Do Bed Bugs Fly

Do Bed Bugs Fly

  • Sharebar

Do Bed Bugs Fly – Some Pertinent Questions Answered

The question, ‘Do bed bugs fly?’ is something that is a very natural one considering the number of bed bug infestations that are being recorded in many homes within the US and other developed countries. People affected and others are raising questions about ‘do bed bugs have wings’ or ‘do bed bugs fly or jump’. This is because there is an impression that these insects are able to infect many people and house easily, which is typical of pests that can fly and spread the infection. People affected by lice or scabies have also wondered about ‘do lice fly or do scabies fly’.

One more reason for questions like ‘do bed bugs jump’ arising can also be attributed to the fact that these pests are not visible during day time. People are unable to quickly spot them at night as well. This leads them to believe that these pests must really be very quick and are able to evade humans only because they can jump or fly to their hiding places quickly.

The answer fortunately is no. Bed bugs do not have wings. They are able to move fast due to their flat oval shaped bodies. This helps them to sneak into tiny crevices of wood furniture, snuggle into the seam lining of beds, and hide within the soft folds of curtains or upholstery and so on. Their small size is the main reason for their speed and since they remain hidden during day time and only come out at night, they are not seen by people.

The night time activity of these pests begins when they sense the amount of carbon dioxide in the air going up.  This tells them that their hosts are fast asleep and it is safe for them to feed. Bed bugs have proboscis that they insert into the exposed areas of the face, neck, arms and back. The fast asleep host is not able to put up any resistance because of two reasons.

The first is that these pests come out during late night or early morning. This is the time when most of us are already deep in slumber. The second one is interesting and shows how Nature has endowed these pests with the right tools to be successful in their feeding. When they start sucking our blood, their saliva releases a chemical that has a lulling effect on the individual. This makes it easy for these pests to keep sucking and they are able to continue this practice night after night.

So what gives them the advantage of being able to infest so many homes quickly and staying put?

Do bed bugs fly? It is essential to understand some background if we have to find an answer to the above question. Bed bugs were thought to have been totally eliminated from developed countries by the mid fifties and most of the current generation as well as the one before have absolutely no idea about how they look or what they can do.

The period of the late forties and early fifties saw the clearance of small shanties, slums to facilitate industrialization and building of infrastructure in most developed countries. That was also the time when many of these countries focused on improving agriculture yield by making use of DDT as a pesticide. This combined action had its desired effect and you did not find many bed bugs by the late fifties. This continued till the late nineties and that explains why people born during this time are totally oblivious to the concept of bed bugs.

But the ban on use of DDT in the mid nineties coupled with increasing tourism meant that these bed bugs could make a comeback into these developed countries. People brought these bugs home along with their baggage. They picked up these bugs at crowded places, hotel rooms and without realizing it took them home where they started feeding off their host and increased in numbers dramatically.

It needs to be mentioned here that when people got bit by these bed bugs, they did not either immediately notice it or even when they did they ignored it thinking it to be caused by some allergy or mosquitoes. Even when they showed it to their doctors, they got treated for these symptoms and precious time got wasted before the right diagnosis was done and treatment administered. This time was beneficial to the bed bugs that fed and bred prolifically in the house of the host and by the time the host realized the extent of infestation, they had increased their numbers substantially.

It is thus clear from the above that lack of knowledge about the presence of bed bugs was the main reason why people did not take immediate action. Another reason was the fact that people who got bitten did not experience any significant problems to their skin in the initial stages. They therefore ignored it till it reached a stage where compulsive itching and irritation led to the formation of tiny red blisters on the skin. It was at this time that they started going to the doctor and began taking measures to eliminate the bed bugs in their houses.

So what are the steps you can take to prevent bed bugs infestation in your house?

Prevention is definitely possible and that can be done following some simple steps as under:

a) Get rid of all clutter in your house and maintain a high level of cleanliness.

b) Make use of protectors for your beds. These are covers that protect the bed and the box springs adequately giving no chance for bed bugs to make their home within them. The impermeable covers make it impossible for these pests to escape and feed resulting in them starving to death.

c) When traveling, make use of towels and linen provided by the hotel so that you are not forced to bring them home.

d) Wash all clothing in hot water once you are back from a trip outside your city. Subject your belongings to vacuum or steam washing.

e) Use liners for your baggage as they are effective in protecting the contents. The insects cannot crawl into your baggage.

f) Keep your belongings at an elevated place when you are in the hotel room.

