Bed Bug Facts

Bed Bugs are minuscule mites – the adult is less than a quarter of an inch in size – that live on the blood of animals and, most worryingly humans.

Although not a flying insect the bed bug does have the ability to move very rapidly and is prone to rapid spreading as a result.

The Bed Bug concern is a widespread one, as these minuscule insects are believed to have traveled from their origin in the Asian continent to the remainder of the globe.

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

The female Bed Bug will produce eggs any day; as she can exist for considerable lengths of time – over a year – this results in a natural explosion of the Bed Bug population.

The bed bug is in action at night – when we are sleeping – and the primary clue to the presence 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 our blood it leaves behind signs of its existence.

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

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

The problem about diagnosis is that the symptoms of Bed Bugs are extremely similar to many other skin problems.

Scabies shows very similar signs to bed bug infestation, and other insect bites such as mosquito can also produce a similar tell tale bite.

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

The Bed Bug is a night active insect and it likes to feed on our blood; it also likes to hide and this is why it lives in our beds and furnishings.

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

Bed Bugs are sometimes introduced into the home by people who have been travelling and have usually slept on a number of unusual and frequently used beds.

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

Bed Bug infestations come about very quickly; with one female insect laying around five eggs each day it is simple to see how rapidly the colony can grow.

To eradicate Bed Bugs you also need to throw out of the affected mattress and any other items that may be home to the creatures.

As bed bugs are very small and difficult to find, eradicating all the eggs and creatures with off the shelf treatments may not be guaranteed to be successful.
 
During a case of bed bugs, all clothes, covers and linings that have been close to bugs – or are suspected of having been – should be thoroughly washed; if possible this must be done on the hottest setting possible to be sure to kill the bugs.