Bed Bug Facts

Bed Bugs are tiny creatures – the adult is no more than a quarter of an inch in size – that live on the blood of animals and, most worryingly humans.

Although not equipped with wings the bed bug does possess the ability to travel; very fast and is prone to rapid multiplication as a result.

The Bed Bug problem is a common one, as these miniature creatures are known to have come from their place of origin in the Asian continent to the entire globe.

It is far from unusual to see an infestation of Bed Bugs, but what is important is that we recognise where they live, how to recognize them and what to do about them.

The female Bed Bug will give out eggs each day; as she can live for considerable lengths of time – over a year – this results in a quick explosion of the Bed Bug population.

The bed bug is in action at night – when we are sleeping – and the first clue to the infestation of Bed Bugs is the presence of marks on the skin in the morning.

The bed bug will feast during the night, and because it feeds on human blood it leaves behind marks of its being there.

A bed bug feeds by piercing the skin and feeding in a tube with which it pulls out the required blood, and hence the victim will rarely be aware they are being bitten as they are generally asleep.

After feeding – which can be as long as ten minutes – the Bed Bug leaves behind a red bite which might swell and will hurt continually, bringing irritation and discomfort to the sufferer.

The problem regarding diagnosis is that the indications of Bed Bugs are extremely similar to a number of other skin infections.

Scabies leaves behind very similar signs to bed bug infestation, and some insect bites such as mosquito can also result in a similar tell tale red welt.

Bed bug bites will usually appear on skin that we leave exposed while we sleep – the arms and legs, face and neck are all frequently bitten – and it is to these areas we should look when looking for indications of the creatures.

The Bed Bug is a night feeding insect and it likes to dine on our blood; it also likes to remain hidden and this is why it lives in our beds and furnishings.

While the Bed Bug does not nest like many other insects, it does fall to suitable places, hence great numbers will hide together in the crevasses of a mattress, the inside of covers and linings and many dark and secure places.

Bed Bugs are frequently brought into the home by persons who have been abroad and have maybe slept on a number of varied and frequently used beds.

A Bed Bug infestation is not usually a case of ill hygiene, however, as many hotels and guest houses have also been the source of the problem.

Bed Bug infestations spread very rapidly; with one female creature laying around five eggs every day it is easy to see how rapidly the colony can grow.

To eradicate Bed Bugs you first need to remove of the infected mattress and any other things that may be harbouring the creatures.

As bed bugs are very prolific and difficult to find, eradicating all the eggs and mites with off the shelf remedies may not be 100% successful.
 
During an infestation of bed bugs, all clothes, covers and linings that have been in contact with bugs – or could have been – should be thoroughly washed; if possible this must be done on the hottest setting possible to be certain to kill the bugs.