Bed bugs are small, flat insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They have five immature nymphal stages and a final instar before becoming adults. Bed bugs can live in any area of a home, but they primarily reside in mattresses and furniture.
Another interesting bed bugs fact is that bed bug bites commonly cause reddish welts and itching, although some people have no reaction to bed bug bites.
Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but they are a nuisance pest and do cause psychological distress to some people as you can read from these veggedyr fakta.
The life cycle of bed bugs has five immature nymphal stages and one adult stage, which is similar to other insects with incomplete metamorphosis (hemimetabolous). The adult female lays about 200 eggs during her lifetime, depositing them into cracks or crevices near feeding sites. Eggs hatch in about one week into first instar nymphs. Nymphs grow through five molts before reaching adulthood in about five weeks.
Adults live approximately three months during which time females will produce several hundred eggs per week if given the opportunity by their hosts or if host populations are large enough for multiple females to survive long enough to lay their eggs.
Bed bug eggs are oval-shaped with a translucent white shell that turns brown once they hatch. The eggs are approximately 0.5 mm long by 0.25 mm wide at the widest point and are usually laid in batches of about 10 to 20 per batch on rough surfaces like wood or fabric that have been infested with bed bugs.
Bed bugs are nocturnal and they prefer to hide in dark areas during the day. They can also be found hiding in bedding, furniture folds, cracks and crevices around baseboards or electrical outlets. Bed bugs usually move slowly but will run quickly if disturbed by a sudden noise or movement.
Bed bug bites are small and can be difficult to see but often appear as clusters of red bumps on the skin that may itch for several days after the bite occurs. If you believe you have been bitten by bed bugs it is important to try to identify them as soon as possible so that an appropriate treatment can be administered. Bed bugs are difficult to eliminate and will often require a professional pest control application.
