There are a few pest types out there whose names are at least slightly misleading when it comes to their behavior, and a good example here is the bed bug. While their title obviously suggests their presence in and around beds, and this is indeed a major area where these invasive pests are found, this is not the only place where these bugs can exist – in fact, they’re extremely resilient and can live in many places, one of the factors that makes them such a pain.
At A-1 Exterminators, we’re here to provide comprehensive pest control and exterminator services for any insect or pest type in your home or building, including bed bug control for any property. What do home and building owners need to know about these harmful pests, how might they affect people in the buildings they’ve infested, and how can such infestations be prevented or removed? This two-part blog series will go over several important areas.
Bed Bug Basics and Identification
Bed bugs (also referred to as bedbugs in a single word in some cases) are small parasitic insects that are generally reddish-brown in color. They are harmful due to their bite and their ability to feed on human blood, and although they luckily do not spread disease through this behavior, it still causes several issues.
As noted, bed bugs require blood to breed and survive. But unlike ticks, which also feed on blood, they do not have the ability to live on a host. Instead, they are known to hide near their food source, waiting until it’s safe to come out and feed – one such scenario is while the food source is sleeping, which is a big reason why the bed bug name has stuck.
Hiding Places
Bed bugs are known to hide in a variety of locations, the most common of which are in sleeping areas like mattresses, box springs, headboards, bed frames and other objects near the bed. However, they’ll also commonly hide out in areas below carpeting, under upholstery or other furniture, under peeling paint or loose wallpaper, or even under light switches or outlets in some cases – as we noted above, they’re both resilient and versatile.
Spread Formats
Worse yet, bed bugs are known for how easily they spread from one area to another. They do this by attaching to various clothing, furniture, baggage or other items, plus also spread easily on floors within homes or buildings. Due to their ability to hitchhike so effectively, they’re often spread in public areas like buses or other transportation, colleges and other schools, office buildings, libraries, theaters, nursing homes and more.
For more on bed bugs and how they spread or hide, or to learn about any of our pest control services, speak to the staff at A-1 Exterminators today.
