Bed Bugs

This bug probably received its common name of bed bug from its close association with human sleeping beds where it often seeks refuge during daylight, only to come out to feed on the bed’s occupant(s) at night. The bed bug is an ectoparasite of primarily humans but will also attack poultry and other mammals and birds. It was introduced into the United States with the early colonists. It is found throughout the United States and the world. Female bed bugs lay 1-5 eggs per day with the 1/32" (1 mm) long, white eggs being deposited individually in cracks or on rough surfaces and secured with a transparent cement for an average total 200 eggs; maximum eggs per day is 12, with 541 for a lifetime.

Bed bugs harbor in cracks and crevices during the day and come out to feed at night. Typically they can be found around mattress buttons and beading, in boxsprings or their coverings, and in any crevice of a wooden bed frame, such as where members join. Other places to check are wall hangings such as picture frames, night stands, stuffed furniture, baseboards, floorboard cracks, behind loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, conduits, etc. In heavy infestations, bed bugs may be found in wall voids, attics, and other enclosed places. They will crawl considerable distances to obtain a blood meal. They can be introduced into a structure via used furniture or in the belongings of someone who has been living in a bed bug infested situation. Adults can survive for up to 6-7 months if they are well fed and they can feed on other animals it humans are not present. When the temperature falls below 61 °F/16°C, adults enter semihibernation andcan survive for months.