Bed Bug Basics
Want bed bugs out of your home?
You’ve come to the right place. But first, let’s cover the basics.
Want bed bugs out of your home?
You’ve come to the right place. But first, let’s cover the basics.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are one of the most misunderstood and most feared insects on the planet. They are found all over the globe, they are hard to fine, they live in your bed, are suck your blood while you sleep! It’s no wonder the phrase Bed Bugs makes people shiver.
Bed bugs feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, especially humans. They are small, wingless, reddish-brown in color, are most active when it’s dark. These blood sucking pests were first discovered some 3,500 years ago in Egyptian tombs. Over the years, they have evolved and adapted to human environments.
Bed Bugs get their names simply because they are most commonly found in beds. But, they can be found everywhere including hotels, homes, apartments, offices, gas stations, schools, buses, trains, vehicles, even retail stores.
Bed bugs reproduce by laying eggs. Adult bed bugs grow up to 0.25 inches long and they are usually pretty flat and oval in shape when they aren’t feeding. Feeding makes them appear almost ‘plump’ and get much more round. In fact they can double in size after they’ve fed. Newborn bed bugs, also known as nymphs or hatchlings, are much smaller in size, about 1mm to 5mm in length. Eggs, hatchlings, and adults can all be seen with the naked eye.
Unfed adults are have a mahogany color, while fed adults have a red-brown color. The human blood they just consumed makes them larger and have a more reddish appearance. Nymphs or hatchlings are basically white/cream colored. The most common place to find bed bugs throughout the United States (and the world) is along mattress seems and bed frames.
1 Bed Bug Becomes a Massive problem in just 6-Months
Female Bed bug
In just 6 mos...
In just 6 mos...
Adults
Eggs
Hatchlings
Bed bugs may look tiny or almost invisible, but the thing is, you don’t want them settling in your home. These creatures know how to settle down and multiply fast. A female bed bug can lay up to seven eggs per week and these eggs can grow into adult bed bugs in just 3-5 weeks. In just six months, you can have a full bed bug infestation comprising of 69,000 eggs, 121,000 hatchlings, and 7,800 adults! You see why you need to get rid of bed bugs as soon as possible.
Where are bed bugs found?
How do you get bed bugs?
Bed bugs are great travelers and amazing hitchhikers! They will do anything to ensure that they are close to their food source. That means hiding in luggage, plans, on your clothing and even in your underwear! This means that most infestations happen when people visit other infested areas, like a hotel or motel. Bed bugs hide in boxes, suitcases, wardrobes, in-between clothes, wallpaper, switch-plates, picture frames, box springs, mattresses, buses, cars, or even in shoes to ensure they are not far from their food supply.
Bed bugs are most active at night. This is when they are searching for food, which is normally a sleeping person. However, if the area is extremely infested, you can see bed bugs moving and being active during the day. A feeding bed bugs usually takes roughly five and ten minutes to get their blood fill. After they feed, they’ll go to a safe hiding spots and basically hide for five to ten days. During this hiding period, they are often mating, reproducing and laying eggs.
Finding a bed bug in your home, on you, or on any of your belongings simply means there will be more very soon. Once you notice a bed bug crawling around, it’s best to call a bed bug professional to help determine the best bed bug treatment to get rid of the problem before it becomes a massive infestation.