Bed Bug Facts

Bed Bugs are small pest – the adult is smaller than a quarter of an inch in size – that feed on the blood of animals and, most disconcertingly humans.

Although not equipped with wings the bed bug does possess the ability to move very quickly and is prone to rapid infestation as a result.

The Bed Bug concern is a common one, as these tiny mites are known to have traveled from their place of origin in the Asian continent to the rest of the globe.

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

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

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

The bed bug will feed during the night, and as it feeds on the blood it leaves behind marks of its presence.

A bed bug feeds by spearing the skin and inserting 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 normally asleep.

After feeding – which could be as long as ten minutes – the Bed Bug leaves behind a red mark which could swell and will irritate continually, bringing irritation and discomfort to the patient.

The problem about diagnosis is that the indications of Bed Bugs are often similar to many other skin infections.

Scabies leaves behind very similar indications to bed bug infestation, and other insect bites such as mosquito can also leave behind a similar tell tale mark.

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

The Bed Bug is a night feeding mite and it likes to dine on our blood; it also likes to hide and this is why it is found in our beds and furnishings.

While the Bed Bug does not nest like lots of other insects, it does fall to suitable places, hence many 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 introduced into the home by persons who have been elsewhere and have possibly slept on a number of varied and frequently used beds.

A Bed Bug problem is not necessarily a case of dodgy hygiene, however, as a lot of hotels and guest houses have also been the source of the problem.

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

To get rid of Bed Bugs you initially need to throw out of the infected mattress and any other things that may be harbouring the creatures.

As bed bugs are very prolific and almost impossible to find, removing all the eggs and mites with off the shelf treatments may not be guaranteed to be successful.
 
During an infestation of bed bugs, all clothes, covers and linings that have been in contact with bugs – or could have been – have to be be thoroughly washed; if possible this must be done on the hottest setting possible in order to kill the bugs.