BED BUGS

Bed bugs can be up to 3 to 5mm long. They have a wide and broad oval-build, with a 3-segmented beak, 4-segmented antennae, and degenerate wings. The bodies are thin and flattened covered with small hairs.. Prior to feeding, bed bugs appear translucent or pale while after feeding their colours can range from brown, reddish-brown, to red. Adult male bed bugs have pointed abdomen tips while females are rounded and broad. Adult females also have a recognizable groove on the underside of their abdomen.

GROUPING:

Bedbugs tend to live in groups, usually inhabiting areas that their host will sleep or rest, however bed bugs can also migrate from more predictable  to other areas of the house. As the population of bed bugs increase the likelihood of them being found in unpredictable areas away from the host feeding location.

DIET:

Bed bugs primary feed on the blood of birds, bats, and humans, but also have been observed feeding on other creatures. 

LIFECYLE:

Bed bugs develop by gradual metamorphosis going from egg to nymph to adult. Under optimal conditions with between 75% to 80% humidity and 20°C to 30° C the life cycle of a bed bug usually takes up to four to five weeks. Per year up to four generations of bed bugs may come. Bed bugs require at least one meal of blood during each developmental stage between molts.

Feeding also must happen before mating as males will actively seek out females who have been recently fed. After mating, female bed bugs lay one small cream-coloured egg, roughly 1 mm long, which are attached with cement-like material and can take up to six to ten days to hatch. A female usually lays two to five eggs every day and can lay between 200 and 500 eggs in her lifetime.

Under standard room temperature and satisfactory meal supply, bed bugs will generally live up to 316 days.

Being one of the most common pests in Canada, it is strongly advised to be able to identify the bite of a bed bug.

Bed bugs have been found to be infested by at least 27 human pathogens but it has never been biologically proven that these pathogens can be transmitted from pest to host. The bite of a bed bug is primarily painless which is a large reason why bed bugs can go undetected for long periods of time. Bed bugs do not need to feed everyday and can go days to weeks without a blood meal, and with their nocturnal feeding habits thus can make tracking them difficult. 

Bite symptoms mainly occur on the areas of the body that are exposed when the host is asleep. Commonly but not limited to the legs, arms, face, and neck. Immature bed bugs will generally feast on the host for three to five minutes while adults may take up to ten to twenty minutes. Although mostly the bite of a bed bug is undetectable while feeding, the proteins in their saliva can initiate a developing sensitivity to repeated bites. The first time a person is bitten will most likely show no reaction, and if there it it will be delayed from the first bite to the development of the bite symptoms, perhaps a few days to a week to much later. Many people, however, will never react to bites at all.

For the people who do react to bed bug bites the symptoms can vary. The bite marks may appear as itchy welts accompanied by or a rash. Typically small red dots will appear on the skin where the bed bugs feasted. For the people who are allergic, they possibly will develop oblong or oval bumps that are extremely itchy and swollen.

The true biological threats posed by beg bug bites are secondary infections and emotional difficulties of the host.

Secondary infections can occur if contaminated feces of an undigested blood meal of the bed bug enters into an open cut or abrasion. In several cases, those who are repeatedly bitten develop a sensitivity syndrome which entails nearly constant agitation, nervousness, jumpiness, and sleeplessness. This syndrome is often cured with the removal of the bed bugs or relocation of the person.

Bed bugs are a unique pest in the way that they are not considered a pest of medical significance, but the way their presence is more serious than their bite. Experiencing a bed bug infestation can be a emotionally daunting experience. Compared to other blood-sucking pests such as fleas, bed bugs have a peculiar affect on people. What essentially makes bed bugs unique is their late-night-snack feeding patterns, only feasting at night when their hosts are asleep, and not much can be done to stop them. This vulnerability and helplessness is what causes so many home owners such emotional difficulties when dealing with an infestation.

The common misconception is that bed bugs usually sprout due to unsatisfactory or bad hygiene or poverty. This belief is strongly misleading as most pest reports come from hotels, apartment or large housing units, and private residences.

Bed bugs can move about the infested areas such mostly beds and padded furniture, but some have been found in much more unpredictable areas such as in books and coffee makers. With mostly undetectable bites and sporadic movements, a bed bug infestation will require professional intervention. As a pest such as this one is difficult to deal with without the proper services.

Bed bugs are a difficult pest to eradicate so early detection is crucial to quickly and effectively eliminating them before they can establish themselves. 

So what can you do to protect yourself against bed bugs? Precautions you can take are:

1. Avoid purchasing second-hand items such as furniture without a thorough inspection beforehand.
2. New furniture or bedding should also be inspected thoroughly when delivered in case the items are infected as the delivery vehicle could have been infected.
3. Be careful when leasing or renting furniture.
4. When returning from travel, college campuses, or sleepovers at friends or relative's houses, be extra cautious.

The most important tool against infestation is knowledge. Understanding how to deal with or prevent bed bugs can decease the likelihood of your home becoming infected drastically, because most infestations usually occur due to the lack of knowledge.