All About Bed Bugs

All About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are rarely seen these days because of the widespread use of DDT during the 1940's and 50's to exterminate all sorts of pests in the United States. However, bed bugs are making a comeback. Hotels and motels are among the places that suffer from bed bugs infestation.

According to studies, bed bugs' comeback may be attributed to international travelling of Americans to countries with bed bugs infestation on hotels and motels and the immigration to the States by people from countries with bed bugs infestation.

You will not be even sure if your own household is bed bugs free. If you haven't seen one but suspects that a bed bug hitched on your clothes and has started a colony on your home, try to know the basic things about bed bugs so that you would know if you need to treat your home from infestation.

Genera and species of bed bugs

Bed bugs are small, brownish in color, flat, nocturnal insects. Bed bugs belong to the family Cimicidae that live by feeding on human and animal blood.

Bed bugs with scientific name Cimex lectularius are the common household bed bugs. They are the species of bed bugs that feed on humans and have adapted to human environments. These type of bed bugs are found in temperate climates. Believe it our not, they are the same bed bugs that torment people from the ancient times.

There are other bed bugs species such as Cimex hemipterus which are found in tropical regions like Florida. These type of bed bugs also infests poultry and bats. Another bed bugs species, the Leptocimex boueti which are found in the tropics of South America and West Africa infest not just humans but bats as well. Bed bugs species with scientific namen Cimex pilosellus and C. pipistrella primarily infest bats. A bed bug species of North America, the Haematosiphon inodora, primarily infests poultry.

Physical characteristics of bed bugs

Adult bed bugs are small, oval, flattened, reddish brown, and wingless. Many people think that bed bugs are so small and move so quick that they are not anymore visible to the naked eye. Adult bed bugs grow to 4 to 5 mm in length and although they move fast, they are not as fast as other perceive them to be. People do not see bed bugs because bed bugs stay still on bed, sofa or matress crevices and bite people only when they are still (such as when we are sleeping).

Newly hatched bed bugs nymphs are translucent. Their color become become browner as they reach maturity. Their size are often compared to appleseeds.

Feeding habits of bed bugs

Bed bugs can live more than a year without feeding. But when a host is present, they feed regularly every five to ten days.

Although bed bugs may attempt to feed on human blood anytime of the day, they are generally active and feed only at night. An hour before dawn is bed bugs peak attack.

Bed bugs, like any other insect that feed on human blood such as leeches, inject  anesthetics on the skin of their hosts so that piercing and blood sucking won't be felt by the human host.

This is made possible with the two hollow tube of bed bugs. One of their hollow tube releases saliva that contains an anticoagulant and anesthetics while the other tube withdraws the blood. 

Bed bugs feed for about five minutes and immediately return to their hiding place such as the bed matresses and pillows.

Health effects of bed bugs bite on humans

Unlike other blood sucking insects such as mosquitoes that carries Malaria and Dengue Fever (Yellow Fever), bed bugs are not known to have to cause transmission of any diseases that are transmitted through blood, such as Hepatitis B, HIV, and other diseases.

They are not regarded by scientists as a medical threat, although they may cause severe itching and skin marks on the bitten part of the skin. Skin infections and scars may precipitate due to scratching a bitten part and this may require medical attention by a dermatologist.

A calamine lotion may subside redness and itch of the bitten part. Wash with warm water and germicidal soap first before you apply a calamine lotion.

Check out my other guide on The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs

Please leave a comment at All About Bed Bugs if you found this helpful.

Bed Bugs - Your Unlikely Room Mate

Bed Bugs - Your Unlikely Room Mate

Have you ever feel like you were not alone in your room, although there is no one else there beside you?

Have you ever experienced being alone in your room in the middle of the night, hence, you feel, and you are certain that there are other beings there with you?

You are not about to read another scary story. Or if you think you will be reading perverted things here, no, you are wrong.

You should check on your room, especially your bed. You may have unwanted room mates, or worse bed mates. Do not be scared. The unlikely being referred here is the insect commonly called bed bugs.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bug is one among the millions of species of the insect world. Scientifically, common bed bugs are known as Cimex lectularius.

Experts and professionals claim that the existence of bed bugs had been controlled in the United States in the 70s and 80s. However, due to persistence and survival of bed bugs in Asia, Europe and in Africa, travelers may have carried along the parasites during travel and migration to the country.

Bed bugs are wingless insects. They are parasites that feed primarily on the blood of warm-blooded victims such as animals and human. The belief that bed bugs only bite humans is wrong. Your pets can also be host to the parasite.

