The Federal Bed Bug Workgroup developed the Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs (the strategy) to highlight ways that all levels of government, community, academia and private industry can work together within a community to reduce bed bugs across the United States.

Read the Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs

Managing bed bugs continues to be a major challenge for many communities. Through collaboration, communities can develop customized training programs, communication materials and treatment plans. Implementing these plans at the local level can reduce costs and achieve a better level of bed bug control.

The strategy outlines four priority areas for bed bug control:

• Prevention.
• Surveillance and Integrated Pest Management [IPM].
• Education and Communication.
• Research.

Each of these areas is critical to national bed bug control efforts. However, communities may choose to focus their local strategies on one or more of these items, depending on the needs of each individual area.

Within each priority area, the goals of the strategy are to help stakeholders by:

• Coordinating and guiding federal activities.
• Facilitating collaboration among stakeholders and various levels of government.
• Raising awareness of the issues surrounding the bed bug problem.
• Maximizing efficient and effective use of resources to address high priority needs.
• Encouraging realistic appraisal and management of bed bug problems through education and integrated mitigation measures.

The strategy also focuses on the importance of measuring the results of actions taken to control bed bugs and sharing success stories with other communities. 

The Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs

• Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs (PDF)(21 pp, 363 K)