Bed bugs have made resurgence in the world in recent months. These nasty little bloodsuckers are disgusting and can be troublesome to anyone that comes in contact with them. In fact, the bed bug problem is considered a national epidemic. Even fine four-star hotels have found themselves facing the bed bug problem. In ancient times only the wealthiest families would find themselves to have bed bugs because these people had the warmest homes.
What is a Bed Bug?
The bed bug is a member of the Hemiptera family. The mouthpieces are made for piercing and sucking. There are at least 92 known species of bed bugs in the world today, including the tropical bed bug which lives in Florida. This bed bug not only feasts on humans; it likes chickens and bats as well.
A bed bug is a parasite that doesn’t discriminate against anyone. It doesn’t matter if you live in the most expensive house in the most expensive neighborhood in your town or in a cardboard box under a bridge. Bed bugs are blood suckers. You are a human and you have blood therefore you are a candidate for this parasite’s next meal.
Bed bugs are a bigger nuisance than mosquitoes or flies because they are more difficult to get rid of. If you have ever suffered through a flea infestation in your home, you know how difficult it is to get rid of them and how much work it entails. Getting rid of bed bugs is much more difficult.
How are Bed Bugs Different?
Bed bugs cannot fly or hop. They simply crawl wherever they want to go. They crawl anywhere. To get into different homes and hotels these nasty little parasites tend to hitchhike rides on your clothing. Once in their new home they will crawl into your couch or sofa or the mattress on your bed. They can even make a home in that nice pile of blankets you have folded in your closet.
These little insect vampires do not live on or in humans. They simply feed off of us and then head back to their home to rest and digest our blood. These tiny pests feed about once a week and it takes only five to ten minutes of sucking your blood to fill them up. The female bed bug will lay five to ten eggs immediately after feasting on you.
How do Bed Bugs Spread?
Bed bugs multiply by what is called traumatic insemination. This means the male bed bug slices through the female’s abdomen and inserts his semen directly into her body cavity.
The fertilized female will then remove herself from the population of bed bugs to a safer location so she will not run the risk of being further injured. It is in this place that the female will lay her eggs.
What do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs are sort of round or oval and are flat. They have six legs and on their head they have two mouthpieces, which are used to pierce the skin and then suck blood similar to sucking through a straw. Their color ranges from straw colored to dark red or mahogany in color to even dark brown.
The six legs are well developed and allow these critters to climb up vertical surfaces such as a wall or window – although they struggle when climbing glass. Their upper body is crinkly like paper and hairy.
Bed bugs cannot fly but have what are considered “half-wings” They have front wings that are basically scales. They have two eyes with approximately 30 facets in each. A male bed bug is easy to distinguish from a female because the male has an abdomen that comes to a sharp point and females have a rounded abdomen.
Common Symptoms of Bed Bugs
The first thing to do if you suspect you have a bed bug infestation is to know what a bed bug looks like. The adults are brown and sort of round shaped, flat and about a quarter of an inch in length. When they have had your blood for dinner they are a dark-red color and increase in size to about three eighths of an inch.
Usually when a person suspects bed bugs it’s because they wake up in the morning with a bite mark of some sort on their body. If it is just one mark, chances are you had a sleep encounter with a spider of some sort.
Many bite marks that are itchy could be signs of a stray mosquito in your bedroom. They can be difficult to find in the daytime so you may have to look around for a while.
Many small, red bite marks on your upper body can indicate you are the host of a bed bug brothel. If you tend to have several small bite marks on your legs and feet this can mean you have a flea infestation, not a bed bug hotel.
You may not always see bed bugs. They can hide under carpeting, between walls, under flooring and other dark places. Their favorite place to call home is soft, cushiony places that are dark. When a home first contracts bed bugs they may not be seen until the population grows.
How Difficult is it to Find Bed bugs?
It may be very difficult to find bed bugs at first. Don’t be fooled though. You can see bed bugs…eventually. As the population multiplies they are easier to find. These nasty little bloodsuckers don’t like coming out during the day, just like vampires.