Birds, dogs, cats, in short, every mammal that can come into contact with the infested bed or surroundings can be affected by bed bugs.

Bed bugs are so tiny, that one can hardly see it. The biggest bed bugs, however, during their final stage of maturity can reach about 25% of an inch long. Usually, bed bugs are oval-shaped and they appear flattened when viewed from top to bottom.

Bed bugs are usually colored deep brown or cream to white. There are also bed bugs that appear burnt orange in color.

Life span

After feeding blood, bed bugs may look like black insects or dark red. That indicates that the bed bug has already stored food inside its body. Once it has fed from its prey, or host, bed bugs usually last until about more than a year before it needs further feeding.

Adult bed bugs can last more than a year without sucking blood. It is different for younger or baby bed bugs. They can last only a few months, or even a few months without food, that is, blood.

Hence, even if a bed infested with bed bugs remains vacant or unoccupied for how many months, chances are the bed bugs still exist there.

Bed bugs on the average life span, needs about three to four replenishments or feeding sessions before it lay eggs and completes its life span.

Habitat

Bed bugs normally thrive in dark spots or areas in the house. Part of their protective instinct is that they live inside crevices and dark and miniscule holes where they can not easily be detected or killed.

Bed bugs can also live in beds, beneath them, underneath them or inside them. They can remain undetected during daytime. But surely, they go out and hunt for food during night time.

Bed bugs may appear smart because they know when to attack prospective hosts--- when they are asleep.

When bed bugs bite, they normally do not produce stinging sensation. Hence, the victim will only know that he or she has been bitten after a day or two, when the skin reacts to the saliva left by the bed bugs into the affected area.

The bitten skin may itch and appear reddish. Sometimes, it is also hard to distinguish bed bug bites from the usual mosquito bites.

Control of bed bugs

Bed bugs are hard to control. There are a lot of pesticides that can kill the parasite, but it is advisable that you consult a pest control expert to control and exterminate bed bugs.

There a lot of harmful pesticides that can surely kill bed bugs. But the catch is, these pesticides can be really dangerous and harmful, not just to you and your other housemates, but also to your neighbors.

You may not want to exterminate yourself and your loved ones along with bed bugs, right?

Contact the local pest control operators in your locality. If you are renting an apartment, it is the duty of the land lord to arrange for the necessary pest control to get rid of bed bugs.

Check out my other guide on The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs
Please leave a comment at Bed Bugs - Your Unlikely Room Mate if you found this helpful.

Bed Bug Rash and Bed Bug Odor

Bed Bug Rash and Bed Bug Odor

Do you know that there is a 90% chance that a famous hotel -- a presidential or suite room in a five star hotel - may have bed bugs? Your favorite hotel may even have bed bugs infestation too without you knowing about it.

So, you now ask, how would you know if your hotel has bed bugs? What are the signs and symptoms of bed bugs infestation? If your hotel has bed bugs, what should you do so that your home won't be infested when you get home?

Here are the common signs and symptoms of bed bugs infestation:

* Bed Bug Rash

The first sign is itch. Bed bug rash starts with an itch but the rash won't be visible yet when you feel the itch.

Bed bug bites are more itchy than mosquito bites. With mosquito bites you will feel its sting and sucking of blood while it is up to it. But with bed bugs, the itch will only be felt an hour after the skin has been bitten.  This is because of the anesthetics in bed bug's saliva. Bed bugs inject anesthetics and anticoagulant, to avoid blood clotting, before it will suck blood from your skin.

Bed bug rash will appear an hour after you were pierced.  But to some people, the bed bug rash appear only after some days or week from being bitten. This depends upon the body's reaction to chemicals being secreted by bed bugs.

How does a bed bug rash look like? Bed bug rash starts with a single, small, red (from being inflamed) round, bump which look more swollen than mosquito rash. Bed bug rash when it becomes visible, may just be a single, swollen bump. Days after, the bed bug rash will multiply. This only means that the other bed bugs are biting you. But for some people, bed bug rash look like an in-line bite marks. This kind of bed bug rash is seen on people who move a lot when asleep. Bed bugs return fast to their hiding place once they have noticed any movement around them.

When you have a rash that you suspect as a bed bug rash, observe it for some days. Bed bug rash are itchy even after days that the bed bug rash appears.  Also, bed bug rash does not heal as fast as mosquito bite marks. It stays swollen for weeks.

* Bed Bug Odor

Next sign to look for after the bed bug rash appears is the bed bug odor. How does bed bug odor smells like?

