What Do Bed Bugs Look Like
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like – Some Useful Facts
To understand what do bed bugs look like, it would be useful to get into the history of this pest so that you can appreciate the background and how these pests have managed to survive for so long. It is interesting to note that this species has been in existence for many thousands of years. They are credited with making an appearance as far back as the seventeenth century and they have been able to make an entry into many developed countries like the US primarily by tagging along passengers on board ships and other modes of transport. This finding about tourists and immigrants bringing along with them newer species of bed bugs each time has busted the myth that these pests make an entry into a country or household only because of bad hygiene conditions.
This fact was somehow lost sight of in the early part of the 21st century and people were wondering about how these pests have been able to make a comeback into their countries despite much higher standards of sanitation. After World War II, the usage of DDT as a pesticide to fight infection and to improve crop yields increased dramatically. It was used by the military as well as by many common people, with the result it led to the virtual elimination of these pests and people breathed a sigh of relief. This continued for another 5-6 decades and there were no incidents of bed bug bite symptoms reported during these times. It was therefore believed that the elimination of bed bugs was complete.
However, things started changing once the usage of this pesticide was prohibited. The bed bugs made a comeback and North America in particular experienced a rapid infestation of these pests. The scenario now is that the whole of the US and many other developed as well as developing countries are facing the problem of bed bug bite symptoms. What is more important here is that due to their total absence in the latter half of the twentieth century, most people are unaware of what do dust mite bites look like or what do scabies look like?
The implication of not knowing ‘how do I know if I have bed bugs’ syndrome
This lack of awareness is a major issue when you consider the small size of these pests and the manner in which they are easily able to infiltrate homes at will. The unique modus operandi of sucking the blood of the host without the host being aware of it is another element that is causing these pests to survive and breed with impunity. They are pretty quick breeders and once you let them into your house, you will find it difficult to get rid of them quickly.
Let us face it. Many of us know what do spider bites look like or what harm mosquitoes can cause. Most of us have seen spiders and mosquitoes and because they are easily visible or can be heard, you are in a better position to deal with them. Bed bugs however are a different species altogether. They are very small, can move quickly and operate without letting the host know they are present. Since most of us have not even seen them, you can imagine the delay and consequent price we have to pay for the delay.
Coming to the distinctive method of how these blood suckers manage to keep sucking the blood of the host night after night without the host even being aware of it, the trick lies in the introduction of an anesthetic into the blood stream. Now bed bugs normally are active very late into the night or during early morning hours. These are times when most of us are in deep slumber and are anyways quite dead to the world.
You can well imagine the compounding effect of such a situation when this anesthetic is inserted by the proboscis of the bed bugs. The host is totally oblivious to the sucking action and the bed bugs have a field day sucking his or her blood. This happens night after night and it is only when the host notices tiny red spots on the neck, face and arms that he or she realizes that something is amiss.
Even upon noticing these marks, it is difficult for anybody to immediately come to the conclusion that bed bugs have bitten them. After all, there are no pictures that many of us have seen of these creatures. It is the same with some of the dermatologists as well. They end up treating the patient for skin allergy or mosquito bites and it is very rare that the diagnosis is spot on for many patients.
Identifying bed bug bite symptoms
The red marks on the skin are often in a particular pattern or cluster. That is a sure sign of bed bug infestation. These marks cause tremendous itching and if left neglected can develop into painful blisters. The other indications are signs of molting under the mattress and a strange odor that pervades the room where they are most active. You can also notice brown feces on the mattresses and underneath the lining.
You will do well to check out the seam lining of the mattresses and also look within the crevices of wooden furniture. These are favorite hiding places for bed bugs. They simply cannot survive or breed when there is metal furniture around and require the warm comfort of the crevices of wooden furniture to flourish. This is where they spend the day time and only come out during late night to feed on their hosts. Other favorite hiding areas are soft furniture like curtains, upholstery and even wallpaper.
You can confirm their presence by looking out for them with a powerful flashlight and magnifying glass at night. You will see that they have flat and oval bodies with a translucent skin. When not fed, their bodies are very light brown in color. However, once they feed, this color changes to dark brown or even black and that is due to the blood they have sucked off the host.
These bed bugs do not have wings and therefore cannot fly. They are however very quick movers and due to their tiny size able to escape attention of the human eye quite effortlessly. They do not acquire wings at any stage of their life cycle. They are parasites and require the warm blood of mammals to survive.
How do you get rid of bed bugs?
While prevention is always the best option, once you notice bed bug infestation, you need to identify their location. You then have the option of using one of the bed bug sprays available and look to eliminate them yourself or call upon a professional agency to do the needful.
Professional exterminators, though expensive will do a comprehensive job of getting rid of these pests. You will not have to bother about repeat treatments for a long time and that is something you cannot guarantee when you do the treatment yourself.
Ensure however that the chemicals or pesticides they use for treatment are organic and environmentally friendly. You can request them to only use such products as they have been proved to be safe for all members of the family.
Tags: presence, harm mosquitoes, hiding place, blood stream, sucking the blood, warm blood <BR/>
out as an infection then becomes a Rohn