Bed Bugs: Sometimes the Cure Is Worse than the Problem

Dozens of people, and likely many more, have poisoned themselves by misusing pesticides in efforts to kill bed bugs.

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Bed bug.

Photo: Piotr Naskrecki via Wikimedia Commons

By Dan Shapley

Bed bugs are a scourge that produces anxiety and fear that probably exceeds their actual harm. They carry no diseases, but their nighttime feeding sessions on sleeping (or, as likely, insomniac) hosts are more than enough to inspire people to all-out warfare against infestations. They're the kind of pest that apartment-dwellers and homeowners want to be rid of. And fast. And for good.

Unfortunately, that also means that some have gone to extreme lengths, and put their health at risk in the process. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention identified 111 cases of illness from exposure to insecticides used to get rid of bed bugs. The study could only draw on data from reported cases between 2003 and 2010 in seven states, so the actual number is likely to be much higher.

Most illnesses associated with exposure, usually to pyrethroids, pyrethrins or both, weren't considered serious; common symptoms included dizziness, headaches, trouble breathing and nausea. But there was one reported death, of a 65-year-old woman whose pre-existing health conditions and heavy medication use may have made her more susceptible to the toxic effects of the pesticides, which she and her husband used in high volumes and without following label directions, even though the substances weren't labeled for use against bed bugs. "The most common factors contributing to illness were excessive insecticide application, failure to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding, and inadequate notification of pesticide application," according to the report.

Because infestations are on the rise, health authorities are concerned that insecticide poisonings will also be on the rise. The take-home message: Leave bed bug eradication to licensed and reputable professionals and take every precaution to avoid exposure. Of the reported illnesses, nearly 40% were among individuals who used pesticides to treat their own home's infestations. As with any pest, use strategies to avoid infestations in the first place so you can avoid feeling the need to resort to toxic attacks later.

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