Category: Bedbugs

Bed bugs are sneaky. They come out at night, and sneak away during the day, leaving people wondering if they could be dealing with a bedbug infestation or another pest. They are plenty of other warning signs but but none as definate as tracking down the actual bug. If you are wondering what bedbugs actually look like then read on.

Physical Characteristics of Bed Bugs

Adult bedbugs are flattened, and reddish brown in color. They are oval in shape and do not have any wings. They have a banded appearance and they have hair on there bodies that are not visible to the naked eye, but is noticeable through a microscope.

Bed bugs that are newly hatched are lighter in color and as they age and molt, they get browner and bigger.

Female bedbugs can lay up to five eggs in a day and can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Bed bug eggs appear milky white in color.

How Big Are Bed Bugs?

Adult bedbugs can grow to be 4-5mm in length and 1.5-3mm wide.

Sometimes that get mistaken for carpet beetles, or booklice. Bedbugs are not that hard to spot to the naked eye, you just have to look closely.

Myth: It’s commonly believed that bed bugs can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Fact: Bed bugs are small, but not that small. They and their eggs can be clearly seen without needing any magnification equipment.

Where to Find Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are only active when you go to bed, so usually night time. They are attracted to carbon dioxide and warmth. You cannot feel the bite of a bedbug once you are bitten. In fact, you cannot feel nothing at all. One feeding can last anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. After feeding they return to where they came from to digest their meal.

They like out of the way places, like along floor boards, between couch cussins and along seams. If you are getting bitten, check around your bed and mattress closely. Even if you don’t find them, they tend to leave behind signs of bed bug activity. They are small in size but the reddish brown color makes them more noticeable on light colored bedding and carpet. And after feeding

Bedbugs are small insects that, along with the rest of their insect family, live by feeding on blood from warm-blooded animals. They have been infesting humans for thousands of years but were, for the most part, wiped out. Starting in the mid 1990’s they began showing up in increasing numbers again and may be due to less careful measures of prevention. They were for the most part eradicated in the 1940’s and in the following 50 years people thought less and less about them. They are active at night for the most part and are able to feed without being noticed by their host.

Many people deal with bedbugs in their home or apartment on a constant basis. These tiny insects are actually attracted to the upholstery in a home and will multiply and reproduce very quickly. In simple terms, a small infestation can turn into a large problem within just a matter of days or weeks. It is thought that bedbugs are attracted to dirty environments, however, it’s not uncommon for an apartment to get bedbugs because their neighboring tenant has them. Bedbugs are often an annoying and widespread problem in apartment complexes.

Physical Characteristics of Bed Bugs

They are flat with an oval body in a light to reddish brown. They do not have wings and almost appear to have stripes across their backs and this is caused by rowes of tiny hairs. The mouthparts consist of two tubes, on to inject saliva that aids in keeping the blood from clotting, and the other used to suck up blood. They can feed in five minutes and will then return to their hiding place. They do not have to eat every day and have been known to survive a year without food. It can have nesting and hiding places almost anywhere and are sometimes called the wall louse.

What Bedbug Bites Look Like

The bites cause different problems for different people and can show up as rashes, blisters, or just a red blotchy look. In some cases, the person fed on shows no signs at all and in others their could be allergic reactions. The only way to treat this is to get rid of the Bedbugs and this is not easy. They can survive without food for a year in some cases and also enter a hibernation phase when the tempature drops too far. Dogs are now used in some cases to detect bedbugs and have a great success rate. In the end, it will take determination to put these guys out of our minds for a second time

Bedbugs are not Invisible

The common myth about bedbugs is the fact that they are invisible to the naked eye and that you need a microscope to see them. The truth of the matter is that an adult bedbug can actually be seen crawling about mattresses and furniture and this can especially be true if you have a large infestation of bedbugs. Large infestations of bedbugs can be seen very easily on the floors, upholstery, and even walls of your house and apartment. The bugs themselves are flattened and brown or red in color. They do not have wings but instead have a series of black bands on their back. Nymphs, which is the term for newly hatched bedbugs, are completely translucent and will more than likely not be seen by the naked eye because they are very small.

