BedbugimpactsurveyresultsSep2014
Summaryandtrendstomonitorasthedatasetincreasesovertime.
Acoalitionofpartneringinstitutionsdevelopedasurveyforresidentstodeterminetheimpactand
socialcostofdealingwithbedbugs.Thevoluntarysurveytakesabout10minutesandisavailablein
EnglishandSpanish.Thereisnocompensationforparticipation.Werequestedresponsesfrompeople
whocurrentlylivewithbedbugs,peoplewhohavedealtwiththeminthepast,andpeoplelucky
enoughnottohaveexperiencedlivingwithbedbugsatall.
200respondentswereobtainedbySep.292014,ofwhich26.5%hadbedbugsathome,11.5%had
experiencedbedbugsinthepastand62%hadneverlivedwithbedbugs.
35.6%ofresidentswithbedbugshadpestcontrolexpertsidentifythebedbugs,48.9%identifiedtheir
bedbugsusinginternetorliteratureresources.4.4%reliedonneighborsorfamilymemberstoidentify
thebugs,2.2%askedlandlordsorpropertymanagers.Only2.2%receivedidentificationhelpfrom
extensionoruniversityentomologists,and6.7%wereneversureiftheyactuallyhadbedbugsornot.
63.9%ofresidentscurrentlylivingwithbedbugsreportnoticingbiteswithinthelast6months.17%had
experiencedbitesforoverayear,and8.5%reportthattheyhavenotnoticedbitesatall.43.5%of
residentsreportswollen,itchybumpsorsores,anadditional19.6%hadsimilarreactionswhichresulted
intheneedformedicalattention.Residentsreportingbitereactionswhonolongerlivewithbedbugs
indicatedsimilarreactionswith43.8%reportingswollen,itchybumpsorsores,anadditional18.8%had
similarreactionswhichresultedintheneedformedicalattention.25%indicatedtheyhadnoreaction
tothebites.Certainpercentageofresidentswhoreactedtobedbugbitesrequiresmedicalattention.
Almost49%ofresidentswithbedbugshadmovedatleastonceinthelast5years.25.5%hadmoved2
or3timesinthesameperiod,comparedto38.9%ofresidentswhohadhistoricallyhadbedbugsinthe
past.Residentswhohaveneverlivedwithbedbugsreportedalsothat20.5%hadmoved2-3timesin
thelast5years.Peoplelivingwithbedbugsmaymovemore.
30.2%ofresidentslivingwithbedbugsstayedinhotels/motelsormedicalfacilities2-3timeseachyear,
14.0%stayedmorethan6timesayear.Residentswhohaveexperiencedbedbugsinthepastreported
55.6%ofresidentstravelingforstays2-3timesayear,and27.8%morethan6timesayear.Residents
whohadneverexperiencedbedbugsindicated36.8%ofresidentstravelingforstays2-3timesayear,
and13.7%morethan6timesayear.Noclearcorrelation.
26.1%ofresidentswithbedbugsstayedwithfriendsorrelativesmorethan6timesperyear,compared
to35.3%ofresidentswhohadexperiencedbedbugsinthepast,and21.1%ofresidentswhohavenever
experiencedbedbugs.Peoplewithbedbugsstaywithfriendsandfamily.Residentswithnobedbug
historymaystaywithfriendsandfamilylessoften.
28.3%ofresidentswithbedbugshadfriends,familyorstudentscomingtostaymorethan6timesper
year,comparedto61.1%ofresidentswhohadexperiencedbedbugsinthepastand16.4%ofresidents
withnobedbughistory.Residentswithnobedbughistorymayhostvisitorslessoften.
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39.1%ofresidentswithbedbugspurchaseusedfurnitureorclothing2ormoretimesperyear,
comparedto55.6%ofresidentswhohaveexperiencedbedbugsinthepastand35.0%ofresidentswith
nobedbughistory.Residentswithbedbugexperiencemayavoidsecondhandarticles.
Residentscurrentlywithbedbugsreportthefollowingqualityoflifeimpacts:80.9%suffersleeploss;
23.4%cannoteatproperly;40.4%cannotfulfilworkdutiesaswellasusual;12.8%cannotparentorcare
fordependentsaswellasusual;72.3%cannotrelax;59.6%reportfinanciallosses;27.7%havelost
personalrelationships;40.4%feelisolatedsocially;25.5%havelostfriendsandfamilyconnections;
10.6%increasetheiralcoholconsumption;21.3%increasesmoking;6.4%increaseprescriptiondruguse;
4.3%increaserecreationaldruguse;4.3%havelostajob;2.1%havelostahome;8.5%increaseor
decreasebodyweight;25.5%reportadeclineinhealth;42.6%sufferalossofself-esteem;55.3%have
feelingsofdepression;23.4%sufferincreasesinmentalhealthproblems;68.1%haveconcernsthatthey
havetransferredbedbugstootherhomesorlocations.Thetopfiveimpactsare:sleeploss(80.9%),
inabilitytorelax(72.3%),concernsthattheytransferredbedbugstootherlocations(68.1%),financial
losses(59.6%),anddepressionand/ordesperation(55.3%).
