Bug Stoppers provides bed bug control in Wichita and surrounding areas. Call us today for more information (316) 788-2847.
WHAT IS A BED BUG?
All members of the bed bug family feed on the blood of birds or mammals. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, attacks man, as does the Eastern bat bed bug, Cimex adjunctus. There are also other species which attack bats, pigeons, and rodents. Bed bugs are active only at night, usually just before dawn. During the day they hide in cracks and crevices in walls, floors, beds, and furniture. When only a few bed bugs are present, they live close to human sleeping areas; when numerous, they can be found in many rooms of the house. A characteristic “bed bug odor” is frequently present in a home infested with bed bugs.
HOW TO SPOT A BED BUG
Bed bugs are oval, chestnut brown insects, and are flattened from top to bottom. Adult bed bugs measure about l/4 inch in length. The mouthparts are shaped into an elongated proboscis which, when not used, is held backward underneath the body. When a bug is ready to feed, the proboscis is extended forward and the stylets within are thrust into the skin of a host. Mated female bed bugs deposit their eggs in their resting places. One female will produce about 345 eggs during her lifespan.
Bed bugs grow by molting several times. Nymphs look very much like the adults except they are smaller and not sexually mature. There are five nymphal molts and each nymph must have a blood meal to be able to molt to the next stage. Adults feed once a week on the average but feed many times during their four months or longer lifespan.