As the infestation grows it is not only easier to see them during the day, they begin leaving their mark on everything. You may notice a dark line, particularly in the crevices of your mattress. If you have light-colored furniture you can also see the dark lines they leave behind during their travels.
If you think you have an infestation you can test your suspicions by sleeping on a white sheet. In the morning, check the sheet for little dots of blood. This is not any blood; it’s your blood. These parasites actually inject a secretion into your skin before feeding and this can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Where to Look for Them
Bed bugs like to hide in certain places. If you suspect you have an infestation but can’t see the nasty little suckers on your mattress, you should strip all of the sheets and covers from your mattress. Next, flip up your mattress and check the top of the box springs.
If you still don’t see anything, flip up the box spring to check the underside. Bed bugs like to hang upside down on the bottom of box springs. Once the mattress and box springs are removed from the bed frame be sure to thoroughly check the frame, especially in the corners as this is another area they like to hide.
Another place to look aside from the bed is your dresser drawers. If you do have bed bugs they are likely in your clothing as well as your bedding. Pull out your drawers and look in the crevices of the drawer as well as the crevices inside the shell of the dresser.
No matter how infested your home is, bed bugs can be difficult to see. Remember, they are tiny creatures. When an infestation is bad enough you will be able to see clusters of them on top of your mattress.
Other Search Tips
Another way you can see bed bugs is to inspect your mattress and other furniture at night with a red light only.
Other places to look are dark areas such as behind wallpaper that has lifted, in curtains or drapes, in stoves and ovens or any other unused appliances throughout the house, behind switch plates for your switches and outlet covers and under the tack strips of carpeting. Basically, these insects can live anywhere in your home.
Because it is possible for bed bugs to have a host other than a human host, it is necessary to make sure you caulk and seal all openings or cracks and crevices to your home. You need to ensure no rodents enter your home carrying a hitch hiking bed bug.
Do Bed Bugs Leave Marks on the Mattress?
Yes. Bed bugs leave their mark behind. The first, and most obvious sign, is their waste. As gross as it sounds, it’s one of the telltale signs of bed bugs. This waste consists of different things such as blood, bed bug fecal matter, skin shed, eggs and other dead bugs.
This type of waste will show up as dark spots on the mattress, especially in the crevices or on the box springs. The waste can also be found in other areas of the bedroom or house where these little nuisances like to live.
In early infestation, bed bugs are found mostly along the seams of a mattress as well as the tufts. As time goes by and the population increases, they move out and on to bigger and better spaces. They prefer to gather on rough surfaces and harbor on wood or paper surfaces.
How Long Does it Take for Bed Bug Bites to Appear?
Bed bugs only need to feed once a week so they can be difficult to diagnose. In addition, each person reacts differently to the bites and still others have no response at all.
Most people will show signs of a bite in the morning after getting the bite. The initial bite presents as a red welt similar to a mosquito bite but smaller.
Other people are very allergic to the bites and will have a severe rash-like symptom. Still others may have a delayed reaction and not show welts for several days. It can even take up to ten days for some people to show bite marks.
For some unknown reason it is unlikely for people over the age of 65 to get bitten by a bed bug or have a reaction to the bites. A survey conducted found that 42% of people over the age of 65 either did not have any bites or did not have any reaction to the bites despite living in an infested area.
How Do the Bites Appear on the Skin?
The bites tend to appear in rows of three or four and are very itchy. There are a couple of theories on why the bites appear in rows.
First, there is a theory that a bed bug bites you and while you are sleeping you move or twitch and the bug will remove its mouthparts from your skin. When you stop moving the bed bug crawls a short distance and reinserts its mouthparts into your skin. This can result in one bed bug leaving several bites in a row.
Another theory is that you lay on a crease in your sheets and there are several bed bugs in that crease. As you lay there the bugs bite at the same time which leaves a row of bite marks.
Just because you have several bites this does not dictate the number of bed bugs you have. The theories above just show ways in which you can have rows of bite marks.
Can I Get a Disease From a Bed Bug Bite?
