You know many things about bedbugs, but didn’t know 10 things that are very important. Bedbugs are Elliptical shaped and reddish-brown before feeding. After feeding, it becomes dark brown. Bedbugs infestation is found all over the world, including 50 states in the USA.
10 Things Everyone Should Know About Bed Bugs!
It’s not only limited to poor people or dirty places. High-end 5-star hotels, Airplane, trains, Cinema halls, Office buildings, etc. are also reported for Bedbug infestation. Bedbugs’ life cycle is different from other insects. From eggs to maturity they pass 5 stages which are called a nymph. To change each stage, they need a meal of blood. Now find here the 10 things you might not know.
#1. The term bedbug is inaccurate:
The Latin name for bedbugs is Cimex lectularius, which means bug of the bed. But they can be all over your apartment, on the sofa, behind picture frames, or in the crevices of baseboards. It’s true that the bed is the main target place and source of feeding for bedbugs.
#2. Bedbugs don’t care about hygiene or social status:
Anyone can be infested with bedbugs regardless of hygiene habits, poor housekeeping, or poverty level. Nowadays, high-end 5-star hotels and Airplane are also reported as infested with bedbugs. Regularly cleaning can reduce the spreading of the infestation.
#3. Bedbugs don’t transmit any diseases:
Till today, they haven’t been proven to transmit any harmful diseases. But bedbug bites can cause insomnia, anxiety, and related similar conditions. Most people feel itching & irritation from bedbug bites, and for some bad lucky people, it can cause an allergic reaction or asthma symptoms.
Also, it’s reported that some people can’t sleep for weeks, miss work, and searching a similar topic which is called bedbugs paranoia. Finally, that can lead to mental health risks.
#4. Bedbug bites respond differently:
Bedbug bites don’t respond instantly, and they may vary from person to person. It may take half an hour to a week to appear. For about 30% of people, bites may not appear at all. Usually, medical treatment is not necessary for bedbug bites, except for those who are unlucky & allergic. People allergic to bedbug bites should call a doctor immediately.
#5. They can live a year without a meal:
Bedbugs can survive 2 to 3 months without feeding at a normal temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, and 1 year in chillier climates. Their peak feeding time is when people sleeping from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. They can take change in daytime also. Moreover, their eggs can remain undeveloped for up to 1 year, which makes it difficult to eliminate in one treatment.
#6. Slow Reproduction:
Bedbugs’ reproduction is slower than other insects. A female bedbug can lay 1 to 5 eggs a day, and up to 200 to 500 eggs in her entire life. In normal room temperature and sufficient food supply, they can live more than 300 days. Each egg takes 10 days to hatch and 5 to 6 weeks to develop into an adult.
#7. Bedbugs should be called mattress bugs:
Bedbugs live exclusively in the mattress, and so they should be called mattress bugs. They are also found in a suitcase, sofa, clothing, furniture, electric outlet, carpet, and ceilings. They can spread into the bus, train, school building, cinema hall, office building, Airplane, and five-star hotels also.
#8. It’s not always necessary to throw away belongings:
Only in severe infestation and if you do it yourself you may throw away belongings. But if you call a professional exterminator, they have enough expertise to remove bedbugs from your home including belongings effectively.
Moreover, if you can apply heat treatment with a combination of spray and steam cleaner solution, you can escape from throwing out belongings. Remember, temperature above 120 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes can kill bedbugs.
#9. You can spray bedbugs away, but a Professional exterminator is highly recommended:
Although you can spray bedbugs away, but prefer to call a professional exterminator if possible. The spray is easy to apply and nowadays multiple brands of bedbug killers are available. Before choosing a brand, search it on Amazon, read consumer reviews, compare prices, and check their refund policy.
If you like a professional exterminator, then collect a few quotes from local exterminators. Check their previous experience and also check their price if it’s in your range of budget. If not, then try with the DIY (do it yourself) method.
#10. They can’t fly but crawl quickly:
Since bedbugs don’t have wings, they can’t fly. But they can crawl a meter within 1 minute. They are so fast that they can hide before your eyes. So, even you can’t see them, you may have them. In low-level infestation, it’s very difficult to find evidence and live bedbugs.
A trained dog can sniff out bedbugs infestation, but this service is very much expensive. A bedbug detector can help you regard this matter.
Related Topics
Learn How to Kill Bed Bugs with Baking Soda!
Bedbugs: Treatment, Remedies, & Prognosis of Bed Bug Bites.
How Much Does Bed Bug Extermination Cost?
Disclaimer
No warranty of accuracy for any information provided here. This is not a medical advice anyway, but can be used for information purposes only. Always ask your doctor for medical treatment while necessary.
Sources of information
- How to Kill Bed Bugs for Good – Bed Bugs Removal Guide,
- Insecticides/Treatments – Bed Bugs,
- University of Kentucky: Bed Bugs,
- University of California: Bed Bugs,
- South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control,
- he United States Environmental Protection Agency.