Bed bugs have been around for centuries. After WWII the seemed to almost vanish here in the United States because of increased hygiene and several other factors. Recently though, we’ve seen them making a comeback. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control offers some helpful tips to best deal with bed bugs below.
How Can You Tell if You have Bed Bugs?
Also known by the formal name Cimex Lectularius, common bed bugs are small oval shaped, reddish brownish flattened pests that grow to be about 3/16 of an inch and feed on the blood of humans and warm-blooded animals. They are often mistaken for ticks because they resemble them. They do not jump or fly (thank goodness), but they have the ability to crawl rapidly across walls, floors and even ceilings to get to their next feeding ground.
How Long is the Life Cycle of a Bed Bug?
Unlike other pests, bed bugs are resilient and can live months or even a year in favorable conditions without a meal, so attempts of “abandoning” a space for a short time to rid it of their existence is highly unlikely. Adult females lay two or more eggs a day, leading to 100’s of eggs in their lifetime. Their eggs are the size of a speck of dust and are a whitish color making them difficult to detect. At room temperature they hatch in about seven days. To reach adulthood, they require a blood meal in order to shed their skin and will need to do this five times. In the right conditions a nymph (immature) can reach adulthood in as little as a month.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
Bed bugs are active mostly at night and tend to stay close to their food source which is why most of them choose to live on mattresses. Their flat, little bodies allow them to fit in the tiniest of nooks and crevices and remain hidden for the most part. Bed bugs do not live in nests like bees, ants, or wasps, but they tend to congregate together in close proximity. These “common areas” will show staining from their feces and eggs and is a tell-tale sign of an infestation. Often you can also find blood spots on sheets where bed bugs are present because they were squished when a person rolled over and their engorged little bodies popped. In extreme infestations, there is a “buggy odor” present as well.
What Happens if You Get Bitten By Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs have an elongated beak that they use to pierce through the skin of their victims to draw blood. A typical feeding will last 3-10 minutes before they become engorged. After feeding they retreat to a safe spot to digest their meal. The bites from a bed bug are typically painless and reactions vary from person to person. In a typical situation, most people do not feel the bites when they happen. Unlike other pests, bed bugs will feed on any exposed skin including, face, head, ears, hands, etc. Symptoms include itchy red welts that usually appear in a day but can take days or even weeks to show! This can make it difficult to determine just when a bite occurred. Bed bugs carry various pathogens, but it has not been proven, and is therefore highly unlikely for them to transfer these pathogens to humans. This makes them more of a nuisance than anything.
Bed Bug Pest Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal, Management & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
Common bug repellants are not proven to work on deterring bed bugs and they are not recommended for use to deter bed bugs from biting you. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control has experience in all pest control matters including bed bugs. Ridding your home or business of bed bugs is a tedious task that should be left to a professional. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control has various, trusted tactics in removing and preventing infestations from occurring. Give us a call today and get your life back!