Coming to the question of ‘do fleas fly’, they are also parasites that suck blood. They however can take leaps and that is how they are different from bed bugs. They are also blessed with a protective body sheath and that makes it difficult to kill them by just pressing them. Their small size combined with their quick movements’ make it difficult for you to spot them and that is how they are also able to quickly breed and cause discomfort to your pets.

The only way to prevent flea infestation is by maintaining a very high cleanliness level. Ensure that you wash your pets with high quality shampoo on a regular basis. Use flea foggers within the house and subject bedding, covers to steam cleaning. Vacuum the nooks and corners of the house and throw the vacuum bag promptly after use.

Following some simple preventive steps will help you deal with bed bugs and you do not have to then bother and ask ‘do bed bugs fly’ as your house would be free of them.

Tags: , , , , , , <BR/>

Related content:

  1. Can Bed Bugs Fly
  2. Bed Bug Size
  3. Do Bed Bugs Have Wings
  4. Bed Bug Bite Symptoms
  5. Can You See Bed Bugs
  6. Baby Bed Bugs
  7. How Do Bed Bugs Spread
  8. Where Do Bed Bugs Come From
  9. How to Know if You Have Bed Bugs
  10. Signs of Bed Bugs

Incoming search terms:

Do Bed Bugs Fly

Do Bed Bugs Fly

Related terms: Where Can Bed Bugs Hide, Can Bed Bugs Be Seen, How to Find Bed Bugs, Do Bed Bugs Have Wings, Do Bed Bugs Crawl Fast, Bed Bugs Do They Jump, What to Do in Bed, Size Bed Bugs

Related posts:

  1. Can Bed Bugs Fly Can Bed Bugs FlyCan Bed Bugs Fly – Find This...
  2. Bed Bug Bite Symptoms Bed Bug Bite Symptoms Bed Bug Bite Symptoms – Track...
  3. Bed Bug Size Bed Bug Size Bed Bug Size – Very Deceptive And...
  4. Baby Bed Bugs Baby Bed Bugs Baby Bed Bugs – As Dangerous As...
  5. Bed Bug Life Cycle Bed Bug Life Cycle Bed Bug Life Cycle – Makes...
  6. Bed Bugs Pictures on Humans Bed Bugs Pictures On Humans Bed Bugs Pictures On Humans...
  7. How Do Bed Bugs Spread How Do Bed Bugs Spread How Do Bed Bugs Spread...
  8. Where Do Bed Bugs Come From Where Do Bed Bugs Come From Where Do Bed Bugs...
  9. How to Know if You Have Bed Bugs How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs How To...
  10. Signs of Bed Bugs Signs Of Bed Bugs Signs Of Bed Bugs – Do...
  11. Bed Bugs Rash Bed Bugs Rash Bed Bugs Rash - Not A Pleasant...
  12. How to Check for Bed Bugs How To Check For Bed Bugs How To Check For...
  13. How Do You Get Bed Bugs How Do You Get Bed Bugs How Do You Get...
  14. What Causes Bed Bugs What Causes Bed Bugs What Causes Bed Bugs – Useful...
  15. Bed Bug Symptoms Bed Bug Symptoms Bed Bug Symptoms – Identify Them Early...
  16. What Do Bed Bugs Look Like What Do Bed Bugs Look Like – Some Useful Facts...
  17. How Big Are Bed Bugs How Big Are Bed Bugs How Big Are Bed Bugs...
  18. Bedbug Registry Bedbug Registry Bedbug Registry - Forewarned To Be Forearmed The...
  19. Bed Bug Bites Symptoms Bed Bug Bites Symptoms Bed Bug Bites Symptoms – Early...
  20. Bed Bug Pictures Bed Bug Pictures Bed Bug Pictures – Now Available On...
  21. Bed Bug Spray Bed Bug SprayBed Bug Spray – Many Types Available To...
  22. Bed Bug Bite Pictures Bed Bug Bite Pictures Bed Bug Bite Pictures – Useful...
  23. Pictures of Bed Bug Bites Pictures Of Bed Bug Bites Pictures Of Bed Bug Bites...
  24. Mites Mites Mites – Know The Different Types And How To...
  25. Bed Bugs in NYC Bed Bugs In NYCBed Bugs In NYC – A Problem...