More on Bedbugs - How To Know When You Have Them

Other articles on this topic:

How To Detect Bedbugs In Your Home

How Can I Tell If I Have Bedbugs?

You may say that you regularly clean your household and there is no way that bed bugs could possibly invade your home. Wrong. Having bed bugs at home does not mean that your home is filthy. Both clean and unclean house can be infested with bed bugs. So, how would you know if you have bed bugs? I get this question a lot.

Many people do not know when they have bed bugs. They don't even know what bed bugs look like. (Try Google Images and search them) Bed bugs are 'shy' insects. They crawl out from their hiding only when you are asleep at night. Bed bugs will crawl back to their homes when finished feeding or when you move from your position.

Before you stress yourself in knowing how to kill bed bugs by yourself, get proper information, try to answer first the basic question of how to know if you have bed bugs. After that, it will be time to get rid of the bedbugs.

How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 1: Know thy bug.

Would you know a bed bug if you see one? Of course, the answer is no, unless you have experience with them or have searched out their pictures for identification. Few people these days have seen a crawling bed bug unless they are living in a bed bug infested home.

Even in hotels and motels, the bed bugs initial havens, you won't see one crawling at your bed towards your shoulders unless you wake up and turn the lights on to catch them out. As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are shy. And it won't go after you to withdraw blood from your skin even if it is hungry if you are moving. They wait until middle of the night when you are asleep or lying still.

Description of bed bugs - Bed bugs can be seen by the naked eye. Forget what your grandfather had told you that they are so small that no person can actually see them. The only reason why only a few people can see bed bugs is that bed bugs are nocturnal insects and can rarely be seen walking in daylight.

They are as small as appleseeds (which means they can be seen), reddish brown in color, oval shaped, flat and wingless. The distinctive characteristic of bed bugs is its oval-flat shape. Most bugs are rounded at the top.

-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 2: Know how they behave.

Bed bugs are nocturnal. They feed during the night, and are most active before dawn breaks.

Bed bugs can have this offensive, sweet-like, musty scent. Some people can smell this odor in a room or area that has bed bugs infestation. This is one of the best answers to question how to know if you have bed bugs. Some pest control companies have specially trained dogs that can determine a bedbug infestation in it's early stages.

Bed bugs want to be near to their hosts. So, to know if you have bed bugs, check out the area where people usually sleep. The bedroom, living room sofas and chesterfields are the usual hiding places of bed bugs. In serious infestations though, they can be found just about everywhere in the home.

-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 3: Catch one if you can and get it identified.

So the first thing to do if you suspect that you have bed bugs, check the seams and undercover of your mattress and edge lining, box spring if applicable, anything around or under your bed, night tables and headboard. You know that you have bed bugs if you can see dark reddish brown stains on these area and some shed insect skins. The dark reddish brown stain is bed bugs dried excrement.

If any female bedbugs have laid eggs, you will see some white creamy colored eggs and maybe some nymphs there. There is no need to further ask how to know if you have bed bugs if you see excrement stains and shed skins. Not to mention eggs and nymphs, this pretty much cinches it. You have a case of bedbugs.

To absolutely know if you have bed bugs and you want to catch them, try to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to be still, though it is okay to breathe. Shine a flashlight on your area and see if any bugs are advancing toward you.

If you have a bed bug infestation you will see maybe one or two bed bugs crawling towards you. Keep still. It will move toward you. Truly most people would not be able to stay still after seeing a bedbug advance in their direction so kill them if you can.

There, you got your bed bug problem diagnosed. More on treatment and preparation for treatment in the next articles.

True Or False, Proliferation Of Bedbug Articles Are HittingThe Web

The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs - Be Careful Of What Your Read

There are many written articles on bed bugs either in science journals or online. The growing interest in finding out what these creatures are, how they affect our lives and how we can stop them from spreading has lead to numerous articles on bed bugs. It seems that the internet is filled with information, some of it is very good, some of it is misinformation.

Articles on bed bugs may tackle many areas concerning bed bug biology, and just what a bed bug is and does. A physical description of the parasite can help give us differentiate it from other parasites.

Adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch long and are reddish brown in color, with oval and flat bodies. Often these articles on bed bugs provide photographs that make it easier for us to identify the insect. Actually all you have to do is to go to Google Images and use the search term "bedbug images" or pictures, and you will find all the pictures you will ever want to see.

There are a few different types of bed bugs. Aside from the common bed bug that preys on human blood, there are bed bugs that prefer animal blood like birds or bats. We are concerned only with the bedbugs that prefer human blood here.

Female bed bugs lay in hidden areas. They can give birth to 500 eggs during a lifetime that could be 10 -12 months. The eggs are very small, whitish, and may need magnification to be identified.

These eggs are sticky when first laid; making them stick to whatever surface or crack they are placed in. When they hatch, they are no bigger that a pinhead. As these bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Some articles on bed bugs say that this shedding can happen five times before becoming adults. Five stages of bedbugs before they reach adult. Ouch!

