Background
This insect has a famous history as a bloodsucker and is named due to its tendency to feed on a bed’s occupants at night. The bed bug primarily attacks humans but can feed on any warm blooded animal such as birds, mice, and pets.

Identification
Adults are just under a 1/4” long and are relatively flat, nearly as wide as long, and oval in shape compared to most other insects. The color is brown to reddish brown. The body may have short golden hairs and will exude a “sickening sweet” smell from glands on its body.

Reproduction and Biting
Female bedbugs can lay over 500 eggs over a lifetime and each bed bug will molt or shed its shell five times as it grows. If blood meals become scarce, bed bugs can slow their life process until a blood meal source is found. The saliva of the bed bug may cause a swelling or redness on most people when they are bitten but they do not leave a wound.

Habits
The bed bug is able to crawl into very small crevices in and around the human environment. These include between mattresses, seams in bed linens, upholstery, behind wood trim, inside electrical boxes, in floors, behind wallpaper, and in any other area near a blood meal that will hide a very thin insect. Note, however, that bed bugs will move distances at night for a blood meal which is why infestations occur in beds commonly, so merely washing bed linens or other infested areas might not eliminate the source.

Commonly, the first sign of bed bug infestation is the appearance of small brownish or reddish dots on bed linens. These are fecal spots or droppings on the surface of linens from these bugs. Occupants may also notice swelling where they have been bitten.

Control
The first step of control is to have us thoroughly inspect the area. This inspection is required to determine the places where the bed bugs are living. Once the inspection is complete, we will determine the proper type of control technique; treat the area and most likely return for a follow up inspection.
Of course if you suspect bed bugs please let your technician know or call our office for an evaluation.