Bed Bugs! Don’t Let Them Bite
Bed bugs are small, non-flying, oval insects, that survive by the blood of humans or insects. They do not live only in your bed. They can live anywhere in your home. Including cracks in your furniture or any cloth fabric. But they are often found in your bed or mattress, bed springs or bed frame. They usually bite while you sleep. Their bite is painless and looks like a rash. They are not poisonous and their bites do not spread disease to humans, but they do itch and the skin can become infected from scratching.
How to Find Bed Bugs
It’s best to find them early. An infestation can easily spread or become established. They are much easier to treat at the earlier stages. The first sign of may be red, itchy bites on the skin, usually on the arms or shoulders. They tend to leave straight rows of bites, unlike some other insects that leave bites here and there.
Look in crevices and cracks and on or near your bed to locate them. You should look for Fecal Stains, skins, and egg cases. If you only see the bed bugs themselves, you’ve got an active infestation.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
They are the size of an apple seed. Long, oval, and brown if they are hungry. Balloon-Like, reddish, and more elongated if they have just eaten. They have wings, but do not fly. They have a musty smell. Young bed bugs are smaller and more translucent with a whitish yellow color and if they are hungry almost invisible to the naked eye.
In general eggs are the size of a tiny pinhead, pearl white, and after 5 days marked with an eye spot.
How Long to Bed Bugs Live?
These bugs have exoskeletons. A nymph (hatch-ling) must shed their skin, or molt 5 to 7 times to become an adult. Molting (shedding of skin) can only take place after a hatch-ling has eaten. Since they eat every 3-5 days, egg to adult usually takes 37 days. The adult bed bug can live up to a year.
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Absolute Pest Control is dedicated to making your home safe for you family. If you have a question about these or any other pest problem, please call us at 615-220-1933 or click HERE to email us.