Articles on bed bugs suggest that the speed of bed bug’s development rely on the right temperature, about 70 - 90° F. At that rate they can complete their transition from eggs to adult bugs in a month.

Cool temperatures and limited access to a prey can delay the full maturity of the bed bugs. Immature Bed bugs can survive months at a time, even though they are not feeding. They do need a blood meal to change from one stage to another. Adult bedbugs can even stay alive for a year or more without a blood meal. Some suggest up to 18 months but I haven't seen any science on that.

Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures. As parasites, they move unnoticeably within our homes, furniture, carpets, bed, etc. mostly at night.

Bed bugs are very patient parasites. When the bed bugs feed, they pierce the human skin with their beaks and suck the blood through. They get engorged after three to ten minutes. Most people do not wake up from a bed bug bite. There is a numbing agent used by the bedbugs so we do not feel the initial piercing.

The most helpful articles on bed bugs are the ones that show us how to detect these pests in our homes. One sure sign that there are bed bugs under the sheets are dark brownish stains and spotting on the mattress. This is their excrement, droppings, or is otherwise known as their poop.

The physical manifestations of a bed bug bite can be mistaken for other types of insects, such as fleas, or mosquitoes. But if tiny drops of blood on the sheets, pillowcases or walls accompany the itchy, swelling welt on your exposed skin, then you just may be sleeping with this pest in your bed.

Once you have confirmed that bed bugs do exist in your mattress, many articles on bed bugs strongly suggest that you throw your bed away. This is not always necessary!

There are many options that are less expensive than discarding you mattress and box springs. We will get into these in more detail as some of these descriptions will take a whole article to discuss the alternatives.

Where one bed bug lives usually there are hundreds more. It always depends on the length of time you have had this issue. You may want to hire professional pest control to check your entire home for any infestation if you are not sure.

It pays to get the right information just like reading the right articles on bed bugs. Be careful where you get your information. We will investigate this pest further and in greater detail in future articles.

Bedbugs Are Here Again . . .

Received a newsletter from InfoBreaks Solutions and they had an interesting video about Bedbugs and how they can seek you out.

The video is from the National Geographic channel who did a piece about bedbugs and how the bedbug has returned from obscurity.

I thought it might be interesting for you to watch. Here it is, by the way if you are squeamish about insects, especially bedbugs crawling over your flesh, you might just give this video a pass.



There is more great information coming on bedbugs biology, bedbug habitat, bedbug control, bedbug history, and how to inspect for bedbug problems. Bedbugs are getting to be a serious problem in most large North American cities.

How to Detect Bed Bugs in Your Home

How to Detect Bed Bugs in Your Home
By Ben Anton

A resurgence of Cimex lectularius, better known as the common bed bug , has turned playful bedtime sendoffs into truly fearful warnings.

This resurrection can largely be attributed to the halt in using the pesticide DDT that nearly eradicated bed bugs in the United States in the 1950s, leaving little to no defense against the uprising miniscule offenders today. Adding to this effect is the fact that bed bugs are nocturnal in nature, preying on sleeping people across the world.

They feed on human blood, leaving only a trail of red itchy welts or localized swellings on the skin as calling cards of their appearances.

While red marks may be an indication of an infestation, they are definitely not a confirmation. Finding these critters is no easy task, as they are approximately 4-5 mm in length with a flattened form, allowing them to hide in crevices and creases with ease.

While often found hiding all over the house, their favorite spot to conceal themselves–in the event that a mattress cover or pillow cover are not being used–is in or around the bed, hence their name. Being so close to their primary food source gives them the opportunity to feed every 5-10 days, though they are able to live up to 18 months without eating. .

A bed bug will dine on human blood for approximately 5-15 minutes before it will be fully engorged, more than tripling its size. This change has been known to cause misidentification as it becomes round in shape, different from its naturally flat shape.

Additionally, when it is an adult it becomes brown in color, except after feeding when it takes on a dark red hue due to the intake of human blood.

Because of their miniscule size and innate ability to hide, bed bugs can enter the home in a multitude of ways, including any type of object that can be transferred from one home, apartment, condo, hotels, etc., to another.

This transferability, coupled with their hyperactive reproduction, allows their wrath to be widespread very quickly, especially in homes that are older or have many cracks and crevices, messy cluttered homes, and homes where mattresses or pillows are not covered with some sort of allergen-reducing encasements.

To get a feel of their ability to infest an entire house, here are some reproduction facts:

•Females lay eggs in clusters of 3-5 in just one day
•The eggs are whitish in color, pear shaped and approximately 1 mm in length
•A female will lay up 500 eggs during her lifetime
•Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks time
•In one year’s time, three generations of can be produced
•Newly hatched nymphs—as they are called–begin to feed on human blood immediately
•Nymphs are colorless and the size of a pinhead
•A nymph will go through five molting stages before becoming a full adult, feeding during each stage

Though these wingless vampires have been known to be brimming with pathogens—hepatitis B and plague included—they have not been shown to be a transmitter of disease. Unlike mosquitoes, they are not thought of as being a medical threat, making them more of an annoyance then anything else.

