What are bed bugs ?

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have been known as a human parasite for thousands of years, but scientific studies of this insect are recent and limited. International travel, immigration, changes in pest control practices and insecticide resistance may have contributed to a recent resurgence of this blood-sucking insect in developed countries.

Bed bug infestations have been reported increasingly in homes, apartments, hotel rooms, hospitals, and dormitories in the United States since 1980, according to background information in the article. Hiding places are usually within about 3 to 6 feet of suitable hosts and include seams in mattresses, crevices in box springs, backsides of headboards, spaces under baseboards or loose wallpaper.

Health consequences include biting and skin and systemic reactions. The potential for bed bugs to serve as transmitters of disease and optimal methods for bed bug pest control and eradication are unclear.

You should know what bed bugs look like, to be able to identify them. Bed bugs of course, are insects. Size matters.

Bed bugs are so tiny, that sometimes, one can hardly see them with just the naked eye. But when bed bugs mature, they look like other insects. They can be as long as a fourth of an inch. Bed bugs look like other wingless insects.

Hatchlings or newly hatched bed bugs are about as small as a poppy seed. Looking or viewing bed bugs, from top to bottom, they are usually flattened. Bed bugs may sometimes look like ants or termites, except that when looked at closely, they have their own physical attributes.

What color are bed bugs ?

Bed bugs, like humans, have different colors. It can be funny, but bed bugs look like they also have races. Bed bug's colors usually are deep brown.

However, there are bed bugs that look like biting ants---burnt orange, while there are those that have light tan complexion to almost white.

Where To Find Bed Bugs ?

Bed bugs don't normally leave their hiding places in the daytime, which is another reason why it is easier to just look at their pictures in magazines and textbooks.

These tiny creatures are nocturnal so night time is party time for them. At night, bed bugs can be seen coming out in search of blood. Vampiric little things, aren't they? Our human eyes are weaker and less focused at night so, we can hardly see these bed bugs when they are most active at night, hunting and partying. If you feel like you are being plagues by bed bug bites, this may be the reason.

Bed bugs are almost always found in crevices and small holes in the walls or on the floor.

Finding bed bugs is also tedious, requiring a lot of luck on the part of the searcher, or the person looking out for bed bugs. Why? Because full-grown, or adult, bed bugs can store food in their stomachs for about a year or more.

Unfortunately for you, you now know why pictures are more accessible than actual and live bed bugs, even if you are sure your place or bed is a breeding ground for these elusive creatures. The same hold true for pictures of bed bugs bites.

Video of Bed Bugs



Some tips to prevent a bed bug infestation

For now, the best way to ensure that you wake up bed bug bite-free is to take a good look at the mattress you're about to sleep on to check for blood spots on bedding.

1. Vacuum all crevices on your mattress, bed frame, baseboards and any objects close to the bed. Use the nozzle attachment on a vacuum to capture the bed bugs and their eggs. If you suspect you have bugs, vacuum daily and empty the vacuum immediately.
2. Consider covering your pillows and mattress with a plastic cover.
3. Wash all your linens in the hottest water possible and place them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes.
4. Follow the same advice for any second-hand clothing or soft items that come into your home.
5. Upon returning home from a vacation, keep your luggage in an isolated area of your home, such as the garage. Wash all your clothes in the same ways as described above.
6. Remove all unnecessary clutter from under your bed.
7. Seal cracks and crevices between baseboards, on wood bed frames, floors and walls with caulking. Repair or remove peeling wallpaper, tighten loose light switch covers, and seal any openings where pipes, wires or other utilities come into your home.
   
8. Monitor daily by setting out glue boards or sticky tape (carpet tape works well) to catch the bed bugs. Closely examine any items that you are bringing into your home.
9. Consult professional pest control services and discuss options that pose the least risk to humans and the environment.