Bed bugs, bed-bugs, or bedbugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known, as it prefers to feed on human blood. Other Cimexspecies specialize in other animals, e.g., bat bugs, such as Cimex pipistrelli (Europe), Cimex pilosellus (western US), and Cimex adjunctus (entire eastern US).
The name “bed bug” derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially nearby or inside of beds and bedding or other sleep areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed.
Get to know more about Bed Bugs
1. Bed bug saliva has anesthetic properties so that when they feed their victim doesn’t feel their bite.
2. Bed bugs are smart. They know to hide during the day and can tell when you’re sleeping by the carbon dioxide you emit
3. At one point in the 1940s, bed bugs were almost eradicated in the developed world.
4. Bed bugs are “hitch hikers.” They depend on catching a ride with a host so that they can spread to other areas.
5. Bed bugs can’t climb smooth surfaces such as glass and plastic.
6. Bed bugs can be as small as one stitch in a mattress.
7. Bed bugs are very resistant to cold temperatures, but not so much the heat.
8. Bed bug eggs are nearly impossible to vacuum up because they are coated with a sticky glue like substance.
9. Some bed bug bites are very noticeable but some can’t be detected at all.
10. New York city employs dogs that can detect whether a room is infested with bed bugs.
11. If you have bed bugs, make sure you wash all of your clothes in a hot wash.
12. Bed bugs can live without feeding for months at a time.
13. Bed bugs poop and this may stain the mattress. This is often the first indication of bed bugs that victims see.
14. Bed bugs shed their skin, which is pale and thin.
Bed bug infestation
Bed Bug Life Cycle
The life cycle of a bed bug is shown in the photograph below. During its lifetime, a bed bug will go through the following stages (Starting from the top left, moving counterclockwise):
Knowing what to look for is the first step in identifying and controlling bed bugs. There are many bugs that look like bed bugs so an accurate identification is a critical first step to avoid costly treatment for the wrong bug. The types of bugs that look like bed bugs will vary somewhat depending on your region of the country, but photos and descriptions of common look-alikes have been compiled by researchers.
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