Being able to identify a bed bug problem can help keep you and your family safe at home and when traveling.
Bed bugs leave dark fecal stains on mattresses and other places they infest. If you don’t see any bed bugs, you still might see their feces.
Bed bugs move through 5 stages of growth on the way to maturity. At some point during each stage they will become too large for their current exoskeleton. When that happens, they will shed their exoskeleton and grow a new one that is larger. You may see these molted exoskeletons close to where bed bugs hide.
Bedbugs are small, flat, wingless insects with six legs that, like mosquitoes, feed on blood from animals or people. They range in color from almost white to brown, but they turn rusty red after feeding. The common bedbug doesn’t grow much longer than 0.2 inches (0.5 centimeters) and can be seen by the naked eye to the astute observer. Bedbugs get their name because they like to hide in bedding and mattresses.
What Are Bed Bugs?
- Tiny insects that suck blood
- Live in dark places in your home – cracks in skirting boards, floorboards, picture frames, peeling wall paper etc
- Approx 1/5 inch long
- They don’t carry diseases
- Bites can cause itching and localised skin swelling
- Active at night
Signs Of Bed Bug Infestation
- Bites – showing as a whitish swelling
- Blood spots on sheets, mattresses
- Shed skins, eggs visible under beds, edge of mattresses, cracks of woodwork etc
How Do You Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
- Professional help from pest control companies
Why Seek Professional Help?
- Use of dangerous chemicals to eliminate the bed bugs
- They are the experts
- Years of experience
- Advice regarding chemical residues in your house
- Advice on safety for pets
Filed under What Are Bed Bugs by on Sep 26th, 2010. 1 Comment. 
