I made a slip of the tongue in my post about the Cliff Swallow issue. The ectoparasites related to Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius) that regularly occur Cliff Swallows and rarely on Barn Swallows are Swallow Bugs (Oeciacus vicarious) not Bat Bugs (Cimex pilosellus). The latter are on bats, look very similar to the other two and on occasion will also bite humans. The good news is none of these in North America cimicids are capable of vectoring human disease organisms.
Cliff Swallows can suffer heavy losses to nestlings when populations of the Swallow Bug build up, which, even if the services provided by the swallows in terms of aerial insect consumption were recognized and encouraged by enlightened site managers, might be a good reason to cleanse the location of nests AFTER the swallows migrate south each year. Doing so would eliminate the potential for human bites AND boost the potential for swallow nesting success upon their return.
For more information on this group of insects, check out CSU Cooperative Extension Service-In-Action Sheet 5.574 by Cranshaw, Camper and Peairs. It has solid, easily understood facts about what these creatures look like, their life history, and their management. Also included in this publication is information on a couple of other species that are hosted by chickens, purple martins and woodpeckers.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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