Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as small, flat, parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep. The insects are found globally and have been discovered in everything from five-star hotels and resorts, to cruise ships, buses, trains, and homes.
To help those with bed bugs issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers its Top Ten Tips to Prevent or Control Bed Bugs. The list includes:
1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks, or other insects.
2. Don’t panic!
3. Think through treatment options – Don’t immediately reach for the spray can.
4. Reduce the number of hiding places – Clean up the clutter.
5. Regularly wash and heat-dry bedsheets, blankets, bedspreads, and any clothing that touches the floor.
6. Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.
7. Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.
8. Don’t pass your bed bugs to others.
9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.
10. Turn to the professionals, if needed.
There are also exceptionally sensitive DNA-based laboratory testing techniques to help identify the presence of bed bugs or to confirm the effectiveness of eradication and cleaning efforts.
These are just a few of the many things to know about bed bugs and tips from the EPA to control or prevent their presence. To learn more about this or other indoor environmental quality, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as small, flat, parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep. The insects are found globally and have been discovered in everything from five-star hotels and resorts, to cruise ships, buses, trains, and homes.
To help those with bed bugs issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers its Top Ten Tips to Prevent or Control Bed Bugs. The list includes:
1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks, or other insects.
2. Don’t panic!
3. Think through treatment options – Don’t immediately reach for the spray can.
4. Reduce the number of hiding places – Clean up the clutter.
5. Regularly wash and heat-dry bedsheets, blankets, bedspreads, and any clothing that touches the floor.
6. Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.
7. Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.
8. Don’t pass your bed bugs to others.
9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.
10. Turn to the professionals, if needed.
There are also exceptionally sensitive DNA-based laboratory testing techniques to help identify the presence of bed bugs or to confirm the effectiveness of eradication and cleaning efforts.
These are just a few of the many things to know about bed bugs and tips from the EPA to control or prevent their presence. To learn more about this or other indoor environmental quality, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
