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141
The offensive odour of bed-bugs is due to the presence of stink-glands.
Life History.
The female bed-bug deposits batches of small white eggs, about a
millimeter long, in cracks and crevices, one female laying from 1 to 10
eggs in the course of a day. In a period varying from about one to three
weeks the young bed-bug, small and semi-transparent, makes its appearance.
Given an opportunity this young bed-bug begins to feed at once,
although it may live for many weeks without food. Before reaching
maturity young bed-bugs cast their skins, or moult, five times. At each
moult the bed-bug becomes a little darker in colour. Before the first
moult, four or five meals may be required before it is ready to moult,
but after that one full meal is generally sufficient between each moult.
Under most favourable conditions an average interval of eight days
elapses between the laying and hatching of the egg and between each
successive moult. This gives a period of about seven weeks to complete
the cycle from egg to adult. This may, under normal conditions, be
very much extended and may occupy anything up to one year. The
adult female is said to live on an average six to eight months, and in that
time deposits about 200 eggs.
Bed-bugs and Disease.
In addition to causing inflammation and irritation in those whom it
bites, it may also interfere with sleep.
As a carrier of disease bed-bugs are known to convey a relapsing
fever if they have previously fed upon infected persons. In India the
tropical bed-bug is also credited with conveying plague.
Remedies.
Fumigation with Sulphur Dioxide has been used with varying results,
but fumigation with Hydrocyanic-acid is a very effective method of
destroying bed-bugs. This treatment, however, is too dangerous to
apply generally.
The other remedies are dependent upon their being applied directly
to the bug, and are:—
(1) A naked flame—blow-lamp. This, whilst being effective, cannot
always be used because of the danger of fire.