BED BUGS
Bed bugs are small, brownish insects. They live by sucking human and animal blood. Adult bed bugs are flat, when empty stomach. They grow in size when they suck blood. Normally they are of an apple fruit seed as an average adult. When they suck blood, they swell in size and take a round shape.
Bed bugs are fast movers. They can run swiftly. Bed bugs can move flat , on vertical walls and even on ceilings with equal ease and speed.
Bed bugs live in tiny spaces. They hide in cracks and crevasses. They can build up their habitat nests. They live in groups. Bed bugs form colonies. But these insects are not organized as colonized insects. These bed bugs hide in beds, mattresses, boxes, box springs, bed frames, bed posts and bed head boards. Bed bugs can live anywhere but they prefer wooden structures and soft beddings best.
Bed bugs have their readymade food as mammalian blood. Their choicest food is human blood. They prefer human blood because of soft human skin easy to cut open, in comparison with animal skin. The accessibility to human preys is easier as when humans sleep on their beds; these bed bugs enjoy sucking and drinking their blood.
Female bed bugs can lay eggs in hundreds in their lifetime. The lifespan of bed bugs vary from couple of months to a year. These are very sturdy insects, hard to die. They can live for months without having a single drink of blood. They regain their activities with just a single drink of blood. Once they get their prey, they do not let go till they get their belly filled. They live solely on blood.
Bed bugs are present everywhere. But they like to live in human residences. Even the immaculately clean houses may have bed bugs in them. They are actively mainly during night hours. But they do not leave a pray if they get them at any time of a day. They bite people during their sleep. These bed bugs have an elongated mouth part, a beak to cut open skin of the prey. They pierce the skin and suck blood may be up to ten minutes, till they are full. They can live without blood for number of days in adverse circumstances.
The bed bug bites are painless at first. It swells and may look like a welt. Slowly it may tuen itchy .At later stages, it may turn painful. Infections may appear in wounds if not taken care of properly.
These bed bugs do not spread any disease. But they are dangerous. They suck blood and leave open wounds. This exposes the person to many complications, some may be fatal. Proper care must be taken to eliminate bed bugs.
Signs of Bed Bug Infestations
If some blood stains are visible on bed or night clothes when one gets up in the morning, place should be investigated for bed bugs. Bed sheets and pillow cases should also be minutely examined for blood stains.If some dark and rusty stains are spotted on bed, it should be examined for bed bug excrements.
If some bed bug feces and egg shells are found scattered around places of bed bug hiding, this must be given a thorough check for presence of bed bug.
Presence of very offensive odor emitted by bed bugs on bed and surroundings. A confirmed presence of bed bug.
