Some of the birds and bats, with which we more or less voluntarily share our house may be infected by bed bugs. They are similar in appearance to common bed bugs and behave the same way. They live in the near vicinities of the host animal nests or beds and seek them out to suck blood. Bed bugs in animals rarely fly into houses and bite people. The risk is greatest if the natural host animal for some reason disappears from the house.
Bat bugs, Cimex pipistrelli, live in places where the Common pipistrelle sleep. The common pipistrelle is a species often settles in attics of residential houses, and the bed bugs may suddenly appear in living rooms. Bats are a protected species and cannot be eradicated. If you are bothered by the bats in your house, you should the Danish Zoological Museum.
A treatment of bats’ hiding place (when they left, are out, or have been displaced) with an insect powder will prevent the problem from occurring.
Pigeon bugs, Cimex columbarius, is a very close relative of the common bed bugs, maybe it is in fact the same species. It lives in pigeon houses or in attics in which there are pigeons. It may seek into the living room areas and bite humans. The risk of pigeon bugs visits – and visits from any of the other animals that live in pigeons – is greatest if you remove the pigeons and do not simultaneously remove nests, clean and disinfect. A treatment with insect powder will be effective against the pigeon bug.
Oeciacus hirundinis, live in swallow nests, but can enter houses and bite people. In the rare case that we know of, it happened in the autumn, when the swallow leaves the nest, and in May from nests to which the swallows had not yet returned.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)