BED BUG FACTS
- Adult bed bugs are similar in shape to seeds found in an apple, but are smaller.
- Adult bed bugs area bout 1/8 inch long with reddish-brown, oval, flattened bodies
- Babies resemble the adults but are smaller and somewhat lighter in color.
- Bed bugs feed solely on the blood of animals, including humans and pets.
- People seldom know they are being bitten.
- Bite symptoms vary from an itchy welt or localized, red swelling to little or no reaction.
- Disease transmission by bed bugs to humans is considered highly unlikely
- Bed bugs do not fly but can move rapidly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces.
- Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing up to 5 a day and up to 500 during their lifetime.
- Eggs are whitish and hard to see on most surfaces without magnification.
- Eggs are about the size of a dust speck and sticky, causing them to stick to surfaces.
- Newly hatched babies are no bigger than a pin head.
- As they grow, bed bugs shed their skin 5 times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed each time they shed.
- Under favorable conditions (70 – 90 degrees F.) bed bugs can complete development in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year.
- Babies can survive months without feeding and adults more than a year.
- Bed bugs are active mainly at night. During the day they prefer to hide close to where people sleep.
- Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees but tend to gather together in habitual hiding places.
- Clutter is a major barrier to controlling bed bugs.
