more1 without food4 ,there are many records indicating the ability of the bedbug to survive for long periods without food1 and specimens have been kept for a year in a sealed vial with absolutely no means of sustenance whatever4 ,in the course of the department's study of this insect in #ahif1 young bedbugs1 obtained from eggs1 were kept in small sealed vials for several months1 remaining active in spite of the fact that they had never taken any nourishment whatever4 ,a considerable series of experiments was later conducted by ,girault#g bearing on the longevity of the insect under different conditions4 ,a large number of adults of both sexes were kept in confinement1 but with normal feeding and mating1 and these survived for periods ranging from #ed to #caf days4 ,similarly1 the life of #ga newly hatched larv1 without food1 ranged from #ag to #db days1 averaging about #bh days4 ,partly grown captured insects lived without further feeding from #ag to #fj days4 ,longevity is naturally affected more or less by temperatures4 ,in other words1 temperatures sufficient to check the activity of the insect and produce hibernation or semihibernation are apt to increase longevity4 #g ,loc4 cit4 ,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 flooring1 etc4 ,there seems to be no basis of observed fact for this idea4 ,another very prevalent belief among the old settlers in the ,west1 that this insect normally lives on dead or diseased cottonwood logs1 and is almost certain to abound in log houses of this wood1 seems to be equally devoid of basis4 ,as illustrating this belief1 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 trees1#h especially along the ,big ,horn and ,little ,horn ,rivers in ,montana4 ,the basis of this report and the origin of this very general misconception is probably1 as pointed out by the late ,prof4 ,riley1 due to a confusion of the bedbug with the immature stages of an entirely distinct insect1#i which somewhat resembles the bedbug and often occurs under cottonwood bark4 #h ,populus monilifera4 #i ,aradus sp4 ,,influence ,,of ,,temperature4 ,as a messmate of human beings in dwelling houses1 the bedbug is normally protected from extreme cold1 and is known to be an abundant and serious pest far north4 ,in fact1 it is often more troublesome in north temperate latitudes than farther south4 ,this may be accounted for partly by the fact that the bedbug is very sensitive to high temperatures1 and a temperature of #if to #ajj ,f4 or more1 accompanied with a fairly high degree of humidity1 results in the death of large numbers of the bugs4 ,the mature or partly mature bedbugs can stand comparatively low temperatures1 even below freezing1 for a considerable period4 ,the eggs and newly hatched larv1 however1 succumb to a temperature below freezing1 if this condition is prolonged for from #ae days to a month4 ,the feeding and developing activity of the insect practically ceases at #fj ,f41 the insect remaining quiescent and in semihibernation at temperatures below this point4 ,the most favorable temperatures for activity are between #fj and #ih ,f4#aj ,the activity of the insect is controlled entirely by temperature and food supply1 and1 therefore1 in heated houses the insect may remain active throughout the winter4 ,there is some protection in winter1 therefore1 in sleeping in cold bedrooms4 #aj ,bacot1 ,a4 ,w4 ,the influence of temperature1 submersion1 and burial on the survival of eggs and larv of ,cimex lectularius4 ,in ,bul4 ,ent4 ,res41 v4 #e1 pt4 #b1 p4 #aaa-aag4 #aiad4 ,,the ,,bite ,,of ,,the ,,bedbug4 ,the bite of the bedbug is decidedly poisonous to some individuals1 resulting in a slight swelling and disagreeable inflammation4 ,to such persons the presence of bedbugs is sufficient to cause the greatest uneasiness1 if not to put sleep and rest entirely out of the question4 ,with others1 however1 who are less sensitive1 the presence of the bugs may not be recognized at all1 and1 except for the occasional staining of the linen by a crushed individual1 their presence might be entirely overlooked4 ,the inflammation experienced by sensitive persons seems to result chiefly from the puncture of the skin by the sharp piercing set which constitute the puncturing element of the mouth parts1 as there seems to be no secretion of poison other than the natural fluids of the mouth4 ,the biting organ of the bedbug is similar to that of other insects of its order4 ,it consists of a rather heavy1 fleshy under lip 7the only part ordinarily seen in examining the insect71 within which lie four threadlike hard filaments or set which glide over one another with an alternating motion and pierce the flesh4 ,the blood is drawn up through the beak1 which is closely applied to the point of puncture1 and the alternating motion of the set in the flesh causes the blood to flow more freely4 ,the details of the structure of the beak are shown in figure #a at d4 ,to allay the irritation set up by the bite of the bedbug1 peroxide of hydrogen1 or dioxygen1 may be used with good results4 ,tincture of iodine either at ordinary or double strength is also a good counter-irritant for use in cases of flea1 mosquito1 bedbug1 and other insect bites1 but should be used with caution on the tender skin of small children and on those who are affected with or disposed to eczemic disorders4 ,,the ,,bedbug ,,and ,,human ,,diseases4 ,in common with other insects which attack man and warm-blooded animals1 it is entirely possible for the bedbug and its close allies to be transmitters of contagious human diseases1 and already these insects have been shown to be possible carriers or transmitters of a considerable series of diseases1 including infantile ,kala-azar of northern ,africa and southern ,europe1 relapsing fever of ,africa and ,europe1 the ,chagas fever of ,brazil1 tropical sore1 plague1 and possibly leprosy4 ,in the case of these1 and perhaps other diseases1 the bedbug shares the responsibility of transmitter with other biting insects1 such as body lice and fleas4 ,the particular role of the bedbug as a carrier of disease has not been satisfactorily determined1 nor has it been shown that the bedbug is a necessary alternate host in any instance4 ,in general1 the transmission of disease by this insect has apparently resulted from the accidental carriage of the disease elements on the mouth parts1 as pointed out by ,andr1#aa after a careful study of the subject4 ,as a parasite of human beings in private dwelling houses1 where it may seldom change its host1 the opportunity for the bedbug itself to become infected with human diseases and again to transmit them to the human subject is very remote4 ,this condition1 however1 does not apply to hotels or to passenger boats1 where the human occupants are constantly changing4 ,furthermore1 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 diseases1 the biology of which requires a definite and comparatively short period of development in the alternate insect host4 #aa ,andr1 ,ch4 ,recherches anatomiques et exprimentales sur la punaise des lits4 ,in ,jour4 ,physiol4 et ,path4 ,gn41 v4 #ad1 p4 #fjj-fae4 #aiab4 ,,natural ,,enemies ,,of ,,the ,,bedbug4 ,living always in houses as it does and being well concealed1 the bedbug is not normally subject to much if any control by natural enemies4 ,certain other household insects1 however1 do occasionally prey upon the bedbug1 as1 for example1 the house centipede#ab and the common little red house ant4#ac ,such enemies1 however1 are of very small importance and yield little1 if any1 effective control except under very exceptional circumstances4 ,one such instance is reported by the late ,mr4 ,theodore ,pergande1 of this department1 who states that as a soldier in the ,civil ,war he occupied at one time a barracks at ,meridian1 ,miss41 which had been abandoned some time before4 ,the premises proved to be swarming with bedbugs2 but very shortly afterwards the little red house ant discovered the presence of the bedbugs and came in enormous numbers1 and ,mr4 ,pergande witnessed the very interesting and pleasing sight of the bedbugs being dismembered and carried away bodily by these very minute ants1 many times smaller than the bugs which they were handling so successfully4 ,the result was that in a single day the bedbug nuisance was completely abated4 ,the liking of red ants for bedbugs is confirmed also by a correspondent writing from ,florida 7,f4 ,c4 ,m4 ,boggess71 who goes so far as heartily to recommend the artificial introduction of the ants to abate this bug nuisance4#ad ,bedbugs and other household insects1 however1 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 follow1 and the fact that they are preyed upon by other insects furnishes no excuse