Bed Bug Information - Do You Really Have Bed Bugs? Find Out...
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs, Cimex Lectularius, are small, oval-shaped, flat-bodied, wingless,
crawling insects that emit a musty, sweet, raspberry-like odor. Adults are
1/4 to 3/8 inch long, about the size of an apple seed. Brown in color, bed
bugs swell and become dark reddish-brown as they feed.
Females lay several hundred eggs during their approximate nine to twelve month
life span. Straw-colored, pinhead-size nymphs hatch in four to 12 days. Looking
like small adults, nymphs progress through five molts before reaching maturity
in five to eight weeks. The whitish carapaces shed with each molt are a telltale
sign of bed bug infestation.
Using a proboscis, a piercing-sucking mouthpart, to penetrate the skin of
their prey, bed bugs feed every three to five days, typically for three to
10 minutes. They require a blood meal to progress to each new nymphal stage
and to reproduce. Bed bugs thrive in warm, indoor environments between 83 to
90 degrees Fahrenheit but can survive in temperatures ranging from five to
120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
Bed bugs hide in dark, narrow cracks and tiny crevices usually within five to 20 feet of their food source. Infestations initially center on or near the bed, spreading as bed bugs become more numerous.
Paper thin except after a meal, bed bugs can crawl into minute fissures
and joints in bed frames, furniture, flooring, picture frames, and baseboards.
Bed bugs typically congregate in the tufts, seams and rolled cording edges
of mattresses, inside box springs, and behind headboards. While bed bugs
prefer wood and fabric to metal or plastic, they may harbor in items stored
under beds, behind picture frames, inside light switches and wall outlets,
inside vents, under the edges of carpeting, in the folds of drapes and
bed linens and even inside alarm clocks and electronic devices.
What Other Pests Look Like Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs have been confused with carpet beetles, lice, fleas, ticks, chiggers,
mites, shiny spider beetles, parasitic wasps, cockroaches, and even lint.
Because bed bug bites are similar in appearance to the bites of mosquitoes,
fleas, spiders, and other pests, bites alone are not a sure method of identification.
How Can I Be Sure I Have Bed Bugs?
A knowledgeable ChemTec Pest Control pest professional can positively
identify your bed bug problem.
However, there are telltale signs you can look for:
- Red, itchy welts or bites in a series or cluster anywhere on the body.
- Active, crawling bugs on beds or bed linens.
- Rusty brown or black fecal smears or fresh blood spots on sheets or mattresses.
- Whitish exoskeletons from nymphal molts or dead bug carcasses along mattress seams or other common harborage sites.
How Do I Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
You cannot get rid of bed bugs without the help of an experienced pest control
professional. Household bug sprays do not kill bed bugs and may cause them
to spread to other areas in your home. Disposing of infected items will not
eliminate bed bugs. You can actually spread bed bugs as you carry infected
items through your home to the trash. If you think you have bed bugs, it is
best to leave things as they are and immediately call an experienced ChemTec
Pest Control pest professional.
ChemTec Pest Control has a proven record in the successful elimination of
bed bugs. We partner with our customers to ensure that bed bugs are eliminated
quickly and completely. ChemTec’s expert bed bug pest professionals will provide
detailed instructions about clutter removal, vacuuming, and laundering bed
linens in preparation for treatment. Typically three treatments are required
to guarantee eradication of mature and hatching bed bugs. ChemTec Pest Control
provides a 90-day satisfaction guarantee after the final bed bug treatment
to ensure your peace of mind. Find out more about our bed
bug extermination and bed bug control services.
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