Bed Bugs

Bedbug ID

Bed bugs are secretive creatures and it’s not uncommon to have a severe infestation without ever seeing an actual bed bug. Often the only way to know you have bed bugs is if you wake up with bite symptoms you didn’t have when you went to sleep. The bites can become red, itchy and swollen, and they tend to be found in a pattern or in small clusters. This is an indication that the bites are from bed bugs and not a different pest. You can often find droppings (dried blood flakes) in the cracks and crevices around your sleeping area. Some places that you should check to confirm an infestation include:

where do bed bugs come from?

Bed bugs are a common pest that can be found in any location where humans congregate. Infestations are rarely caused by any hygiene issue and correlate much more strongly towards population density. For instance, the fact that hotels often have different people staying in the same room night after night makes it much more likely that they would experience a bed bug infestation. They are difficult to see and can easily travel from one place to another. To prevent bed bugs from entering your home, be on the lookout for signs of bed bugs when using public transportation or sitting in public spaces. When traveling, thoroughly inspect hotel rooms before sleeping in the bed. Look for bed bugs, their eggs, or fecal matter. If you see any signs of bed bugs, ask the hotel staff to move you to another room. When you return home, vacuum your suitcase and inspect it for bed bugs. Wash your clothes on hot cycles, even those that you did not wear. Do not bring second-hand furniture into your home without thoroughly inspecting it for bed bugs. Remember that bed bugs can fit into spaces about the width of a credit card. This means they can get just about anywhere so long as there’s blood to feed on. If you are not sure how to inspect for bed bugs, you may want to have a pest control professional inspect the furniture for you.

Bed bugs can be found al. over the world, and the earliest concrete evidence of a bed bug infestation dates back to 1500 BC! Control was firmly established by the middle part of the 20th century, but there has been a sharp increase in the number of bed bug sightings since the 1990’s. The exact cause of this increase is unknown; theories include increased human travel, more frequent exchange of second-hand furnishings, a greater focus on control of other pests, and increasing resistance to pesticides.

The National Pest Management Association’s 2018 Bugs Without Borders Research confirmed that bed bugs can be found nearly anywhere. Most commonly single-family homes (91 percent), apartments/condominiums (89 percent) and hotels/motels (68 percent). In addition to these most common places where you might expect to find them, they were also found in places one might not expect, including nursing homes (59 percent), schools and daycare centers (47 percent), office buildings (46 percent), college dorms (45 percent), hospitals (36 percent) and public transportation (19 percent). It is important to know how to identify the tell-tale signs of bed bugs whenever spending time in a populated area.

Bed bugs usually come out at night to eat, while you’re sleeping in your bed. However, they are opportunistic feeders and will take a blood meal during the day if given an opportunity, especially in very heavily infested areas. Bed bugs usually require 5-10 minutes to engorge with blood. After feeding, they move to secluded places and congregate for several days until they are ready to feed again. During this time in the bed bug life cycle, they digest their meal, mate, and lay eggs. It is possible for adult bed bugs to go several months without a blood meal. They also can withstand temperatures from nearly freezing up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing them to survive in harsh conditions.

Because their bites are nearly painless, humans usually don’t notice or wake up when bitten. Bed bugs do not transmit disease and unless one is allergic do not require professional treatment. People who experience severe itching usually can find relief with over-the-counter topical steroid creams.