HOW TO IDENTIFY BED BUGS
Appearance
Bed bugs are oval – shaped tiny pests with flattened body; their size and shape is quite similar to that of an apple seed.
A fully grown bed bug is almost 4 – 5 mm in size and possess off-white color but gradually develops dark reddish brown color as it keeps on feeding blood.
Behavior
Bed bugs are wingless and adults though have wing pads, but they aren’t developed into functional wings, thus they can’t fly. They also don’t have the ability to jump and they crawl to move around. They are quite fast and can crawl up to 4 feet in a minute. They need blood to survive and they bite humans and other animals to get it. Bed bug bites are red bumps and they usually appear in a straight line.
Signs
Bed bugs are hard to locate because of their tiny size, their hideouts in small cracks and crevices and their light colour. But still there are signs which indicate bed bugs’ infestation at your place. Check for these signs to identify any niggling pest in your premises:
- Rashes and itchiness at various spots upon waking up
- Rusty spots on bed sheets, mattresses and walls – these could be bed bugs’ excrements.
- Blood stains on bed covers or on pillows
- Offensive, nasty odor
If you spot these signs, check your beddings in daylight and keenly examine them to trace bed bugs’ presence.