There have been around 30 disease pathogens found in bed bugs, but none of these diseases have ever been transmitted to a human from the bite of a bed bug. It is considered highly unlikely that bed bugs transmit diseases. The only medical worry is the itching and swelling caused by the bites.
Another report claims that bed bugs are capable of spreading blood infesting disease organisms that can affect the nervous system and digestive system. Children who live in an infested household tend to become listless and pale.
Some disease organisms found in bed bugs include anthrax, plague, typhus, tularemia, yellow fever and relapsing fever.
What are Common Reactions to the Bites?
The first, and most annoying, part of a bed bug bite is the intense itching. The actual bite itself looks like a small, red, raised welt most commonly found on the upper body although you can get a bite anywhere.
Some people may have no reaction whatsoever to a bed bug bite. Other people may have a delayed reaction and not have any signs or symptoms of a bite for several days. There are a few people who are extremely allergic to the bites of a bed bug and will have a severe reaction.
In cases of allergy, the bites can be extremely swollen and itchy. In this case, a person may need to visit his/her personal physician in order to get steroid cream or a steroid injection to decrease the allergic reaction.
Do Bed Bugs Leave a Scent or Odor in the Room?
In a heavily infested room you will notice a sweet, musty smell that is obnoxious. The smell is most often the strongest under the headboard and mattress. People have equated the smell to that of rotten raspberries mixed with moldy shoes. Yuck!
As it is possible to have bed bugs in other parts of your home besides the bedroom, you can have this musty smell anywhere in your house where there is furniture or pictures on the walls. Bed bugs follow their hosts, and they will follow you. Wherever you are, that’s where they will be.
This odor is caused by an oily secretion emitted by the bugs.
How Can I Keep Bed Bugs Out When I Am Traveling?
There are some simple steps you can take to ensure you don’t take the chance of bringing bed bugs home with you when you are traveling.
First, you should never set your suitcase or any clothing or shoes on the floor of the hotel room. Instead, keep them in the bath tub, on the toilet or on the clean counter top.
Before you lay your head down to rest for the night, be sure to pull the blankets and sheets down and check the mattress for any bed bug waste (remember the dark lines). If you want to be really thorough you should check in the dresser drawers and under the mattress and box springs.
Spots and stains on the mattress can indicate infestation but will not tell you if it is present or in the past.
Returning Home
If you are in your own vehicle, make sure you put your luggage in large plastic bags. When you get home, immediately take your suitcase and clothing to the washer and place your clothing directly in the washer. Wash your clothing in hot water and dry them on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
After removing your clothing from your suitcase you need to put the suitcase in the garage for a day or two in case you do have any residual hitchhikers. If you do not have a garage you need to keep your suitcase outside for a couple of days.
You should also remove the clothing you are wearing and wash and dry it with the clothing that was in your suitcase. This will ensure you have gotten rid of any unwanted guests before you get an infestation.
If you were in your own vehicle when traveling you need to vacuum the seats and trunk of the car and then immediately throw the vacuum bag away. If you have a bag-less vacuum you should empty the container in the trash and then immediately take the trash bag out to the dumpster.
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
There are several things you can do to get rid of bed bugs rather than calling the exterminator.
Vacuum Daily
Also vacuum your mattress and furniture at least once a week. This is a good practice because it will also remove dust mites and skin mites.
Stay in the Same Bed, Regardless of Infestation Status
If you move throughout the house, so will the bed bugs. They use the carbon dioxide you exhale as a sort of honing beacon to tell them where you have gone and how to get to you for their next meal. They have trouble sensing you if you are further than five feet away from them.
Bed bugs are small, but they are fast! They can move up to 30 feet in six minutes. Moving to different spots in the house will just make your infestation more widespread.
Get a Mattress Cover That is Approved for Treating Bed Bugs
This mattress cover should completely encase both the mattress and the box springs and should zip tightly closed. For added protection you can cover the zipper area with duct tape or masking tape. Mattress covers are not a solution, but they will allow you to sleep without getting bites and will assist you in getting the problem under control.
Be Careful Who You Visit
Never decide just to stay at someone else’s house. You could potentially spread the bed bugs to your friends or family.