Some people try to live with bed bugs in their lives, though they often are covered with welts and scars from scratching all over their bodies.

No distance is great enough to be protected once they have entered your home. They have been known to travel over 100 feet on their own to feed, making merely disinfesting your bed and using mattress and pillow covers a futile act.

In order to be fully rid of these pests, a home needs to be thoroughly cleaned, ensuring that every crease, crevice, floorboard, outlet and corner has been cleaned and rid of them and their eggs.

Furthermore, every hole and crack should be filled and caulked, leaving little to no room for already existing eggs to penetrate the home. Once your house is rid of infestation, you should use a complete, zippered mattress encasement, a complete zippered pillow encasement, and a zippered encasement for your box spring.

This traps any existing critters inside, essentially permanently removing them from their food source, and disallowing new bugs from hiding in their beloved hotbeds.

-Ben Anton, 2007

Want to learn more about how to prevent bed bugs in your home? Visit the CleanRest website to view a wide selection of mattress covers and other allergen-reducing encasements.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Anton

Bed Bugs? How Can I Tell If I have Bedbugs?

Bed Bugs - the Blood Sucking Pest

Bed Bugs; they are everywhere. One can encounter articles on bed bugs to the left and right; in science journals and online. Why is everyone so interested in bed bugs? Because they are pests, and if we have them in our homes, thus we need to know what they are and more importantly, how to get rid of them.

The first type of articles on bed bugs that you may encounter describes what a bed bug is. A physical description of the parasite can help give us differentiate it from other parasites. Thus, F.Y.I., adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch long and are reddish brown in colour, with oval and flat bodies. Often these articles on bed bugs provide photographs that make it easier for us to identify the insect…though harder to keep our dinner down.

According to various experts on bed bugs, there is not just one type of bed bug…no, there are many different types of bed bugs. Bad news. Aside from the common bed bug that preys on human blood, there are bed bugs that prefer animal blood like birds or bats.

To allow a better understanding, articles on bed bugs offer a glimpse of the creature’s life cycle. Female bed bugs take their eggs and lay in hidden areas. They can give birth to 500 eggs during a lifetime. The eggs are very small, whitish, and may need magnification to be identified.

Ready for more in depth knowledge on bed bugs? Eggs are sticky when first laid; making it stick to whatever surface they are placed. When they hatch, they are no bigger that a pinhead. As these bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Some say that this shedding can happen five times before becoming adults.

Experts on bed bugs suggest that the speed of the bed bug’s development rely on the right temperature, about 70 - 90° F. At that rate they can complete their transition from eggs to adult bed bug in a month.

Cool temperatures and limited access to a prey can delay the full maturity of the bed bugs. However, this does not mean that they die easily. Bed bugs have been compared to cockroaches in resilience. Bed bugs can survive months at a time not feeding. The adults can even stay alive for a year or more without a blood meal.

Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures. As parasites, they move unnoticeably within our homes, furniture, carpets, bed, etc… Although they can’t fly, they are very quick insects and can move with ease through almost every surface.

Bed bugs are patient parasites. When the bed bugs feed, they pierce the human skin with their beaks and suck the blood through. Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs take their time in feeding. They get engorged after three to ten minutes. This slow method could be the reason why people do not wake up while the bedbug is actually biting.

The most helpful articles on bed bugs are the ones that show us how to detect these pests in our homes. One sure sign that there are bed bugs under the sheets are dark brownish satins and spotting on the mattress. Experts on bed bugs identify this as the pest’s excrement or droppings.

The physical manifestations of a bed bug bite can be mistaken for other types of insects. But if tiny drops of blood on the sheets, pillowcases or walls accompany the itchy, swelling welt on your exposed skin, then you just may be sleeping with a pest on your bed.

Once you have confirmed that bed bugs do exist in your mattress, most experts strongly suggest that you throw your bed away. Spraying pesticides on the bed may be poisonous for the owner, if he intends to sleep on it afterwards.

Where one bed bug lives, there are hundreds more. Since articles on bed bugs say that bed bugs are hard to spot, you may want to hire pest control to check your entire home for any infestation. These bed bugs may also be living in your pet’s day bed or doghouse and are mistaken for ticks.

by Nat Price

Nat Price is the owner and creator of Superzyme.com. He is a veritable expert on bed bugs and, more importantly, how to get rid of them. To find out more about these pesky creatures, visit http://www.superzyme.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nat_Price

Yikes, Bedbugs!!!

BED BUGS! by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist

Most householders of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they also were a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and '50s, the bugs all but vanished.

The pests remained prevalent, though, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, Central/South America and Europe. In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly being encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, dormitories, shelters and modes of transport.

International travel and immigration have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in this country. Changes in modern pest control practice - and less effective bed bug pesticides - are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

Description and Habits - Pictures and Continued Here