Bed Bug Bites

Those bites might be bed bug bites. Bed bugs have made their way  back the the U.S, and it appears that no part of the country is without them. A quick web search brings up stories from New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Virginia, California, Connecticut, New York, Utah, Washington DC, their everywhere. Some of the reasons for their widespread resurgence include the ease of travel, travelers to third world countries bring them back in their luggage, clothes etc. Rent to Own centers have seen an increase in lawsuits in recent years due to bed bugs, one other way for them to be spread.

Bed bugs are reddish brown in color, oval and flat in shape about 1/4 inch long as adult. The nymphs are white in color with same appearance of adult. Eggs are white and about 1/28 inch long. The female lays up to 12 sticky eggs a day in dark cracks and crevices of furniture to which they adhere. It takes from 7 to 17 days for them to hatch. The nymph becomes an adult after 5 molts, they must feed to molt.  They prefer human blood but will feed on warm-blooded animals such a birds, bats, and pets. They live from 12 to 18 months.

Bed bugs were eradicated in the U.S. for so long that exterminators quit treating for them. They are now having to re-educate thierselves on the best way to get rid of the bugs. I noticed several sites online with kits they claim will get rid of bed bugs, most were not to expensive. If you decide to tackle the proble yourself, you should know that it will take several treatments to get rid of them. You must be persistant in treating for them, don’t think you are going to get rid of them with one treatment. If you want to get rid of your bed bug bites Click Here to read Bed Bugs Uncovered

Night night sleep tight, watch out for those bed bug bites! Did you  know that bed bugs infestations are on the rise in the U.S. They had virtually  been eradicated since the 30’s and 40’s but now they are back. DDT is believed to have helped in ridding the U.S. of the bugs and the ban of it partially responsible for their return. If DDT had not been banned they would probably have developed a resistance to it anyway.

Don’t think that you can avoid bed bugs by staying in fancy hotels, or looking at the cleanliness of a hotel. The bugs have been found in some of the most expensive hotels in the country, even in brand new mattresses. The only way to possibly avoid them when on the road is to inspect any room before staying in it. Look for rust colored spots along the seems of mattresses and box springs. Look behind the headboard if possible, a good hiding place for them.

The bed bug is about 1/4 inch long and narrow, a brownish color, it is sometimes mistaken for a tick. If you wake up in the morning with a bite don’t automatically assume that a mosquito bit you, look for bed bugs. The best way to find them is to wake up an hour or two before dawn, with lights out pull back cover of bed and shine a light on it. You may have to concentrate for a few seconds to see them against a pattern.

The good news is that even though they feed on your blood, they are not know to carry disease. That is little relief if you have an infestation and are covered with their bites. I’ll be researching the various ways to rid yourself of these pest, and will be posting my results here. Until then if you want to learn more about bed bug bites, Click Here for Bed Bugs Uncovered.