Where to See Bedbugs

The bedbugs themselves can often be found in the crevices of mattresses and walls because their flattened bodies allow them to squeeze into tight spots. They will often be found away from sunlight. These small but harmful bugs can be extremely hazardous to have within the home. Bedbug bites will often look like small pimples and if you have a large infestation, you may find that you can not sleep at night because the bugs are biting at all areas of your body and face. Because bedbugs multiply quickly, it’s a good idea to have a professional exterminating service come into the home in order to have the problem completely eradicated. Depending on the size of the infestation, the home or apartment may need several exterminations in order to get rid of the bedbugs completely.

What is a Bedbug?

Bedbugs are small parasitic insects that feed on human blood. The bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is a member of the family Cimicidae, all insects in this family feed exclusively on the blood of warm blooded animals. The name bedbug comes from the fact that this insect is mainly nocturnal and prefers to live in cracks in mattresses, box springs, bedframes, and other furniture, walls, and baseboards near places where people sleep.

Bedbugs have many other names including wall louse, mahogany flat, crimson rambler, heavy dragoon and redcoat. Many of these names come from the reddish-brown coloring and flattened oval shape of these insects. These wingless insects grow to be 5-7 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide.

Feeding Habits

Bedbugs are attracted to their targets by three things: carbon dioxide, warmth, and certain chemicals. Bedbugs have two hollow feeding tubes. One tube injects the victim with its saliva that contains anticoagulants, which keep the blood from clotting, and anesthetics, which causes numbness, while the second tube extracts the blood. Because of the anesthetics the actual bite is not felt. Bedbugs feed about five minutes before retreating back to hiding place. Although the bedbugs like feed approximately every five days, can survive for year or longer without feeding.

Resurgence of Bedbugs

Bedbugs have largely eliminated in developed world since the 1940’s and 1950 with DDT’s but these pests made big comeback in 1980’s and 1990’s.

The resurgence of bedbugs in developed countries has been attributed to the rise in foreign travel and immigration, the increase of second hand furniture, as well as greater resistance to pesticides.

Bedbugs can found in both dirty and clean environments, meaning bed, no matter how sanitary, not immune to infestation for bedbugs. Crowds living quarters within high rate of guest turnover makes motels, hostels, and even high end hotels particularly susceptible to bedbug infestation. Just one bedbug hitching ride on piece of clothing or in suitcase an create infestation.

and at replica watches expert review montblanc are citizen watches replicas aaa sites noob at vostok amphibia luxury watch date oyster best choice top replica sites hardcore pawn dunhill are shock watches fake under 199 dollar gold belly bars replica watches in new york cockpits house of fake diamond rolex for sale chronomat black swiss made 36mm exact watches replica bezels tighten

Types of Bedbug Insecticides

Bedbug infestations are extremely hard to get rid of and usually require treatment by a professional pest controller. There are a few insecticides that can be used to exterminate these pests, including sprays, dusts, and aerosols.

Deltamethrin is one of the most popular contact insecticides; it is odorless and leaves no visible residue. This insecticide is relatively safe and it will break down once is has been exposed to sunlight for a few days. Deltamethrin is safe for most people and mammals, although it should not be exposed to any fish or aquatic animals. The insecticide paralyzes the bedbugs and when combined with another compound prevents recovery, killing the insect. This type of insecticide is available in liquid, powder and aerosol form.

Hydroprene is a slow acting insecticide; it stops bedbugs from reaching maturity and thus prevents breeding so the bedbugs die out more slowly. It can only be used indoors as it breaks down in sunlight. It is generally considered safe.

Terminix offers a treatment called RapidFreeze which uses dry ice to freeze the insects and their eggs. It is fast and non-toxic. Be careful that you are eradicating the insects and not just herding them into a different room.

At-Home Methods of Killing Bedbugs

In some cases mattresses must be discarded. If there are holes or tears in the fabric that means that bedbugs could have gotten inside and the mattresses must be thrown away. Washing mattress covers, pillows, and comforters in the hottest water setting will kill the bedbugs. If the comforter cannot be washed, putting the comforter in a dryer at the highest heat possible should kill any bedbugs on the comforter. Sealing the mattress inside a zippered bug proof encasement will trap the pests in and eventually kill them.

Keep in mind, though, that bed bugs can live for up to a year or longer without eating. Bed bugs do not just live in the bed; they have homes in cracks in the walls, crevices in furniture, and in hollow pockets behind pictures and electrical outlets. These at-home methods usually will not eradicate the infestation so it is recommended that you contact a professional pest controller, especially when using chemicals.

