Where Do Bed Bugs Come From - Everything You Need to Know
We all like to fall asleep knowing we are safe in our beds. But if you have a bed bug infestation, these pests could be waiting for you to fall asleep so they can feed on your warm blood. Of all the pests that can get into your home, bed bugs are by far the most annoying and hardest to get rid of. Most of us have never seen a bed bug, let alone know what one looks like. Here is everything you need to know about bed bugs.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
The most common way bed bugs gain entry into your home is through furniture or clothing that is already infested. Bed bugs can also be picked up in theaters, public transportation, airports, cruise ships, clothing stores, libraries, and hotels.
How to Find Bed Bugs During the Day
Although bed bugs are most active at night, they can be found during the day if you look hard enough. Since bed bugs love to feed on human blood while we sleep, the best place to start looking is the bedroom. Common hiding places include:
- Behind dressers
- Behind headboards
- In seams of mattresses
- On the wood frame of the box springs
- Along the tops of baseboards or the edge of carpeting
- Behind pictures
- At electrical outlets
- In curtain seams
You can also check for signs of bed bugs such as tiny blood spots on sheets and pillows and shed exoskeletons.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Although bed bugs are tiny, they can be seen with the naked eye. In order for you to control bed bugs you need to know how to spot them. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown and are about the size and shape of a watermelon seed.
What Do Baby Bed Bugs Look Like?
Immature bed bugs are the most difficult stage to see with the naked eye. The first instar that hatches from the eggs are so small that they are difficult to see unless they are moving or have recently fed. Baby bed bugs are translucent or white-yellow in color and about the size of the head of a pin.
How Big Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs look different depending on how recently they have had a meal. If an adult bed bug has not eaten recently, it is approximately 4mm long, oval-shaped, and flat. After they feed they can swell up like a balloon and grow to 7mm long.
What Attracts Bed Bugs
The short answer is bed bugs are attracted to humans. Specifically the carbon dioxide we exhale and the warmth of our bodies. Bed bugs like to hide in soft materials and in crevices of furniture where they lie in wait. Many people think that a dirty home attracts bed bugs but that is a misconception. Clutter can make it easier for bed bugs to hide and multiply which is why you should limit the places these pests can hide.
Get Rid of Bed Bug For Good!
It is hard to fight an unseen enemy. Once bed bugs infiltrate your home, they can multiply at an alarming rate, making eliminating them an uphill battle. Thankfully the pest control experts at Big Time Pest Control have years of experience dealing with bed bug infestations.