Get Rid of All Clutter
Bed bugs love to live in dark places. The more clutter you have in your home the more likely you are to have great difficulty getting an infestation under control.
Consider a Professional Exterminator
They are going to charge you a small fortune to get rid of the infestation, but you will get a guarantee with a professional. There are several treatments you can purchase to get rid of the pests yourself but you may find that these products just make the bed bugs go into hiding for a period of time and then come back out when the coast is clear.
If you do decide to use a professional exterminator, ask him/her if they have a bed bug-sniffing dog. There are an increasing number of K-9s that can sniff out these little pests. Be aware that the cost of using a K-9 to sniff out the bed bugs can cost upwards of $10,000.
Bed bugs are generally resistant to all types of pesticides so getting rid of them can be extremely challenging.
Extreme Cold Will Kill Bed Bugs
If you are suffering from infestation in one room in your home you can close off that room and open the windows in the winter. The adults will die in a matter of hours while the eggs will take 30 to 50 days to die. All stages of a bed bug can potentially live for five days in 14 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
Heat Will Also Do the Trick
Temperatures of 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit will kill a large amount of infestations although certain thermal death occurs around 111 to 113 degrees.
If you have a large infestation you can get the temperature in your home up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or 120 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours.
This will normally eliminate almost all infestations. Keep in mind you may have to do this once per week for a period of time in order to eradicate the infestation entirely.
Use a steam cleaner to clean your mattress paying extra attention to the creases and crevices in the mattress itself. You can put your mattress in a sauna at 170 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the bugs.
Never Cover Your Mattress With Harsh Chemicals
Instead, use baby powder or other talcum powder. Bed bugs have great difficulty surviving in fine powder.
Steps to Prevent Bed Bugs
- Keep all wood piles and debris away from your house.
- Make sure to trim the weeds and other growth that are next to the foundation of your home.
- Keep garbage to a minimum to keep rodents away.
- Seal cracks and crevices in your siding and around windows to ensure no rodent can enter.
- Make sure your attic and crawl space is well lit and has air circulation while not being accessible to rodents.
- Vacuum your house daily.
- Wash your bed linens weekly.
- Dust at least once a week.
- Store mattresses in protected areas.
- Fumigate any mattress that has been in storage with carbon dioxide before using them.
- Cover all drawers and outlets as well as all mattresses with a light coating of baby powder or other talcum powder.
Facts about Bed Bugs
- Nymphs feed on their human host for about three minutes.
- Adult bed bugs feed on their human hosts for 10 to 15 minutes.
- A bed bug can easily go six or seven months between feedings.
- Bed bugs can live up to one year without food.
- They can go for one and a half years without oxygen.
- Bed bugs will feed on many other hosts. These include bats, birds, guinea pigs, poultry, rodents, dogs and cats.
- Bed bugs will travel more than 100 feet to get their next meal.
- A nymph matures to adulthood in a mere four weeks.
- The life cycle of a bed bug is three to 18 months, depending on the circumstances. For example, heat will shorten the life of a bed bug. In addition, a minimal amount of food will decrease the life span of this pest.
- One report showed a female bed bug lived for 565 days without food.
- A recent study was conducted in Vancouver, Canada where five bed bugs were smashed to see if they had diseases.
Three of the five were found to be carrying the super bug MRSA, or methicillin resistant staph aureus. This is the bacterium that is resistant to almost all antibiotics.
The other two bugs had another type of bacteria known as VRE or vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium. This is another type of antibiotic resistant bacterium but it is less serious than MRSA.
- The center of an infestation is normally the sleeping area for human hosts.
- Once bed bugs have found a host they normally do not travel far from their host.
Armed with your new information related to bed bugs you can not only prevent the bed bugs from entering your home, you can recognize even the earliest signs that they have found their way in as well as what to do to get rid of them.
The most important step is to take action at the first sign of infestation. There are many things you can try to get rid of these pesky little critters as well as things you can do to prevent getting them. Keeping your home bed bug-free means you won’t ever “let the bed bugs bite.â€
Thanks for all the very useful information. Its disgusting but useful.