Residentswhohavehadexperiencelivingwithbedbugsinthepastreportthefollowingqualityoflife
impactsstillpersistingaftersuccessfulremediation:87.5%suffersleeploss;12.5%cannoteatproperly;
18.8%cannotfulfilworkdutiesaswellasusual;12.5%cannotparentorcarefordependentsaswellas
usual;81.3%cannotrelax;18.8%reportfinanciallosses;25%havelostpersonalrelationships;18.8%feel
isolatedsocially;12.5%havelostfriendsandfamilyconnections;12.5%increasetheiralcohol
consumption;12.5%increasesmoking;0.00%increaseprescriptiondruguse;6.3%increaserecreational
druguse;0.00%havelostajob;6.3%havelostahome;6.3%increaseordecreasebodyweight;25%
reportadeclineinhealth;25%havesufferedalossofself-esteem;43.8%havefeelingsofdepression;
18.8%sufferincreasesinmentalhealthproblems;62.5%haveconcernsthattheytransferredbedbugs
tootherhomesorlocations.Thetopfiveimpactsare:sleeploss(87.5%),inabilitytorelax(81.3%),
concernsthattheytransferredbedbugstootherlocations(62.5%),depressionand/ordesperation
(43.8%),andlossofpersonalrelationships,lossofself-esteemanddeclineinhealth(25%).
Residentslivingwithbedbugshadusedthefollowingmethodstocombatbedbugs:40.5%applied2-3
retailpesticides;16.7%usedtotalreleasefoggers;42.9%hadapestmanagementcompanyapply
pesticides;9.5%hadapestmanagementcompanyconductaheatorcoldtreatment;0.0%haduseda
bedbugdetectiondogservice;7.1%hadreceivedafreetreatmentfromapestcontrolcompany;4.8%
hademployedmultiplepestcontrolcompaniestogetridofbedbugs.40.6%ofresidentshadpersonally
appliedchemicalsofsomekind2-3times,28.1%hadappliedchemicalsmorethan8times.31.3%of
residentsreportedusingchemicalssuchasgasolineandcleaningagents.Manyresidentsappliedoverthe-counterproductstocombatbedbuginfestations.Somereportedusingdo-it-yourselftreatments
withhazardouschemicals.
Residentswhohaveexperiencedbedbugsinthepastreportedthefollowingpestmanagement
practices:30.8%used2-3retailstoreproducts;15.4%usedtotalreleasefoggers;76.9%hadapest
managementservicethatappliespesticides;15.4%ofresidentsworkedwithmorethan1pestcontrol
companytogetridofthebedbugs.45.5%ofresidentsreportedapplyingchemicalsmorethan8times
themselveswithinayear,and9.1%usednonepesticidechemicalssuchasgasoline.Nearlyhalfofthe
residentsappliedover-the-counterproductstocombatbedbuginfestations.Somereportedusingdo-it-
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yourselftreatmentswithhazardouschemicals.Extremepesticideandchemicalabusewasdocumented
atahigherthanexpectedlevel.
Residentswithnobedbughistoryreportedthefollowingpestmanagementpractices:10.3%used2-3
retailstoreproducts;0.00%usetotalreleasefoggers;3.4%haveapestmanagementservicethatapplies
apesticideeverymonth;13.7%ofresidentshaveacontractwithapestmanagementcompanywhich
onlyappliedpesticidesiftheyareneeded.Residentswithnohistoryofbedbugsareexposedtoalot
lesspesticide.
20.0%ofresidentswhohasbattledbedbuginthepastsuccessfullyresolvedtheinfestationwithin1-6
months.53.4%indicatedthatremediationtooklessthanamonth.6.7%indicatedremediationtook
overayear,and13.3%indicatedthattheirinfestationwasneverresolvedandtheyvacatedthehome.
72.2%ofresidentswhohaveexperiencedlivingwithbedbugsinthepastreportthattheymodifiedthe
waytheylivetoavoidbedbugsinthefuture.53.0%ofresidentswithnobedbughistoryreporta
modificationoftheirhabitsinordertoavoidacquiringbedbugs.
Nobedbughistory
Income:0%earn$0-10K;0.9%earn$11-19K;2.80%earn$20-29K;7.5%earn$30-39K;15%earn$4049K;14%earn$50-59K;12.1%earn$60-69K;12.1%earn$70-79K;9.3%earn$80-89K;26.2%earn$90K
orhigher.
Buying,renting,orstayingwithfamily/friends:73%homesarebeingpurchasedorareowned;26.1%of
homesarebeingrented;0.9%ofrespondersarestayingwithfriendsandfamily.
Bedbughistory
Income:5.9%earn$0-10K;0.00%earn$11-19K;0.00%earn$20-29K;17.6%earn$30-39K;11.8%earn
$40-49K;29.4%earn$50-59K;0.0%earn$60-69K;5.9%earn$70-79K;5.9%earn$80-89K;23.5%earn
$90Korhigher.
Buying,renting,orstayingwithfamily/friends:47.4%homesarebeingpurchasedorareowned;52.6%
ofhomesarebeingrented.
Currentinfestation
Income:19.5%earn$0-10K;19.5%earn$11-19K;19.5%earn$20-29K;9.8%earn$30-39K;2.4%earn
$40-49K;0.00%earn$50-59K;9.8%earn$60-69K;4.9%earn$70-79K;0.0%earn$80-89K;14.6%earn
$90Korhigher.
Buying,renting,orstayingwithfamily/friends:41.9%homesarebeingpurchasedorareowned;51.2%
ofhomesarebeingrented;4.7%ofrespondersarestayingwithfriendsandfamily;2.3%liveinmedical
facility/assistedlivingfacilities.
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