Finding Bed bug eggs might be the first sign that you find of an infestation. Bed Bugs have made a major comeback around the world. This is even though they were mostly killed after WW2 through the use of DDT.

There are a lot of reasons that these nasty bugs have returned. They include less potent pesticides and easier mobility with people traveling more.

Whatever the reasons bed bugs are back. You can find them anywhere there are people. This includes common areas like homes, apartments, and condos. But it can also include hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, and hotels. BedBugs And Traveling

What Are Bed Bug Basics

Bed bugs are very small. They are brownish pests that feed on the blood of animals. T]While they prefer feeding on humans but it will also bite other warm-blooded animals like dogs, cats, birds, and rodents.

They have been around a long time. Bed Bugs have even been mentioned in medieval European texts and classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle. 

Identify Bed Bugs

Adult bed bugs are small in size. They are about 3/16-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies.

These bugs are often mistaken for other bugs including ticks, or other small household insects. An immature bed bug (nymphs) looks like the adults. They are just smaller and lighter in color.

Bed bugs are different from other bugs like fleas. They get around by crawling rapidly around floors, walls, and ceilings.

How Long Do Bed Bugs Live

The average bedbug will live for about ten months. This will vary depending upon the temperature. Even in an ideal temperature-controlled building, a typical duration without feeding is about 1 to 4 months.

Bed Bug Eggs

BedBugs spread by laying eggs. An adult female can lay two or more eggs every single day. Over their life, a female can lay hundreds of eggs.

These eggs are tiny, about the size of a speck of dust. To see them you might need to use a flashlight and maybe even some type of magnification. The female lays the eggs in hidden spots in the seams of your bed or cracks of your furniture.

The eggs, when laid, are sticky and adhere to surfaces until they hatch in about a week. These bed bug eggs are also extremely hard to treat.

Because of this treatments must be redone to kill these newly hatched bugs.

Bed Bugs Growing

Newborn bugs are called nymphs To grow they need blood meals. They grow by molting, a process during which they shed their skins and grow into a new larger shell. This can happen up to five times before they reach maturity. A blood meal is needed between each molt. If all conditions are favorable this nymph to adult phase can take as little as a month. Cooler temperatures or lack of access to blood meals can slow that process down.

BedBugs are also resilient. They can last for months without eating, making these bugs especially problematic. They can survive lower temperatures for extended periods of time. Because of this trying to starve them by leaving a unit vacant won’t work. They might also just migrate to another nearby unit.

These bugs feed mostly at night when we are asleep. They don’t move much as long as feeding is nearby. During the day they hide close to their prey and wait for their next meal. They have a flat body that’s smaller than a toothpick.

Bed Bugs Signs

BedBugs don’t have nests like other bugs but tend to hide out in the same hidden areas. These areas will be close to their food including mattresses and bed frames.

But they can also crawl as much as 20ft or more in search of a meal. Failure to take this into account when treating can cause it to fail.

If you look closely in these areas around your bed you’ll see signs of an infestation. One of these is minute spotting which is dried excrement. You might also see bed bug eggs and skins that are shed as nymphs develop.

Bed Bug Blood Smears

Another possible sign is the reddish blood smears on your bed sheets or mattresses from blood-engorged bed bugs that have been crushed. When you move during your sleep at night you can crush the bugs and leave smears.

If the infestation is large enough you might even notice a sweet smell from the bugs.

Night Feeders

Bed bugs bite people at night while they are sleeping. But in larger infestations, hungry bed bugs may also feed during the day.

How Do Bed Bugs Feed

A bedbug feeds by piercing the skin and sucking blood through an elongated beak. The feeding lasts for between 3 and 10 minutes before they crawl away.

Symptoms after the bites can vary from person to person. The bites are usually painless at first but they can turn into itchy welts later. Other times people have no reaction. Many times these welts are the only visible sign of an infestation. Once the bugs feed they usually crawl away to a more secluded area to digest their meal.

Studies that were conducted in bed bug-infested apartments showed that about 30 percent of people have no reaction to the bites. This can cause infestations to go for long periods before being noticed. These bed bug bites happen on any exposed skin while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, etc.).

Traveling or acquiring used beds/mattresses or furnishings can increase your chances of getting bed bugs. Bed bugs should also be suspected if you wake up with itchy welts.

Do Bed Bugs Transmit Diseases

A common concern with bed bugs is whether or not they transmit diseases. The bugs can harbor various pathogens that they collect along with their blood feedings. But transmission to humans has not been proven and is considered unlikely.

Their medical significance is mainly itching and inflammation from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids can be used to reduce allergic reactions.

Though not known to transmit diseases, bed bugs can reduce the quality of life by causing discomfort, sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment. Living with BedBugs can add a lot of stress and have a significant impact on the emotional health and well-being of people. 

Treating For Bed Bugs

Usual insect repellents used to deter other pests do not appear to be as effective against bed bugs. Sleeping with the lights on is also not likely to deter hungry bed bugs. They will just adjust their feeding cycle to the host’s sleep patterns. 

The most important thing to remember about bed bugs is that any treatment plan should include retreating as the eggs hatch. This can take a week to ten days or more depending upon the temperatures.