to the housekeeper for not instituting prompt remedial measures4 #ab ,scutigera forceps ,raf4 #ac ,monomorium pharaonis ,l4 #ad ,bedbugs and red ants1 ,in ,insect ,life1 v4 #f1 no4 #d1 p4 #cdj4 #ahid4 ,,remedies4 ,undoubtedly the most efficient remedy for the bedbug is to fumigate the infested house or rooms with hydrocyanic-acid gas4 ,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 recommendation1 especially when the infestation is considerable or of long standing4 ,this method of fumigation should be intelligently employed1 as the gas is deadly poisonous4 ,a bulletin giving directions for such fumigation has been issued by the ,department of ,agriculture4#ae #ae ,howard1 ,l4 ,o41 and ,popenoe1 ,c4 ,h4 ,hydrocyanic-acid gas against household insects4 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agr4 ,farmers' ,bul4 #fii4 #h p4 #aiaf4 ,the fumes of burning sulphur are also a very efficient means of control where the conditions are such that this method can be used1 readily destroying the insect in all stages1 including the egg4 ,the treatment is inexpensive compared with the use of hydrocyanic-acid gas and offers much less risk of danger to human beings4 ,there is1 however1 a considerable risk of injury to household fabrics1 furnishings1 and wall papers from the strong bleaching quality of sulphur fumes4 ,this danger will be somewhat diminished if the fumigation can be done at a time when the room or house is thoroughly dried out1 as in winter by a furnace or other heating system4 ,further precautions should be taken by removing all metallic surfaces from the room or building1 or by protecting them with a coating of vaseline4 ,two pounds of sulphur are recommended for each #b1jjj cubic feet of space1 and the building should be closed for the treatment for at least #e or #f hours1 or preferably for #bd hours4 ,sulphur candles may be used where available1 or the sulphurous gas or fumes can be generated by burning the sulphur in a dish placed in the center of the room1 and for protection set within a larger vessel4 ,thorough-going precautions must be taken to prevent accidental overflowing or the starting of a fire1 and after the fumigation the house should be given a thorough airing4 ,other gases have been experimented with1 such as formalin and the vapors of benzine1 naphthaline1 and camphor1 but these gases are of little value4 ,similarly1 insect powders are of little value1 largely from the difficulty of getting them into the crevices and other places of concealment of the insects4 ,where the use of poisonous gas is difficult or objectionable1 especially if only one room is infested1 the pests may be eliminated by the application of kerosene1 benzene1 or any of the lighter petroleum oils1 by means of a small hand sprayer4 ,the liquid should be directed at close range into all cracks and crevices in the walls and behind loose wall paper4 ,open spaces back of baseboards and picture moldings should be liberally treated4 ,the bedstead and springs should receive the same attention1 care being taken to spray the liquid into all crevices4 ,the mattress should likewise be carefully gone over4 ,all seams and spaces beneath tuftings should be thoroughly dosed4 ,at the expiration of #aj days the entire treatment should be repeated with the same care1 regardless of whether any bugs are seen or not4 ,if the two applications are made with painstaking care this should be sufficient for complete eradication4 ,temperature control4--,the possibility of temperature control is indicated in the discussion elsewhere of the effect of temperature on this insect4 ,a temperature maintained below freezing for #aj or #ae days destroys the eggs1 and this temperature continued for #ae days to a month will destroy the newly hatched young4 ,it may be1 therefore1 that if infested houses in cold climates should be opened up and allowed to remain at a temperature well below freezing for a considerable period1 all eggs and the young1 and possibly most if not all of the adults1 would be exterminated4 ,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 winter4 ,the maintaining of high temperatures may be an even more efficient method of control4 ,the activity of the bedbug is at its greatest between #fj and #gj to #ge4 ,as indicated elsewhere1 in a temperature of #if to #ajj ,f41 accompanied with a high degree of humidity1 