Ok, let’s get the technical jargon out of the way.
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Color: Mahogany to rusty brown; red after a blood meal
Legs: Six
Shape: Flat; broad oval
Size: 1/4
Antennae: Yes
Flight: No |
Habits
Bedbugs like to travel and will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near a food supply. They are elusive, nocturnal creatures. They can hide behind baseboards, electrical switch plates, picture frames, even wall paper. They come out at night for a blood meal.
Habitat
Bedbugs like to hide in small cracks and crevices close to a human environment. They can be found behind baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, and in furniture crevices. Bedbugs get their name because they like to live and feed in beds.
Threats
Although bedbugs can dine on any warm-blooded animal, they primarily dine on humans. Bedbugs do not transmit diseases, but their bites can become red, itchy welts. |
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Prevention
Vacuum suitcases after returning from a vacation. Check your bed sheets for tell-tale blood spots. Bedbugs are elusive creatures, so it is imperative to seek professional pest control to address an infestation. |
The Bed Bug Hub: One-Stop Shop for Bed Bug Information
There’s no doubt about it: bed bugs are back! And understandably, the recent rise in the bed bug population has many people concerned. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held its first ever Bed Bug Summit on the increasing problem in 2009.
In response to the need for a central online location for bed bug information, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has created the Bed Bug Hub – your resource on everything bed bug related, from prevention tips to current news.
Bed Bug Frequently Asked Questions
1. Has there really been resurgence in bedbugs in the U.S. and how do you know?
There HAS been an increase in bedbug infestations. Our member pest control companies who received 1 or 2 bedbug calls a year are now reporting 1 to 2 each week.
2. Where have you been finding the bedbugs?
These pests are not limited to any one specific type of dwelling. Pest control companies have been reporting the infestations in multi-family housing, apartments, hotels and even hospitals.
3. What states have been affected?
Pest control companies have reported bed bug activity on a national scale. Bedbugs are being found from the East to the West Coast; and everywhere in between.
4. Why are bedbugs so hard to treat?
Bedbegs should not be equated with filth or sanitation problems — in hotels or in homes, for that matter. Bedbugs are very elusive, transient and nocturnal pests. They are often found in other areas besides the bed. And they are hardy. They can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from nearly freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Bedbugs can be controlled with vigilance and constant inspection and treatment by professional pest control companies.
5. What can a consumer do to protect themselves from bedbug infestations?
To prevent bedbug infestations, consumers need to be vigilant in assessing their surroundings. When returning from a trip, check your luggage and clothing. If you think you may have a bed bug infestation, contact a pest control professional. This is not a pest that can be controlled with do-it-yourself measures.
6. Why are bedbugs an issue for hotels, visitors, and homeowners?
Bedbugs leave itchy, bloody welts on human skin. Adult bed bugs can live for a year without eating, making them especially hard to control. Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs spread rapidly from room to room – through pipes, in vacuum cleaners, on clothing and luggage. In a hotel, bed bugs can even spread to neighboring rooms, since guests are may end up moving to another room.
7. Are bedbugs just in beds?
Bedbugs are not just in beds. They can be in chair cushions, sofas, behind electrical outlets, cracks and crevices around baseboards, or even behind picture frames. In other words, they can be live pretty much anywhere
8. How does one control bedbugs?
Any effective bedbug control strategy should start with a careful, thorough inspection by a pest control professional of all known and suspected spots where the bugs may be harboring. This is not a pest that can be controlled effectively with do-it-yourself measures. As they are discovered, the pest control professional will develop a treatment and control strategy with the customer depending on the extent of the infestation.
