Bed
bugs are pests of domestic animals, wild birds, and man. Climex
lectularius is the only species that attacks man. Bed bugs are most
commonly found in old hotels and boarding houses, but you can also find them in
homes, apartments, restaurants, theaters, buses and offices. They are nocturnal
insects, feeding at night and hiding in dark places during the day. Bed
bugs feed only on blood, principally that of man. The period required to obtain
a meal is anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Bed bugs are oval, flat,
wingless, and red-brown in color. Those full of blood are red and slightly
elongated. The adult is about 1/4 to 3/8 inches long.
Bedbug
infested rooms have a characteristic odor. It has been described as a musty
odor or a sweet odor. Other signs of infestation include black spots that have
been left on surfaces where the insects have been, and blood stains on
sheets and mattresses. The latter is a result of the bleeding that
sometimes occurs after the bed bug is finished feeding. Swellings may result
from bed bug bites; they are small, hard and white (not red, as with flea bites).
A
female bed bug can produce up to 200 eggs during its lifetime. It lays 3 or 4
eggs per day, cementing them in cracks and crevices nearby. The eggs are
white and are about the size of a pinhead. The nymphs take in blood before
they molt and reach maturity. This whole process takes place in 5 to 8
weeks. In cases where conditions are not ideal, maturity may be reached in
6 to 8 weeks. The adults live for up to 1-and1/2 years.
There
are several generations per year. All stages of the bed bug are usually
present within a single room.
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