As Always, Prevention is the Best Medicine

In order to prevent the spread of beg bugs make sure that you are not staying in a hotel room infested by bedbugs. If possible, bring a flashlight and carefully insect the bed and furniture around the room for bedbugs or signs of bedbugs, such as dark brown feces stains and blood stains from squashed bugs. Be cautious when buying used furniture as they may be harboring bedbugs and bedbug eggs. Mattresses especially carry a high risk of being infested. When returning home from a trip, check your suitcase for any stowaways.

Currently dealing with bedbugs, I can attest firsthand these pesky creatures have one goal in mind, and that is to turn you into a late night wine and dine. While it is true that bedbugs are not dangerous in the sense of causing disease, they can be a nuisance, and the bites they leave behind quiet frankly, annoying and frustrating.

Looking at Bedbug Bites Up Close

Knowing if you have a bedbug bite can help you properly handle the situation and rid your home of bedbugs. Bedbug bites affect each person differently. In some people, such as in my case, people can have an allergic reaction to these bites, causing swelling. In all cases, bedbug bites are extremely itchy, but scratching will only make it worse.

The Physical Effects of a Bedbug Bite

At first bite, you may notice a large, raised white welt looking area.The bites initially look like a mosquito bite,and you may even think you have been bitten by a mosquito until the itching sets in. The welts disappear after a few minutes, where in its place you will notice a small red bump, most often with a spot in the middle of it where the bedbug used its fangs to suck.

These bites can appear anywhere on the body, and occur at night once you have fallen fast asleep. Bedbugs love the upper part of the body, so you may find the bites above the waist, including on the head, face, arms, hands, and even chest area. They are easy to distinguish from other bites due to the painful itching that they cause.

How Long Do Bedbug Bites Last?

The spot where the bedbug has bitten you can last anywhere from 3 to 4 days up to 14 days and possibly longer. Even after several days the area may still have an intense itch. Bedbug bites look similar in almost every person. Along with the itching, you should be able to easily identify a problem with bedbugs.

Bedbug bites may cause skin rashes and allergic symptoms, as well as psychological effects. Bedbug bites have a wide range of manifestations on the skin of the host: from no visible effects to big raised blisters. The bite area is commonly accompanied by redness, itching and swelling. There is no treatment for bedbug bites, but steroid cream can be used if itching is severe, as itching may lead to infection.

Bedbugs can be carriers of human diseases such as HIV, but it is unlikely that they can transmit the disease to other humans. There has never been a case of any disease being transmitted via bed bug.

Bedbug Reproduction

Bedbug breeding is not a pretty thing. Female bedbugs do not have exterior genital opening so in order to mate the male bedbug pierces the abdominal body cavity of the female with his hypodermic-like reproductive organ and ejaculates into the body cavity. The female bedbugs lay between five and 12 eggs each day. During their lifetime one bedbug can lay up to 500 eggs. The female bedbug deposits the eggs into small crevices and cracks for them to hatch later on. The eggs are approximately one millimeter in length. It takes up to two weeks for the eggs to hatch. Once they hatch they immediately begin to feed. Bedbugs are the size of a poppy seed when they are first hatched.

Bedbug Nymphs

Juvenile bedbugs are called nymphs. Nymphs are yellow white colored but when they consume blood they turn bright red. They are similar in shape to mature bedbugs. Nymphs pass through five molts before they reach maturity, each time leaving behind a clear exoskeleton. Every time the bedbug sheds its exoskeleton they get a little darker. In order for the nymph to pass through each molt they must consume one meal. When at room temperature it takes less than five weeks for the nymph to complete the five molting stages to reach maturity.

Mature Bedbugs

When bedbugs reach maturity they become fertile and can breed. Bedbugs have six legs, and a three part segmented body consisting of the head, thorax, and abdomen. Mature bedbugs reach 4-5 millimeters in length and 1.5 to 3 millimeters in length. Their oval shaped bodies are comparable to an apple seed. When bedbugs reach maturity their color ranges from dark brown to burnt orange. After they have consumed a meal of blood their bodies turn redder. Bedbugs have a life span that commonly ranges from four to six months, although in ideal conditions some bedbugs can live for years.