Bed bugs
Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that feed off the blood of mammals and birds, typically at night. They are copper colored and wingless, but turn bright red as they feed.
Bed bugs are found in mattress seams, box springs, or in cracks and crevices near sleeping areas. As bed bugs cannot fly, they crawl or are carried by other animals, including humans. Common methods of transportation include hiding in luggage, clothes, mattresses and furniture.
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While the insects do not carry diseases, their bites will often leave a red, swollen welt that will itch. Scratching at these welts can cause infections. Not everyone who is bitten by bed bugs will develop these welts.
Detecting bed bugs can take some time if someone hasn’t been bitten. Dark fecal spots and light-brown sked skins are one way, but the best way is to remove linens from mattresses, dismantle furniture and frames and check in holes and crevices with a flashlight and magnifying glass.
If an infestation has occurred, thoroughly vacuum and wash all infested areas, including steam cleaning. A new mattress by also be necessary if the bed bugs have laid eggs. Spray approved insecticides along cracks and crevices and then sealing them if possible. If the infestation is sizable, contacting a pest control specialist is the best option.
For more on bed bugs, visit the CDC’s resource page on the insects.
(Text by Noel Kirkpatrick)
(Photo: Oldmaison/Flickr)
Articles about Bed Bugs
Wed, Dec 14 2011 at 8:20 AM EST
Hairs serve as motion detectors for alerting us to insects, like bedbugs, before they can bite us.
Tue, Dec 06 2011 at 6:54 PM EST
After nearly disappearing in the U.S., the bloodsucking pests have made a comeback in recent years thanks to inbreeding.Thu, Sep 29 2011 at 9:57 AM EST
America's obsession with bed bugs has led to a rush of entrepreneurs seeking profit from exterminating them.Thu, Sep 22 2011 at 5:16 PM EST
As more people feel the bed bug's bite, there has been a spike in sickness from pesticides used to kill the insects, the CDC reports.Wed, May 11 2011 at 3:00 PM EST
Bedbugs carry bacteria that can cause hard-to-treat infections, though the bedbugs haven't been proven to spread disease.Wed, Jan 19 2011 at 5:54 PM EST
U.S. researchers sequenced the entire genetic map of the bedbug and hope to find out how and why the pests can survive strong pesticides.Wed, Jan 12 2011 at 9:41 AM EST
Bedbugs, which are about the size of a grain of rice, nestle in furniture and bedding upholstery and are notoriously difficult to get rid of.Fri, Nov 19 2010 at 10:44 AM EST
Bedbug registry is seeing its traffic surge, and a new survey shows concern is growing.Fri, Nov 12 2010 at 9:22 AM EST
Bed bugs are the creepy-crawlies that are literally taking the nation by storm. How one company found an effective method of eradicating them.Fri, Oct 29 2010 at 12:58 PM EST
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