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Newswise PHILADELPHIAA new study from Penn Medicine epidemiologists that looked at four years of bed bug reports to the city of Philadelphia found that infestations have been increasing and were at their highest in August and lowest in February. The findings, published ahead of print on January 8 in the Journal of Medical Entomology, point to two possible peak times to strike and eliminate the bugs.

There is surprisingly very little known about seasonal trends among bed bug populations, said Michael Z. Levy, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), who mapped the bed bug hotspots in Philadelphia in an effort to find more effective and cost-prohibitive ways to control them. We found a steep and significant seasonal cycle in bed bug reporting, and suspect that bed bugs have different levels of mobility depending on the season, and that their population size may fluctuate throughout the year.

Warm weather could be a driver for migration to other homes and breeding, he said. We may be able to exploit this cycle: These seasonal trends could guide control programs to help reduce a citys growing bug population, he added.

To track the spatial and temporal patterns of the bugs, Levy and colleagues, including first author Tarub S. Mabud, analyzed calls to the Philadelphia Department of Public Healths Vector Control Services between 2008 and 2012. They then mapped the phone calls to get a clearer picture of the problemwhen and where it was happening.

Reports came from all across the city, though south Philadelphia was the most affected by the bugs.

Overall, bed bug reports in the city steadily increased by 4.5 percent per month from 2008 to 2011, an almost 70 percent increase year to year. Nearly half of all pest infestations reported to the city over that time period were for bed bugs, a total of 382. From September 2011 to June 2012, Philadelphia residents made 236 reports of bed bug infestations, according to the study.

Infestations peaked in August and reached a low in February, the team found.

They most likely move more frequently during warmer months, with increased development and reproduction happening as well, the team surmises.

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Penn Medicine Epidemiologists Find Bed Bug Hotspots in Philadelphia, Identify Seasonal Trends