Hotel with heavy bed bug infestation has this offensive, sweet-like, musty odor that bed bug releases. You may search for this odor under the mattresses and headboard. If your hotel has a wooden chair or a sofa with crevices, smell them too for a bed bug odor.

Hotels with minimal or light infestation, the bed bug odor is not easily detectable.

* How to avoid infesting your house with hotel bed bugs

The night before you check out, remove every item from your suitcase. Bed bugs are effective hitchhikers. They can survive for years without food and if they hitched in your luggage, they can start an infestation in your home.

Check your wooden items with bed bugs. Bed bugs like wooden items, cloth and paper. These are the material in which they create their habitat.

Spray on a water based insect killer around your suitcase. Shake off your clothes for any bed bugs. Wipe your bath tub dry and put your items and clothing’s in there. Bed bugs won't stay on tub crevices since a tub is made of ceramic or marbles and it usually gets wet.

For your used clothing, have it washed before you leave for home. Remember, this is not a simple matter. Once your bedroom has been infested with bed bugs, it will spread fast to neighboring rooms. Getting rid of bed bugs is a very tough job. You even need to throw away your bed and sofa to wipe your house clean from any trace of bed bugs.

Check out my other guide on The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs
Please leave a comment at Bed Bug Rash and Bed Bug Odor if you found this helpful.

The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs

The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs

There are many written articles on bed bugs either on science journals or online. The growing interest in finding out what these creatures are, how they affect our lives and how we can stop them from spreading has lead to numerous articles on bed bugs.

These articles on bed bugs tackle many areas concerning the bed bug. The first type of articles on bed bugs that you may encounter describes what a bed bug is. A physical description of the parasite can help give us differentiate it from other parasites. Adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch long and are reddish brown in color, with oval and flat bodies. Often these articles on bed bugs provide photographs that make it easier for us to identify the insect.

According to articles on bed bugs, there are different types of bed bugs. Aside from the common bed bug that preys on human blood, there are bed bugs that prefer animal blood like birds or bats. To better understand it, articles on bed bugs offer a glimpse of the creature’s life cycle. Female bed bugs take their eggs and lay in hidden areas. They can give birth to 500 eggs during a lifetime. The eggs are very small, whitish, and may need magnification to be identified.

Articles on bed bugs mention that the eggs are sticky when first laid; making it stick to whatever surface they are placed.  When they hatch, they are no bigger that a pinhead.  As these bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Some articles on bed bugs say that this shedding can happen five times before becoming adults.

Articles on bed bugs suggest that the speed of bed bug’s development rely on the right temperature, about 70 - 90° F. At that rate they can complete their transition from eggs to adult bugs in a month.

The articles on bed bugs say that cool temperatures and limited access to a prey can delay the full maturity of the bed bugs. However, this does not mean that they die easily. Other articles on bed bugs compare them to cockroaches in resilience. Bed bugs can survive months at a time not feeding. The adults can even stay alive for a year or more without a blood meal.

Some articles on bed bugs explain the how a bed bug’s nature and feeding habits. Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures. As parasites, they move unnoticeably within our homes, furniture, carpets, bed, etc. Articles on bed bugs say that although they can’t fly, they are very quick insects and can move with ease through almost every surface.

Bed bugs are patient parasites. When the bed bugs feed, they pierce the human skin with their beaks and suck the blood through. Articles on bed bugs explain further that unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs take their time in feeding. They get engorged after three to ten minutes. This slow method could be the reason why people do not wake up from a bed bug bite.

The most helpful articles on bed bugs are the ones that show us how to detect these pests in our homes. One sure sign that there are bed bugs under the sheets are dark brownish satins and spotting on the mattress. Articles on bed bugs identify this as the pest’s excrement or droppings.

The physical manifestations of a bed bug bite can be mistaken for other types of insects. But if tiny drops of blood on the sheets, pillowcases or walls accompany the itchy, swelling welt on your exposed skin, then you just may be sleeping with a pest on your bed.

Once you have confirmed that bed bugs do exist in your mattress, articles on bed bugs strongly suggest that you throw your bed away. Spraying pesticides on the bed may be poisonous for the owner, if he intends to sleep on it afterwards.

Where one bed bug lives, so there are hundreds more. Since articles on bed bugs say that bed bugs are hard to spot, you may want to hire pest control to check your entire home for any infestation. These bed bugs may also be living in your pet’s day bed or doghouse and are mistaken for ticks.

It pays to get the right information just like the articles on bed bugs. The truth can only be found is one searches for it.

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