How to Identify Bed Bugs?
Answer:
By now, you are probably no stranger to the term bed bugs. In addition to parents telling us not to let them bite when we head to bed, they have been hitting the news quite a bit over the past few years. They are becoming more and more common in homes and commercial properties all around the country, not to mention other parts of the world. The bugs are parasites, and they use humans as their hosts. They drink our blood to sustain their own lives. While you do not need to call in Van Helsing to deal with this miniature vampire menace, you do need to be cautious.
Understanding and Identifying This Pest
Often, people do not even know that they have bed bugs in their home. They do not see them, so they believe that they do not have a problem. Bed bugs are nocturnal, just like the vampire, and they only come our during the night. They will drink your blood and then scurry back to wherever it is that they are hiding. Quite often, they are in your bed, thus the name. After all, they want to be as close to their human hosts as possible when feeding time arrives.
The bugs are small, oval and flat. They are usually only about ¼ of an inch long. The adults are brown most of the time. They can take on a reddish rusty appearance when engorged with blood though.
What to Look for with Bed Bugs
You will have some telltale signs that will let you know if you have bed bugs or not. First, you will start to notice that you have red marks that might look similar to a rash on your body when you wake. The welts often itch, and it could be a sign that you have bed bugs.
You will also want to inspect your bed sheets and other furniture for blood stains. When the bugs feed, they sometimes leave drops of blood. Crushing the bug while you sleep and roll over is possible too. This will also leave a bloodstain if they’ve fed. In addition to the blood, you will also want to look for the bug feces. This appears as small black droppings. They look similar to salt grains, except for the color. You will often find these near the seams of the mattress.
Bugs are going to shed when they grow as well, so you may be able to find the shed skins of bugs. Again, these could be in the bed or on the floor around the bed. Before you clean your room and vacuum, it might be a good idea to look for the presence of these skins.
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