Bed Bug Biology & Management

Welcome to this CEU on Bed Bug Biology and Management. This Applicator Recertification CEU course discusses bed bug biology and the gradual metamorphosis life cycle, how to identify bed bugs and tell them apart from look-alike insects, their feeding behavior and harborage preferences, the signs of an infestation, how infestations spread, and how to conduct a thorough inspection. The course also covers integrated pest management including heat and cold treatment, chemical control and application methods, insecticide resistance, follow-up treatment timing, and the client education that prevents reintroduction. Go ahead and get started!

Learning Objectives:

The following is a list of the key points to be discussed within this course.

• Understand bed bug biology and the gradual metamorphosis life cycle of egg, nymph, and adult.
• Identify bed bugs and distinguish them from cockroaches, fleas, lice, spiders, and bat bugs.
• Learn bed bug feeding behavior, harborage preferences, and how an infestation is structured within a dwelling.
• Recognize the signs of an infestation, and why bites alone are unreliable evidence.
• Discover how infestations spread through passive transport, used furniture, and multi-unit housing.
• Learn how to conduct a thorough, systematic inspection using visual methods and monitoring devices.
• Non-chemical controls including vacuuming, steam, encasements, laundering, and heat and cold treatment.
• Chemical control options, and why space treatments and foggers must never be used against bed bugs.
• Insecticide resistance in bed bugs and how to manage it through mode-of-action rotation.
• Follow-up treatment timing, and the client education that prevents reintroduction.

Georgia Course Approval

Tyler Pettis – Director of Training