Bed Bug Facts
Bed Bug Facts
Identification:
- Adult length is 4-5mm and only 1.5-3mm wide.
- Reddish-brown, flattened, oval and wingless.
- Eggs and eggshells are 1mm and white.
- Nymphs are translucent and lighter in color.
- Become browner as they molt and reach maturity.
Identification:
- Females deposit 1-5 eggs per day and hundreds during a lifetime.
- Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices throughout the home.
- Females lay eggs after a blood meal.
- Eggs will hatch in 6-10 days.
- Females can begin reproducing between 4-9 weeks.
- Mating is done by traumatic insemination.
Feeding:
- an survive over one year without feeding.
- Typically feed on a blood meal every 5-10 days.
- Takes 3-12 minutes to feed to repletion.
- A new generation will immediately seek a blood meal.
- Most often feed at nighttime when people are asleep.
- The fluid they inject while feeding can cause itching and swelling.
- At least one blood meal is required to complete development during each instar.
Bites:
- Red, often with a darker red spot in the middle.
- Itchy at times.
- Arranged in a rough line or in a cluster.
- Can be located anywhere on the body.
- An allergic reaction to a bite may cause blistering and/or hives.
Miscellaneous:
- If a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a Bed Bug.
- Bed Bugs are nocturnal.
- The number of Bed Bugs in the U.S. is doubling each year.
- Bed Bugs produce odors ranging from pungent to sweet-musty.
- Chemical use alone will not eliminate Bed Bugs.
- Young Bed Bugs must complete 5 nymphal instars before reaching adulthood.
For more Bed Bug facts click here: http://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/