Date Posted: January 25, 2016
Category: Bed Bugs
How did this happen? How did my home go from being free of bed bugs to having hundreds and even thousands in a few months? Bed bugs can easily be brought into the home without one being aware of when or how they arrived. They may have come back with you from that dream vacation you just enjoyed. It is also possible that they just happened to come along with your guests that you invited to stay the weekend.
Regardless of how they got there, bed bugs have the ability to reproduce at a rapid pace. A bed bug has an approximate life span of 12 to 18 months. They can lay eggs daily with the eggs hatching in approximately 10 days. It takes about 60 days for the nymph to develop into adulthood. You now have numerous bed bugs laying eggs daily, reaching anywhere from 5000 to 10,000 in four months. One single pregnant female can multiply into 5000 bed bugs in just a matter of months.
While these estimates of reproduction are based on optimal conditions, it is easy to see how quickly a bed bug infestation can get out of hand, even in less than optimal conditions. The female, in order to continue laying eggs and producing, must have access to a blood meal at least every 14 days. The nymphs must also have blood in order to molt and move into the next level of level of development. Unfortunately, this converts into many hungry bed bugs looking for a blood meal from any human in which they come in contact.
The key to preventing a bed bug infestation begins with having the knowledge to identify signs of a presence of bed bugs. These reddish brown bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are rather flat and oval shaped. Soon after a blood meal, they will lose that flat appearance and become more rounded and red. The eggs are very difficult to see with the naked eye. In addition to looking for an adult bed bug, watch for shed skins and tiny fecal spots and small spots of blood. The best place to look is in the edges of the mattress and on bed sheets.
Bed bugs are nocturnal and able to hide in the tiniest of cracks or crevices. This makes it even more difficult to discern their presence. They will burrow down into the carpet, hide behind wall paper, crawl inside wall receptacles and inside light switch covers, and find other places to hide. An infestation of these pests is not easily corrected with the do it yourself approach. Almost always, the services of professional pest control service, like Big Blue Bug, will be needed to eradicate bed bugs.
Rhode Island residents should contact us here at Big Blue Bug Solutions at the first hint of bed bugs. The faster we get moving on a potential bed bug infestation the better. We know all about bed bugs with our more than 75 years of experience and knowledge you can trust us to quickly, discreetly and thoroughly solve your bed bug issues.
