Appearance:
The adult bed bug is flat, oval-shaped and has no wings. It is reddish brown in color except after a blood meal when the body becomes swollen and dark red.

Size:
Approximately 1/4-inch long.

Behavior:
Female bed bugs deposit 3 to 8 eggs at a time, and one female can produce 200-500 eggs. The eggs are tiny and slightly curved. They are usually deposited in clusters and fastened to cracks and crevices or rough surfaces near adult harborages with a sticky cement-type substance.

The eggs hatch in 4-12 days. The newly hatched nymph is straw colored before feeding, and then turns red or purple in color after a blood meal. There are 5 nymphal stages for bed bugs to reach maturity, which usually take 35-48 days. Adult bed bugs can survive for 6-7 months without a blood meal and have been known to live in abandoned houses for 1 year.

Bed bugs feed mainly on the blood of humans, but also suck blood from other animals, such as rodents, rabbits, pets, and even birds and bats. Bed bugs usually feed at night when people are asleep. As they feed, they inject a salivary secretion into the wound that prevents coagulation. This fluid often causes the skin to itch and become swollen. Scratching can cause sores that may become infected.

Habitat:
Bed bugs shelter in a variety of dark locations, mostly close to where people sleep. During the day, bed bugs hide in cracks and outlets in the walls, behind baseboards, wallpaper and pictures, between bed joints and slats, around the tufts of mattresses and in bed linens. They have a sweetish, foul odor that is caused by an oily liquid they emit. Blood spotting on mattresses and nearby furnishings is often a tell tale sign of an infestation.

Bed bugs can be carried into homes by infested clothes, suitcases, second-hand beds, furniture, and bedding, or by people. Bed bugs are most frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons.

Health Concerns:
The bite of a bed bug is generally painless. The salivary fluid injected by bed bugs typically causes the skin to become irritated and inflamed, although some individuals can be more sensitive than others. A small, hard, swollen white welt may develop at the site of each bite. This is accompanied by severe itching that lasts for several hours but may last for days. Scratching may cause the welts to become infected. The amount of blood loss due to bed bug feeding typically does not adversely affect the host.

Rows of three or so welts on exposed skin are characteristic signs of bed bugs. Welts do not have a red spot in the center such as is characteristic of flea bites. Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease. However, some individuals respond to bed bug infestations with anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

Control:
To control bed bugs you must first locate where they are living. Inspect all of the locations described above including less conspicuous places such as dressers, carpeting, and drapery. Remember, just because they are called “bed bugs” doesn't mean they can't feed and live in other places, such as a couch or recliner. Once the bed bugs are found, there are various methods that may be used to combat them.

A non-chemical approach would be to vacuum all visible bed bugs from the mattresses and box springs and their other known harborages. Ensure the vacuum bag is removed, sealed, and disposed of off premises immediately after vacuuming. The mattresses and pillows can be steam cleaned, paying particular attention to the seams and tufts of the mattress, to kill any remaining bed bugs.

Seal the mattress and box springs in plastic mattress bags to ensure any missed bed bugs do not attempt to reestablish themselves. Bed linens and draperies can be dry cleaned or washed with a detergent and borax additive in hot water. Improvements in household and personal cleanliness as well as increased regulation of the used furniture market also likely contributed to their reduced pest status.

Do you live in Florida and think this pest may be invading your garden or home? Floridabugs.com offers specifically designed pest control treatments to regulate and eliminate these pests! FloridaBugs.com – the finest in Florida pest control.