Bed Bugs

BED BUGS – life cycle and how to get rid of them

Bed bugs are brown, wingless insects with small and longitudinally flattened bodies. They have three pairs of very strong legs they use to jump incredibly far. Jumping is actually how a bed bug transfers from one host to another.
Bed bugs consume the blood of the host. A bed bug bite looks like a small, bright red papulae that itches intensely. Bed bugs usually bite a person’s legs, but they will also bite all over the body.

Bed bug life cycle

Adult bed bugs can survive without a host (source of food), either an animal or human, for only 48-96 hours. If a bed bug “senses” a potential host, she will jump on it and within 24 hours start laying eggs. Bed bugs can lay between 40-50 eggs on a daily basis. If a host doesn’t scratch, a bed bug can survive on it for about three months, but the life cycle is usually about 2-3 weeks because an infested host will start scratching, which manages to remove some of the bed bugs.
If the host is an animal (dog or cat), it will remove up to 20% of bed bugs off of its body by scratching. When a bed bug is on a host, besides biting it also sucks blood, during which process it introduces its saliva and a chemical that causes an allergic reaction on skin. This creates the itching feeling. The itching feeling is actually an allergic reaction on allergens present in bed bug saliva.
Blood that bed bugs suck is partially excreted in feces which will be food for the nymphs that will develop from eggs.
Bed bugs need warmth and humidity for their growth. Moist and warm locations areperfect surroundings for a bed bug boom. Bed bug development from egg to adult insect lasts from 3-4 weeks in good conditions or 3-6 months in unfavorable conditions. If a surrounding is dry and too cold/too hot, eggs will not develop but will simply wait for more favorable conditions to start hatching.
Bed bug eggs are sticky and an adult will lay it on protected points (such as on an animal’s hair). Eggs don’t stay on the host long – after just a few hours, eggs will drop onto the ground and can usually be found in floor cracks, on the edges of furniture, pet beds, or in the backyard on the grass.Because they are microscopic, they usually stay unnoticed.

Nymphs usually hatch from eggs after 2-5 weeks. First stage nymphs are light colored, very small and an elongated shape. They move around easily, not staying still but crawling over the ground/floor (they can move about 2 feet a day!). First stage nymphs are sensitive to light, so they hide in deeper layers of carpet, beds, under a chair or bed where there is no light, etc. They feed on organic residue, such as feces of adult bed bugs, dead skin cells, etc. After 1-2 weeks the nymph will turn into a 5th stage nymph, which is the final development stage. It is very resistant to warmth, dryness and humidity. If dust attaches to a 5th stage nymph, it will not damage it because its pupae protects it from harmful outside effects, including chemicals.
Pupae are bed bug reservoirs that are difficult to destroy. Bed bugs can survive in these protective shells up to 12 months! In an appropriate moment (when the temperature is right, when there is more carbon dioxide, i.e. someone breathing nearby) they will quickly turn into an adult bed bug.

How to fight bed bug infestation

The best way to control bed bug infestation is prevention. Applying chemicals on pets will protect them from getting bed bugs in the first place – and this is the most common way that bed bugs get into our homes. When choosing a particular chemical, please consult a veterinarian that can recommend the appropriate chemical depending on the pet’s breed, age, general health condition, or if the pet has already been infested.
When bed bugs infest a home, the process of their extermination is long and demanding, and it is best to leave it to professionals because they will apply special chemicals (in liquid and dust form) that will treat the entire interior, from the floor to ceiling.
Otherwise, if you try to destroy bed bugs yourself, you might think that you have managed to clean everything, but thanks to the already described bed bug’s resistance, it is very possible that a few bed bugs might survive cleaning and washing – and this is all it takes for the entire colony to fully develop in no time. Although bed bugs alone are not that harmful, they can be carriers of dangerous diseases and infections, so don’t take bed bug infestation lightly.

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Robert Luckens

Robert is the founder of Rockypest Pty Ltd, formed at the end of 2013. Still trading as Rockingham Pest Control and Luckens Pest Control. Robert has been in the Pest Control Industry since 1988, prior to this he was in the fumigation industry for 3 years so with over 30 years experience you can be rest assured that you will receive the best possible service at all times.

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