Bed Bug Facts:

Five Things You Should Know About Bed Bugs

Getting a good night’s sleep will have a positive impact on your day and give you the energy you need to accomplish your tasks. However, getting a good night’s sleep is not always as easy as it sounds, especially if you suspect that there may be bed bugs inside your home. Bed bugs are becoming one of the most common insects that homeowners come into contact with.

bed bug stains on mattress

Bed Bug Stains on Mattress (Photo Credit: Rest Easy Pest Control)

Bed bugs are most active at night time and will hide throughout the daytime hours until they feel safe enough to come out and begin feeding on a host. Bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of on your own and require the assistance of a professional bed bug exterminator company to completely remove them from your home.

Consider these bed bug facts if you think you may have bed bugs in your home.

  • Fact #1: Bed bugs are smart

Bed bugs are clever when it comes to getting inside of your home. If you suspect you may have a bed bug problem, your first thought may be; how did they even get inside?

Bed bugs can take some different avenues to gain access to your home while you are completely unaware that they have done so. One of the most common ways that bed bugs get into your home is through used furniture.

While a second-hand couch may be a great deal and look great in your living room, you want to make sure that it is clean and clear of bed bugs before carrying it across that threshold.

Another way that bed bugs get into your home is by climbing into your luggage. If you have recently been on vacation and stayed in a hotel, you may have brought bed bugs back home with you. Hotels are continually dealing with the presence of bed bugs.

  • Fact #2: Bed bugs can leave a huge and small welt where they bite

bed bug on carpet

There a few signs to look out for that bed bugs will leave behind that indicate that you’ve got a problem. Bed bugs feast on any exposed area of your skin at night while you are sleeping, often leaving behind small drops of blood.

About 50% of people react to bed bug bites, and their reactions can vary. The welts can be large and need medical cream to lessen the itching, while others can be tiny and aren’t itchy.

If you begin to wake up to bites on your exposed skin and notice small blood spots on your sheets when you wake in the morning, then you most likely have a bed bug problem.

When bed bugs are present, they also leave a musty foul odor behind as well. Bed bug body casings are also a sure sign that bed bugs are present in your home.

  • Fact #3: Bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye

While bed bugs are quite small, they are not microscopic. Eggs and the first few stages of the bed bug life cycle may be difficult to spot without a magnifying glass, but once bed bugs begin to approach adulthood, you can see them with your own eyes.

The body of an adult bed bug is often compared to the appearance of an apple seed. Adult bed bugs are flat and oval-shaped, usually dark brown. The nymphs are much more difficult to see. They are light-brown and around 1,5 mm in length.

Due to their flat shape, bed bugs often hide in crevices of furniture, mattresses and even your bed sheets, making it easy for them to begin sucking your blood once you have climbed into bed and fallen asleep.

  • Fact#4: Bed bugs are equal opportunity parasites

Bed bugs do not discriminate.  They don’t care if you’re a factory worker, a college student, or Donald Trump.  If you have a house they can hide in and blood they can ingest, then you’re fair game.  Without a doubt, bed bugs are Equal Opportunity Parasites.

So why does it seem that reports are more often found in low-income areas?  Simply because bed bug services are often expensive and time-consuming.  Low-income housing and similar areas do not have the resources to pay for bed bug services.

bed bug on couch frame

Bed Bug on Couch Frame (Photo Credit: Rest Easy Pest Control)

  • Fact #5:  Bed bugs aren’t only found in beds

The belief that bed bugs are only found in beds stems from the term “bed bugs.”  It’s even in the scientific name for the critters, Cimex lectularius (lectus is Latin for “bed”).

The exact origination doesn’t seem to be documented, but it can be assumed that it had something to do with the fact that bed bugs are nocturnal, which means that most bites would occur at night when a person would be sleeping on his or her … you got it … bed.

The truth, however, is that bed bugs can also be found in couches, chairs, walls, suitcases, or many other places.  Bed bug services have found that these parasites will live practically any place where they can find a crack or crevice to hide inside.  Beds are not exclusive.

If you suspect that bed bugs are inside of your New York home, contact Rest Easy Pest Control immediately.***