What are bed bugs (bedbugs)?
Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They’re known as bed bugs because they like to nest in beds and feed on the blood of sleeping people. Although bed bugs have not been proven to transmit any disease, their bites can cause itchy welts on the skin.
What do bed bugs look like?
Adult bed bugs grow to 4–5 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide (about the size of an apple seed), with a small head and larger oval-shaped body. Newly hatched bed bug nymphs are tiny (1 mm) and cream colored. They are about the size of the letters on a penny.
Why are bed bug reports on the rise?
Once a common problem in homes and businesses, bed bugs largely disappeared from the U.S. when modern insecticides were introduced after WWII. Since the late 1990s, bed bugs have come back strongly and infestations have been found across the country, but the reasons for this resurgence are not clearly understood. Factors such as increased international travel and immigration have likely contributed to the rapid spread of infestations.
What are typical signs of bed bugs?
Signs of bed bugs include bite symptoms, small brown (fecal) spots on bedding and small blood smears on sheets. Small translucent bed bug eggs may be found in tucks and folds of the mattress and box spring, behind headboards, along baseboards and any other site bed bugs are hiding.
Where are bed bugs found?
Bed bugs are mostly found where people like to rest or sleep. About 70% of any bed bug infestation is found to be associated with the bed, and furniture, pictures and baseboards next to the bed. Bed bugs hide in cracks, folds, tucks and voids in and around these areas. The second most common bed bug harborage is upholstered furniture, while a small percentage of any bed bug population may be scattered throughout a room.