Bed bugs are brownish, oval, small insects that feed on human or animal blood. When they reach adulthood, the bed bugs have a flat body similar in size to the seed of an apple. Just after they feed, however, they appear much redder, and they have a swollen body. It is important to be aware of bed bug symptoms and removal to help you avoid full infestations. As such, be aware that these insects don't fly, but they can move rapidly across ceilings, walls, and floors. Plus, a female bedbug is able to lay hundreds of eggs during her lifetime, and each egg is no bigger than a speck of dust. The eggs develop into nymphs, which are immature bugs. Before they reach maturity, they shed their skin five times. But before doing that, they have to feed on blood first. If the conditions are right for them, they require only one month to fully develop and start reproducing, creating at least three generations in a year.
Bed Bug Symptoms and Removal – Finding Them:
It is important to remove bed bugs not because they spread diseases, but because they are a terrible nuisance. Furthermore, their bites are very itchy and when these are scratched, they can lead to infections and scars. Hence, understanding the bed bug symptoms and removal starts by knowing where the bugs are.
They often first enter a home through fabric items, such as used couches and beds, clothes, and luggage. They have very flat bodies, which means they can get into the tiniest of spaces, even if it is no bigger than the width of a bank card. Annoyingly, these bugs do not have nests, like bees or ants do, which means they can be harder to eradicate. Rather, the bugs live in groups, sharing the same hiding place. Usually, this starts inside a box spring, mattress, headboard, and bed frame. Not only do these have lots of dark hiding places for the bugs, they also provide them with a ready supply of human blood.
Over time, the bugs will start to spread. On inspection, you will be able to find them in any unprotected location or crevice your the room. Sometimes, they spread beyond the walls of a single room as well, be that of your own home or of neighboring apartments. Bed bugs live on a diet of blood only. Hence, if you have bed bugs, it does not mean that your home is dirty. In fact, they are just as likely to be found in the home of someone with severe OCD as in the home of someone who hoards.
Bed bugs become active at night, biting when people are asleep. They pierce the skin and then use their elongated beak to suck out the blood. Each feed lasts for between three and 10 minutes, after which they crawl away. Usually, the bites are painless and it isn't until you get multiple bites that you start to notice they are there. By that time, however, your bedroom or home could already be completely infested.