Bed Bug
Size: Adults are about 3/4” inch (4-5 mm) long, broadly oval & flat.
Colour: Brown to reddish-brown (after feeding).
Behaviour: This pest gets its name from the fact that it is usually found in close proximity to beds. That’s because bed bugs need the blood of warm-blooded animals to survive. Bed bugs primarily feed on humans sleeping in bed at night. The bite is painless; many people develop an allergic reaction, usually a swelling due to the saliva injected by the bugs as it feeds. Bed bugs are skilled hitchhikers. In fact, they are primarily transported by humans and human belongings.
Bed bugs infest homes, hotel rooms, and apartments by hitching rides on luggage, furniture, and other items carried from an infested room to another location. Bed bug prevention is difficult because it takes only one female bug or a few eggs deposited onto a bag to begin a new infestation elsewhere. Typically, an infestation begins in a single hotel room or apartment and may spread to neighbouring units.
Getting rid of bed bugs is very difficult. A consultation with TerminixSiS is recommended. Positive identification is important because misidentification can lead to unsuccessful bed bug control efforts.
Inspection is critical in preventing bed bugs from returning. Overlooking even the smallest crack in furniture may lead to a persistent infestation; therefore, beds, nightstands and related furniture often require disassembly and careful inspection.
Furniture that is infested needs to be thrown out and marked as unusable due to bed bug infestation. It should also be tightly wrapped in plastic to keep from spreading them to other rooms as it is moved to the outside. People should take care when purchasing furniture at second sales and should carefully inspect all sides and crevices for evidence of bed bugs.
A bed bug bite affects each person differently. Bite responses can range from an absence of any physical signs of the bite to a small bite mark to a serious allergic reaction. Bed bugs are not considered dangerous; however, an allergic reaction to several bites may need medical attention.
Currently, there are no documented cases of bed bugs transmitting diseases to humans, but the presence of bed bugs can have a severe impact on physical and mental health. The costs to remediate bed bug infestations can also cause financial burdens and present additional challenges for low-income households.
