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Bed Bugs |
| Bedbugs came to America from
Europe in the 17th century. They like to suck human blood and
get their name because they like to live and feed in beds.
Although bedbugs can dine on any warm-blooded animal, they
primarily dine on humans. Female bedbugs can lay over 500 eggs
in a lifetime. |
| Bedbugs are only a quarter inch
long and are a reddish brown color. They like to hide in small
cracks and crevices close to a human environment. Bedbugs like
to travel and will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near
a food supply. |
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The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, is the
species most adapted to living with humans. It has done so since ancient
times. Bedbugs are mentioned, for example, in medieval European texts
and in classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle. Other
bedbug species prefer to feed on wild hosts, especially bats and birds.
Adult bedbugs are about 1/4 inch long and reddish brown, with oval,
flattened bodies. The immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are
smaller and somewhat lighter in color. bedbugs do not fly, but can move
quickly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces. Female bedbugs
lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing up to five a day and 500
during a lifetime. The eggs are tiny, whitish, and hard to see without
magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust spec). When
first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to substrates.
Newly hatched bedbugs nymphs are no bigger than a pinhead. |
| As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching
maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Under
favorable conditions (70 - 90° F), the bedbugs can complete development
in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year.
Cool temperatures or limited access to a blood meal extends the
development time. Bed bugs are very resilient. Nymphs can survive months
without feeding and the adults for more than a year. Infestations
therefore are unlikely to diminish by leaving premises unoccupied.
Although C. lectularius prefers feeding on humans, it will also bite
other warm-blooded animals, including pets. |
| Bedbugs are active mainly at night. During the daytime, they prefer
to hide close to where people sleep. Their flattened bodies enable them
to fit into tiny crevices - especially those associated with mattresses,
box springs, bed frames, and headboards. Bedbugs do not have nests like
ants or bees, but do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places. |
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Bedbugs Bites |
| The bite of a bedbug has certain features, including |
| Large wheals |
| The bites are made in orderly rows |
| Itchiness |
| Reddening of the skin |
| Localized swelling |
| Formation of blisters |
| Occasionally, small loss of skin tissue |
| The wheal reduces to a red mark, which then
gradually fades over the next few days |
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We are bedbug experts.
Selection of pest control professionals -- Due to their absence from
North America for several decades, not all exterminators are familiar
with extermination techniques for bedbugs. Those who are unfamiliar with
bedbug extermination techniques may attempt to use ineffectual
techniques, such as fumigation. Care must thus be taken when selecting
an exterminator, in order to select a professional that knows how to
conduct proper bedbug removal |
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Call to discuss any other information or to schedule
an appointment |
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