New Species of Bed Bug in the United States

The most common bed bug in the United States is the Cimex lectularius. Now, after a 60-year absence from the United States, a new species of bed bug (Cimex hemipterus) has been found once again in the United States, this time in Florida and Hawaii.

What does this mean for us? C. hemipterus can spread fast and is resistant to many traditional pesticides used for bed bug extermination. C. hemipterus is usually found in tropical environments where the climate is hot and humid; however, they may now be able to spread across the United States because of heating and humidifier systems we often install in our homes and offices.

With the heat treatments we use, we can avoid issues that arise from species of bed bugs that are resistant to pesticides. Because they are a tropical species, they may have a higher heat tolerance than the common species of bed bug found in the United States, but we run our heating systems hotter than the minimum required heat to ensure we will kill any species of bed bug that may be in your home.

*Viegas, J. (2016, November 11). Long-Lost Tropical Bed Bugs Are Back in the US. Retrieved from www.seeker.com