Bedbug PCR Test - Lab test for detection of bedbugs - 1 piece

A bedbug bite can be accompanied by intense itching that makes you want to scratch constantly. The itching usually starts about 30 minutes after the bite. During the bite, the bug injects a numbing agent, so you initially don’t notice anything. Once its effect wears off, the unpleasant itching begins. Unless there is an allergic reaction to the bite, a visit to the doctor is usually not necessary. However, it is understandable that you want to get rid of the itching as quickly as possible.

Here are a few tips:

• Use a sting heater from the pharmacy or a cooling gel.
• If these remedies don’t help, you can get an antihistamine at the pharmacy to treat the bedbug bites. 
• If you feel that your efforts to relieve the itching are not working, see a doctor.

As of 2024, there are no standardized or widely approved antigen rapid tests for bed bugs, as they do not provide reliable results

What is currently marketed as a "bed bug rapid test" or "antigen test" are chemical detection tests that react to bed bug traces such as certain proteins (similar to immunological tests). However, these are not specific. They also react to other insect species like mites or carpet beetles.

Advantages of PCR test:

+ Sensitivity
PCR can detect tiny amounts of bed bug DNA – even with very low infestation. Our dilution series prove that only a few DNA molecules in vacuum dust are enough for detection.
Antigen-based tests usually require more biological material.

+ Specificity
PCR tests are highly specific because they target unique DNA sequences of the bed bug.
Antigen tests can sometimes react non-specifically (other arthropod proteins, etc.).

+ Detection form
PCR can also detect dead bed bugs or traces (DNA remains stable for a while).
Antigen tests usually require fresh proteins (degradation reduces detectability).

+ Standardizability
PCR is an established molecular method with defined protocols and controls.
Antigen detections are not yet standardized (many tests are still experimental and non-specific).

+ Application to different sample types
PCR works on dust, air filter samples, fabric samples, etc.
Antigen tests usually require direct contact with feces or shed skins.

Often, you don't know which insect caused the sting or bite. Stings can be clearly visible or barely noticeable. Not everyone reacts the same way to a sting. Another sign is itchy skin, often accompanied by restless sleep at night.

Bedbug bites cause red spots, pustules, or blisters and often appear in a row. The skin reaction can sometimes only appear after up to a week, making it difficult for dermatologists to diagnose. Therefore, information about a bedbug infestation in a lodging facility is often lost, and the bugs continue to spread.

In some cases, blood stains can be found on clothing or bedding after a bite. Bedbugs can also transmit diseases like Lyme disease.

Signs of bedbug bites:

• The bite is often only noticed later because it is initially painless. Bedbugs release a numbing agent while biting. This usually happens during sleep since the bugs are nocturnal. That's why you only realize you were bitten much later, when the bedbug has long disappeared.
• The bite appears as a round redness. In some cases, the redness swells slightly or pustules may form, depending on the skin type.
• Since bedbugs rarely hit a blood vessel on the first try, they bite a second, third, or even fourth time very close to the first bite. This creates the so-called "bedbug trails," which are a clear sign of bedbugs.
• The bites mostly occur at night and are usually found on uncovered body parts, such as arms, legs, feet, neck, nape, shoulder, or face. 

Flea bites can look very similar. If you are unsure, the Sinsoma PCR test is recommended to be sure you haven't brought any unwanted guests home and can sleep peacefully again.

Early detection allows for quick response and treatment of the affected rooms, preventing further spread and massive consequential damage.

Bed bugs are often unknowingly brought home in luggage from accommodations. There, they hide in bed frames, behind moldings, picture frames, electrical outlets, cabinets, and cracks. 

How can an infestation spread unnoticed in such a short time? After feeding, female bed bugs retreat to mature their eggs. Female bed bugs produce up to 500 eggs, from which larvae hatch within six to ten days. These bite again and also reproduce quickly. Because they are very small at the beginning of their life cycle and hide during the day, they are barely visible to the naked eye and are often overlooked.

Bed bugs are also spread through used goods, such as furniture or clothing, bought in second-hand stores.

Bed bugs are among the longest-living insects. Adult bugs can live up to nineteen months. They feed exclusively on blood and require blood meals for development between life stages and for egg maturation.

Since the bugs can survive months without feeding, even rooms left unoccupied for extended periods can still be infested. 

If an infestation is overlooked, a large number of bugs can develop in a very short time, spreading quickly and infesting additional rooms.

• Appearance: Reddish-brown colored 
• Size: 3.8 – 5.5 mm (up to 9 cm when fully engorged)
• Food: Blood from humans and animals.
• Distribution: Worldwide.
• During the day, they hide in cracks; nocturnal.

Bed bugs are nocturnal blood-sucking insects. Their main hosts are humans, but pets can also be bitten. They are very resilient and can live for months without food. Before each molt, the insects must feed on blood, leaving their hiding place to do so. They emit a bitter almond-like, often unpleasantly sweet smell.

After feeding, bed bugs hide in crevices, behind moldings or picture frames. Brownish-red deposits of their droppings are often found there.

Types of Bed Bugs

There are different types of bed bugs. All of these are reliably detected with our tests. The most common types of bugs found indoors are the following:

• The Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) primarily lives in inhabited indoor spaces.
• The Tropical Bed Bug (Cimex hemipterus) originates from Southeast Asia and Africa.
• The Bat Bug (Cimex dissimilis) mostly found on bats in attics and then migrates into living or indoor spaces.

The diagnosis of "bed bug infestation" is usually based on suspicion after a bite, without clear evidence of the presence of the insects. If this is accompanied by claims for damages, it leads to follow-up costs in the form of control measures. Until now, extensive investigations were necessary (comprehensive room inspections, spraying) to determine the cause of the bite nuisance.

On the other hand: if an infestation is detected too late, the insects can spread across several rooms on one floor and beyond. This results in enormous financial expenses for remediation measures and possible reputational damage as well as claims for damages.

Proving a bed bug infestation can be difficult, especially with a light infestation when the insects' hiding places cannot be clearly identified. If bed bugs are suspected, it is advisable to consult a professional pest control expert. Only a clear diagnosis enables successful control.

The Bed Bug PCR Test provides clarity! Take the opportunity to detect bed bugs discreetly, cost-effectively, and early.

Until now, sniffer dogs, antigen tests, and visual inspections have been used to identify an infestation.

Early detection is hardly possible through inspection alone. Sniffer dogs are not always available, expensive to deploy, and, like humans, not infallible. Antigen tests are nonspecific because they also react to other creatures like dust mites or carpet beetles – the result remains uncertain.

The PCR test is easy to store, can be used anytime, and delivers a reliable result.

The characteristic bite marks are usually noticeable – often a series of bites forming a "bedbug trail." The traces appear as reddish-brown spots on walls and mattress edges. Sometimes a sweetish odor in the room is noticeable.

At the beginning of an infestation, detecting bedbugs can be difficult because the hiding places of the insects are often not clearly identifiable. Bedbugs are nocturnal, and the young ones are tiny. If an infestation is suspected, it is therefore advisable to perform a PCR test as soon as possible. Ideally, check the suitcase immediately after returning and test the bedrooms with a vacuum sample. 

Early diagnosis allows for efficient control and saves trouble and follow-up costs.

The PCR test is based on the analysis of DNA traces from the collected material. For this, the suitcase, upholstery, and other furniture in the area of the bed or mattress are vacuumed, a sample is taken from the vacuum cleaner bag, sent to our laboratory, we perform the DNA analysis, and you receive your result online.

A detailed instruction for sample collection is included with the test kit.