Trego's Mountain Ear

I was the county agent at the time – and I had a telephone call from a woman who wanted to give me part of the information I needed to solve the problem. A second voice cut in, “I know that boy. He’s not going to take the story to the papers!” I guess it’s flattering to be pushing 50 and be referred to as a boy.

The woman taking care of Jeanette wanted information about bedbugs, but was protecting the old actress from the sort of publicity that might have occurred if it were known that she had bedbugs. As we talked, it became apparent that she didn’t have bedbugs – she probably had swallowbugs. They’re similar – but you don’t bring swallowbugs home from a motel visit. Swallows will deliver them to your rural home – particularly to your log home, or your natural looking home with board and batten siding.

Colorado’s Extension Service has published Bed Bug Lookalikes – Bat Bugs and Swallow Bugs in Colorado – 5.625 – Extension 

 It’s updated from the publication I shared a quarter-century ago – but it shows how to tell the differences between bed bugs and swallow bugs.

“Swallow bugs will readily bite humans.  As with bed bugs, there are two periods of the year when bites will peak.  One is in spring, shortly before migrant swallows return to nest on the building and the overwintered swallow bugs resume activity.  Most survivors are adults and they are highly starved at this time, so they may aggressively seek alternate sources of a blood meal.  Problems subside when the swallows are present and the swallow bugs migrate to the nest area.  Swallow bugs will again be found more commonly within homes, and biting may occur, when the swallows abandon the nest.”

If you’re interested in the swallowbugs and batbugs that can impersonate bedbugs, click the link and download the whole publication.  I really haven’t shared enough information to show how to control them – but mud nests under your eaves aren’t necessarily a good sign.