What do bedbugs look like? Bedbugs are brownish small insects that are oval in shape and they live on blood, be it of animals or human beings. An adult bedbug will be having a flat body and be the size of an apple seed. But after feeding on blood their body gets bloated and become reddish in colour. Bedbugs cannot fly, but they move around quickly on any floorings, walls and ceilings. A female bedbug lays hundreds of eggs in their entire lifetime. Therefore if they are present in any place, they multiply very fast. The small eggs that the female bedbugs lay are as small as a speck of dust. Bedbugs are known to shed their skin five times before they reach their maturity. These immature bedbugs are known as nymphs. Bedbugs have to feed on blood before each shedding of skin. If they are surviving in favourable conditions, bedbugs can grown completely in almost a month and are capable of producing around 3 generations and at times even more in one single year. Bedbugs are a nuisance and it can be a task to get rid of them. Since, they multiply in large numbers in a very short period of time. But they do not transfer any diseases. Where do bedbugs hide? Bedbugs can enter a house through various sources like luggage, clothes, used beddings, sofas and other items. Due to their flat structure it becomes very easy for them to hide in any small space and they go unnoticed. Bedbugs do not make their nest like ants, but they always live in groups in different hiding places. They mostly hide in mattresses, bed frames, and sofa frames. They hide in such places where they cannot be seen easily and from where they get easy and quick access to people. With time they will spread to different locations in the house like any wooden furniture, cracks in the wall wherever they get a secured place to hide and bite people. They will spread to the nearby rooms and neighbourhood apartments if not controlled in time. The presence of bedbugs has nothing to do with dirt or hygiene. They can survive and spread in any location as long as they can feed on blood. When do bedbugs bite? Bedbugs are usually very active in the night when the people are asleep. Bedbugs pierce the skin of the person and suck the blood out with their beak. They usually feed for around 3 – 10 minutes and get full and bloated. Once they are full they go back to their hiding place without being noticed.
The bedbug bites appear on the person’s skin and these bites tend to be painless in the beginning but gradually become itchy. Bedbug bites can be on any part of the body that is exposed while asleep. Many a time’s people are not aware of the presence of bedbugs in their house and they may assume that the itching and marks on the skin is due to mosquitoes. To be aware that they have bedbug bites, it is important to look for bugs in the house. What are the signs of bedbug infestation? If one notices itchy red marks on the skin which was not on their skin before they went to sleep, it is possible that they have bedbugs in their house. This is more likely if one has bought a second hand bed, sofa or any other furniture around the same time one started noticing these bites on the skin. Some of the other signs of bedbugs are;
Blood marks on the bed sheets and pillow covers
Dark spots which is the bedbug excrement on the bed sheets, bedding, pillows and walls
Bedbug shells and spots in places where they hide like corners of the bed, cracked walls etc.
Unpleasant smell from the scent glands of the bedbugs
If there are signs of bedbug infestation, it is better to check all the locations where they can hide like the bed, mattresses, carpet edges, electric outlets, cupboards etc. How to get rid of bedbugs? The first step to get rid of bedbugs is thoroughly cleaning the places where the bedbugs can hide. This will include the following;
Clean with hot water the bed sheets, curtains, clothes, pillow covers, cushion covers etc. and dry them with the highest dryer settings. Also dry for around half an hour items that cannot be washed like shoes, stuffed toys etc.
Make use of a firm brush to scrub the mattress and then use a vacuum cleaner to clean it properly.
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the bed, corners on the wardrobe, sofa sets, and carpets regularly.
Enclose the mattress with a cover that is tightly zipped to prevent the bedbugs from spreading to other locations and feeding on people. They can survive for a year without feeding, so encase the mattress for at least a year to be sure that the bedbugs are dead and will not
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spread once again. If one feels there is a lot of beg bug infestation in the mattress, one can get rid of it and replace it with a new one. But only after confirming that the bedbugs are removed from the other parts of the house. Cover the cracks on the wall. Avoid keeping too much stuff near the bed as this will give the bedbugs more place to hide and multiply. Make use of chemical treatments which are available for completely getting rid of bed bug infestation. One can also call pest control professionals for bed bug extermination.