What are Bedbugs?
Bedbugs are flat and wingless insects about 0.25in. long. Like mosquitoes, they feed on blood from animals or people. The bugs range in color from almost white to brown. They turn rusty red after feeding. The bugs get their name because they like to hide in bedding and mattresses. They usually hide during the day and are active at night when they feed. They can live for 10 months, and they can go weeks without feeding. Bedbugs do not seem to spread disease to people. But itching from the bites can be so bad that some people will scratch enough to cause breaks in the skin that get infected easily. The bites can also cause an allergic reaction in some people. See a picture of a bedbug. Where can you find bedbugs? Bedbugs are found worldwide, but they are most common in developing countries. In the past, bedbugs were rare in North America and Europe, but they may be on the rise in these areas. Bedbugs are most often found in hotels, motels, hostels, shelters, and apartment complexes where
Bedbugs are small, brown, wingless parasites that feed off blood. Even though they cannot fly, they are not easily seen, as they are less than a quarter-of-an-inch (half a centimeter) long and often hide during the day. While bedbugs prefer to bite humans, they will also feed from other mammals if necessary. Bedbugs get their name from the fact they often live in unsanitary mattresses and bedding, but they can be found in other places such as carpets and cracks in walls. Although they are often found in dirty accommodation where poor sanitation is a problem, bedbugs have been known to travel in a person’s clothing or luggage to other locations. One sign of bedbugs is finding spots of blood in or around beds. Bedbugs typically leave tiny, itchy bites in orderly rows on a body. Some may notice that rooms that have many bedbugs have a sweet smell. Bedbugs are mainly prevented by good sanitation and frequent cleaning, such as regular housecleaning and washing of bedding. As bedbugs are fou
Due to their blood-feeding habits, bedbugs are a real nuisance to humans. They feed during the night on human hosts as they are fast asleep. If the infestation is high there is a slight risk of anaemia. The nuisance and itching caused by the bite however, this causing infection is a lot more common.
The common bedbug is Cimex lectularius. They are true bugs [of the order Hemiptera] in that they possess a hinged beak in the front of the head and have a stylet. The stylet is what is pushed through the skin to find a blood vessel inside. The bug sucks until it’s full, and when it’s finished it will go and hide and digest the blood. The body swells up to six times its normal size—from a flat insect to football-shaped. So are they really just found in beds? By virtue of its name, people always think bedbugs are found only in beds when, in fact, they fit anywhere their bodies can be hidden and they are as thin as a sheet of paper. They are found in all kinds of furniture, electric appliances, clock radios, computers, printers, behind pictures, books and, of course, bookcases. They are found in cracks and crevices in the wall and within walls as well as in electric outlets, wiring, pipes, plastic and metal conduits. The problem with calling them a “bedbug” is people have an infestation a
