Commonly Asked Questions About Bed Bugs

Good night, sleep tight; don't let the bed bugs bite

. This is a common saying that many people use without really knowing a lot about bed bugs. These bugs are not a new insect but they do come with important questions.

Q: Where are bed bugs found?

A: You can find them from NYC all the way to LA. They are prevalent in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe as well. Their prevalence in the United States is more common due to international travel. Bed bugs infested the United States before World War II. Due to improvements in hygiene and the use of DDT, a very strong pesticide, during the 1940's and 50's the bugs nearly vanished. These bugs are found in homes, apartments, hotel rooms, schools, and sometimes movie theaters. Dark places are their favorite places to hide. They can be found along the edges of a mattress, inside luggage, behind picture frames, in outlet cracks, and other warm and dark places.

Q: How do I spot a bed bug, what do they look like?

A: They are often mistaken for ticks. They are flat, oval, and wingless. Adults are brown until they consume blood, which gives them a red tint. Nymphs, or no-adults, are smaller than adults and are white or gold in color. When the nymphs feed they turn to a color similar to a mattress. When it comes to size, the adult bugs are comparable to an apple seed, around four to five millimeters. Nymphs are as small as one and a half millimeters, nearly the size of a pinhead.

Q: What does a bed bug bite look like?

A: Because no pain is felt when they bite, and we are often asleep when they feed, it is important to know what bites look like. They leave red, itchy bites on the surface of the skin. These bites are usually seen in rows along the skin. Swelling of the skin may also occur within a day or so of the bite. When their bites are scratched they may swell and spread and can also lead to infection.

Q: What do bed bugs feed on?

A: They feed on blood from animals and humans. They are only active at night and feed while we sleep. Our body heat helps them find where we are. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and adults can survive for more than a year. They feed much like a mosquito, piercing the skin with a straw-like tube. Feedings generally last about ten minutes, after which they crawl off the body and digest their food elsewhere.

by: Art Gib

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