Help! We all hate bugs one way or another especially blood sucking ones like the bed bug seen in the snippet above provided by National Geographic. In order to be successful when inspecting or treating for bed bugs, the more you know about the bug, the better your preparation will be. For tips on how to prepare for a bed bug treatment, check out my “Preparing for a bed bug treatment..the right way!” article.
Here, you will find the full breakdown of what are bed bugs, their life cycle and characteristics. Many undergo unnecessary stress thinking they have bed bugs only to find out it wasn’t.
Bed Bugs….. What Are They?
Bed bugs are insects that feed exclusively on human blood. Bed bugs were not always keen to human blood. According to studies, bed bugs are an adaptation of the bat bug, another member of this blood sucking family of insects. Known as the Cimex genus of insects, they all feed on blood and are usually nocturnal. These bugs mostly feed on the blood of birds and bats.
Bats are the most common carrier of bat bugs, hence the obvious name. This creates a problem in places where humans and bats interact like attics and sheds for example, where bats may reside. Eventually these bugs would spread and bite humans in the absence of their original host being bats or birds, reawakening ancient tendencies when our ancestors shared caves with the dreaded bug. No longer in a natural habitat like a dark cave, modern bed bugs still have the natural instincts and tendencies it developed and employs it within our homes now, hence the “bed bug”. Bed bugs and bat bugs are virtually identical except the bat bug has longer hairs by the head area.
In some archaeological digs, analysis have found evidence of bed bugs dating back to the roman empire! In other words, these group of parasitic bugs have forever found ways to “interact” with us humans eventually one way or another.
Early humans at times resided in caves alongside bat bugs and eventually the bug evolved to feed on humans. We are also mammals afterall, so the transition wasn’t a drastic evolutionary step. Nevertheless, these bugs spread throughout human civilization and at times have become a global health issue.
The BedBugs Life Cycle
Variables such as temperature, meal availability, species and geographical location can affect the lifespan of a bed bug. In a cold environment, nymph and adult bed bugs can become dormant and live up to a year or so. On the other hand, under normal circumstances, a bed bug may live two to four months.
Bed bugs hatch from eggs that are approximately 1/16th of an inch and somewhat translucent. Eggs can hatch between four to ten days. Newborn bed bugs are called nymphs and basically look the same as an adult but much smaller, about 1.5 mm. They are colorless up until they feed for the first time, then they adapt a coppery brown color.
When a bed bug “grows” it sheds its outer shell similar to snakes. This process is called “molting”. A bed bug molts 5 times before becoming an adult. In order to molt, it has to feed at least once before each molt. (A lot of biting!) This process takes about 21 days or so. Again, external factors may affect this. When eggs sense environmental stress, they tend to hatch quicker, like when introduced to pesticides.
Females may lay up to 14 eggs a day and about five hundred in her lifetime. Females tend to be slightly bigger than the males and their abdomens are somewhat rounder. When inspecting for bed bugs, if I see a round white area in the underbelly of the bed bug, it usually means it’s a female with eggs. In a year, if undetected, you may have up to three established generations in your home. It’s very important once detected, to take immediate action. For help on finding suspected bed bugs in your home, check out my article “Identify if you have bed bugs” for some helpful tips!
Bed Bug Characteristics
Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. Nymphs (babies) are the size of a pinhead.
Bed bugs have a segmented ‘beak’ making it a true bug.
Bed bugs are sensitive to movement.
Bed bugs can detect carbon dioxide in your breath up to 15 feet, even though I’ve read reports that claim they may detect you up to fifty feet! They may travel up to 100 feet a night from host to hiding place.
Cold temperatures can cause a bed bug to enter a “dormant” phase, called “Diapause” extending its life. Normally a bed bug can live up to four months, but in diapause they can live up to a year! Bed bugs enter diapause when too hot, too cold or lack of food. (blood!) To be clear though, sustained freezing temperatures for at least 48 hours will kill a bed bug.
Bed bugs tend to live in clusters composed of eggs, excrement, nymphs, adults and molted sheddings, but occasionally you will have solitary bed bugs break off and live on their own somewhere else. Usually females looking for places to lay eggs.
Bed bugs do carry pathogens but bed bugs are not known to transmit any diseases.
Bed bugs actually emit a scent and can actually be perceived if enough bed bugs are present. The smell tends to be a sweet, musky smell. (Not Pleasant!) Check out my Do bed bugs have a smell article for a more in depth analysis.
The common bed bug that we all deal with seems to not bite animals, but keep in mind depending on where you live geographically, you may have a variant that does.
Bed bugs are nocturnal and hide when not feeding, making them hard to detect. One variable though, if you are extremely infested, they may appear at any time of the day.
About half of the population are immune to bed bug bites, therefore not reacting physically to the bites, allowing bed bugs to proliferate unnoticed.
Prevent Bed Bugs From Spreading
Once detected, all measures must be taken to prevent further spreading and preparations for treatment must begin. Bed bugs can live in clusters up to thousands in a matter of months, so the sooner you treat, the better off you will be.
Begin prepping your home and do not let the emotional side of things get out of hand. Bed bugs can cause psychological distress, so the more you know, the more prepared you will be on all fronts. Check out “the psychological effects of bed bugs” article if interested. Staying positive and determined and well-informed will guarantee success in ridding your home of this awful bug.
Conclusion
Bed bugs are the fastest global pest issue, so being familiar with them will put you one step ahead of this nuisance. Here at GreenBedbugSolutions, my goal is to help you understand and conquer bed bug issues effectively and naturally. Feel free to look around and ask any questions if any or drop a comment. As new information emerges on this species, I’ll update accordingly so we can stay up to date on general science, treatments, biology and any other relative news.
Stay bed bug free!
Wilson.
