Ptbo. Pest Control Services by C.H.S.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known because it prefers to feed on human blood.

 

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.

 

A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites,

including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.

They are not known to transmit any pathogens as disease vectors.

Certain signs and symptoms suggest the presence of bed bugs; finding

the insects confirms the diagnosis.

 

Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years.

At a point in the early 1940s, they were mostly eradicated in the developed

world, but have increased in prevalence since 1995, likely due to pesticide

resistance. Because infestation of human habitats has been on the

increase, bed bug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well.

​

Quick Bed Bug Facts:

 

• Once fertilized a female will lay 3 - 4 eggs every few days. (300-500 lifetime).
   

• The eggs will hatch into nymphs in two weeks at room temperature.
   

• It takes an average of 6-8 weeks to grow from an egg to an adult.
   

• As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching maturity.
   

• A blood meal is needed between each successive molt.
   

• On average adults live for ten months to one year.
   

• Bed bugs do not stay on humans normally but return to their hiding places after feeding, but if there is a heavy infestation, they might get into clothing and be transported.
   

• They will "bite" multiple times at a feeding resulting in typical multiple bites in a line or a cluster.
   

• Bed bugs are known to be capable of carrying up to 27 different pathogens such as Hepatitis B and HIV. Transmission to humans is considered unlikely. Fortunately, there has never been a documented case of transmission to humans by bites. There is a risk of infection caused by people scratching bites that can become infected. Bed bugs have been known to cause anemia in extreme cases.​

​