Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a growing pest of urban importance. Today, they are found more frequently in luxury hotels. They can arrive in the luggage of some international travelers and become residents in the hotel room. Both males and females are blood feeders and will feed on mammals (such as bats and rodents) and birds. Although not known carriers of disease agents, they are a nuisance biting pest and very difficult to control due to their behavior. They spend little time on the host, coming out most frequently at night to feed. After feeding they retreat into crevices where treatment is difficult to reach. Professional treatment is advised as soon as you suspect that you have them.

Cockroaches are one of the oldest groups of insects, which indicates that they have been successful in adapting to changes in their environments. They are scavengers and will eat anything organic. Cockroaches are attracted to warm, moist environments. They spend the daylight hours in dark, secluded sites under refrigerators, stoves, false bottoms of cabinets and walls (which why ProStar does “In-Wall” treatment). These insects must leave their sites at night to forage for food and water. The presence of cockroaches during the day may indicate a large population. There are about 3000 species worldwide and about 50 occur in the United States. Las Vegas is known to be home of many with the German and American cockroach being the most notable.

The black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, is probably the most common harmful spider in Nevada. Its bite can cause reactions ranging from mild to painful and serious, but death is very unlikely and many symptoms can be alleviated if medical treatment is obtained. Anyone bitten by this spider should remain calm and promptly seek medical advice; it is helpful if the offending spider can be caught and saved for identification.

The typical adult female black widow has a shiny black body, slender black legs, and a red or orange mark in the shape of an hourglass on the underside of the large, round abdomen. The body, excluding legs, is 5/16 to 5/8 inch long. Only the larger immature female and adult female spiders are able to bite through a person’s skin and inject enough venom to cause a painful reaction.

The adult male black widow is one-half to two-thirds the length of the female, has a small abdomen, and is seldom noticed. The male black widow does possess venom, but its fangs are too small to break human skin. The top side of its abdomen is olive-greenish gray with a pattern of cream-colored areas and one light-colored band going lengthwise down the middle. The hourglass mark on the underside of the abdomen typically is yellow or yellow-orange. The legs are banded with alternating light and dark areas. Contrary to popular belief, the female black widow rarely eats the male after mating but may do so if hungry. In the early stages females greatly resemble males but gradually acquire the typical female coloration with each shedding of the skin. In intermediate stages they have tan or cream-colored, olive-gray, and orange markings on the top side of the abdomen, a yellowish orange hourglass mark on the underside, and banded legs.