Bed Bug Faq
With Bed Bugs increasing over 500 percent in the last few years according to the National Pest Management Association, protecting your mattress and box spring with a proven, secure encasement is a critical step in keeping your environment bed bug free. We put this Faq together to educate you about Bed Bugs and how to protect those you care about from these pests.
If you have any questions about Bed Bugs or how we can protecct you from them please contact us at:
sales@slumbershield.com.
What are Bed Bugs?
Bed Bugs are small, oval-shaped, non-flying insects that belong to the insect family Cimicidae. Nymphs (juveniles) can be as small as 1.5 mm, while adults can grow to 5-7 mm in length.
What do Bed Bugs look like?
Bed Bugs have small, flat bodies. Nymphs are clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. Adult Bed Bugs are reddish brown, appearing redder after feeding. Fully engorged Bed Bugs bear little resemblance to their original state and are often thought to be a different insect altogether.
Where are Bed Bugs found?
Bed Bugs can be found in poor sanitation conditions, as well as in clean environments. Crowded living quarters also facilitate the spread of Bed Bugs. Bed Bugs can live in any area of the home – in tiny cracks in furniture, as well as on textiles and upholstery, though they tend to be most common in areas where people sleep, generally concentrated in beds, mattresses, box springs and bed frames – not on the sleeping surfaces.
Bed Bugs often reside in curtains, edges of carpets, corners inside dressers, cracks in wallpaper and inside the spaces of wicker furniture.
How do Bed Bugs feed?
Bed Bugs feed by sucking blood from humans and animals. Bed Bugs feed on the blood of human beings but can suck blood from other animals as well. Birds and mice are the most common animals. Bed Bugs most often feed at night time when people are asleep. Bed Bugs are attracted by both warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, which is what we exhale in breathing. The bugs climb up onto skin and pierce with two hollow tubes, one of which injects anti-coagulants and anesthetics. The other tube is used to withdraw blood, feeding for about five minutes before returning to their hiding places. When they feed, they inject a salivary secretion into the wound to prevent coagulation.
How long do Bed Bugs live?
A well fed bedbug can live anywhere from four to six months, while a dormant one might live without feeding for up to 18 months.
How are Bed Bugs spread?
Bed Bugs spread by crawling from any article of furniture, clothing or bedding to another and laying eggs. Bed Bugs may also be present in boxes, suitcases, or other goods that are moved between residences or from a hotel to a home. Because Bed Bugs can also live on clothing from infested homes, a person wearing infested clothes can also facilitate the spread.
How are Bed Bugs spread?
Bed Bugs spread by crawling from any article of furniture, clothing or bedding to another and laying eggs. Bed Bugs may also be present in boxes, suitcases, or other goods that are moved between residences or from a hotel to a home. Because Bed Bugs can also live on clothing from infested homes, a person wearing infested clothes can also facilitate the spread.
What are the signs/symptoms of bed bug bites?
There may be a cluster of bites instead of singular ones, and this is typically caused by disturbing the bugs while they feed, causing them to detach and return to feed momentarily. The bites can be found just about anywhere on your body, with exposed bits of skin being the preferred feeding ground for the bugs, making your face a target along with arms and legs. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur.