newly hatched bedbugs perish within a few days1 and1 if this temperature is raised to #aac ,f41 in a few minutes4 ,a temperature of #aac will also destroy the eggs1 and with these higher temperatures the item of humidity is not apparently important4 ,a very practical test of this method of control was made in ,ontario1 ,canada1 by the ,dominion ,entomological ,department1#af adapting the method of control of insects infesting granaries and flour mills by superheating4 ,in this instance an eight-room1 two-story frame house1 badly infested with bedbugs1 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 heat4 ,recording thermometers placed in different rooms indicated a gradual rise of temperature from #gg to #afj during the period from #i4cj in the morning to #g4cj in the evening1 the outside temperatures during the same period ranging from #fd to #gc ,f4 ,at #a4cj1 when the temperature in the different rooms ranged from #aji to #acj1 many adults and immature forms had already succumbed4 ,by #d4cj the temperature was ranging from #abg to #adh in different rooms1 and all the insects were dead4 ,the continuation of the experiment was on the supposition that it would probably require a higher degree of temperature to destroy the eggs4 ,the eradication of the bedbug from this house was complete1 and no damage was done to the house or its contents4 ,that the temperatures ranged much higher than was necessary is indicated by the temperature experiments referred to elsewhere1 which indicated that the eggs as well as larv are destroyed within a few minutes at a temperature of #aac ,f4 ,the latter temperature was also sufficient to destroy quickly the adults of fleas1 cockroaches1 and other insects4 ,it would seem1 therefore1 that superheating of houses in midsummer to a temperature of #abj to #acj ,f4 may prove to be one of the simplest and most effective means of eradication of this and perhaps other household pests4 #af ,ross1 ,w4 ,a4 ,eradication of the ,bedbug by ,superheating4 ,in ,canadian ,entomologist1 vol4 #dh1 ,no4 #c1 pp4 #gd-gf4 #aiaf4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,organization ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,department ,,of ,,agriculture ,,when ,,this ,,publication ,,was ,,last ,,printed ,secretary of ,agriculture ,henry ,a4 ,wallace4 ,under ,secretary ,rexford ,g4 ,tugwell4 ,assistant ,secretary ,m4 ,l4 ,wilson4 ,director of ,extension ,work ,c4 ,w4 ,warburton4 ,director of ,personnel ,w4 ,w4 ,stockberger4 ,director of ,information ,m4 ,s4 ,eisenhower4 ,director of ,finance ,w4 ,a4 ,jump4 ,solicitor ,seth ,thomas4 ,agricultural ,adjustment ,administration ,chester ,c4 ,davis1 ,administrator4 ,bureau of ,agricultural ,economics ,nils ,a4 ,olsen1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,agricultural ,engineering ,s4 ,h4 ,mc,crory1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,animal ,industry ,john ,r4 ,mohler1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,biological ,survey ,j4 ,n4 ,darling1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,chemistry and ,soils ,h4 ,g4 ,knight1 ,chief4 ,office of ,cooperative ,extension ,work ,c4 ,b4 ,smith1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,dairy ,industry ,o4 ,e4 ,reed1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,entomology and ,plant ,quarantine ,lee ,a4 ,strong1 ,chief4 ,office of ,experiment ,stations ,james ,t4 ,jardine1 ,chief4 ,food and ,drug ,administration ,walter ,g4 ,campbell1 ,chief4 ,forest ,service ,ferdinand ,a4 ,silcox1 ,chief4 ,grain ,futures ,administration ,j4 ,w4 ,t4 ,duvel1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,home ,economics ,louise ,stanley1 ,chief4 ,library ,claribel ,r4 ,barnett1 ,librarian4 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry ,knowles ,a4 ,ryerson1 ,chief4 ,bureau of ,public ,roads ,thomas ,h4 ,mac,donald1 ,chief4 ,weather ,bureau ,willis ,r4 ,gregg1 ,chief4 ,u4 ,s4 ,,government ,,printing ,,office3 #aicd ,for sale by the ,superintendent of ,documents1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,price #e cents 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,illustrations move to prevent splitting paragraphs4 ,minor typos may have been corrected4 ,produced from files generously made available by ,,usda through ,the ,internet ,archive4 ,all resultant materials are placed in the ,public ,domain4