What Are Bed Bugs

What are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small insects that measure about a quarter of an inch in length. Their bodies are brownish-red in color and appear flat. Bed bugs have long antennae and a sharp beak that's used to painlessly extract blood from their victims. While the initial bite is painless, the after effects may include red bumps or welts that itch, burn or swell. You can see what bedbugs bites look like by going to the relevant page on the menu. Fortunately, bed bugs cannot transmit harmful diseases to humans the way various other pests can.

Bed bugs survive by feeding on people and animals. They can survive anywhere there's a warm blooded host. They cannot fly, and tend to live close to the area where their food is. Most active at night, they frequently feed on sleeping humans and live in mattresses. However, they can also be found in upholstered furniture and even inside of walls.

Bed bugs weren't very prevalent in our society after World War II, due in part to extensive DDT use. However, DDT was soon outlawed after it was found to be hazardous. This, along with an increase in international travel, has led to a reoccurance of bed bug infestations in the United States.

Bed bug infestation can be recognized not only by the bites on your skin, but the appearance of dark spotting on your mattress or furniture. These spots are actually dried bug waste, and may be accompanied by tiny spots of blood. Also present will be eggs and eggshells, although they are too small to see.

Bed bugs can spread quickly from room to room, so it's crucial to treat the problem right away. Vacuum or steam clean all areas of your home, especially where bed bugs are suspected. Remove all infested items and call a professional exterminator. Although it may cost you, a professional is the way to go because they have access to methods that the general public does not. The price will depend on the company you choose, the level of infestation and the methods utilized to get rid of it.

Today's pesticides used by exterminators are effective and often environmentally-friendly. Talk to your pest control professional about ways to get rid of bed bugs that don't involve harmful chemicals. There are ways to get rid of these pests without causing harm to children, pets, or the environment.

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Bed Bug News:

Bed Bugs a Problem for College Students - KPTM-TV

Bed Bugs a Problem for College Students
KPTM-TV
LINCOLN (KPTM) - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been dealing with bed bugs in the dorm rooms for almost a month. On Wednesday they told members of the media they would be taking steps to check every dorm room on campus to stop the bed bugs from .

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FAQ: Videos demonstrating Packtite use for books, clothing, stuffed animals, etc.
The product manufacturer produced the following videos to demonstrate use of the original Packtite„¢ to kill bed bugs and eggs in various items including linens, shoes, stuffed animals, and books. There are also videos below demonstrating Packtite set-up and effectiveness. Thanks to David James and the Packtite crew for providing these helpful videos. The PackTite„¢ [.]..

Business Wire - Research and Markets: Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects
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Business Wire - Research and Markets: Integrated Vector Management: Controlling Vectors of Malaria and Other Insect Vector Borne Diseases
January 24, 2012 -- DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (

Bed bugs and apple seeds? Apples and oranges, says Lou Sorkin
Again and again, journalists point out that bed bugs are “about the size of” apple seeds, or that they even “look like” apple pips. You don’t have to look to the media reports for this clichÃ — it’s found in everything from the National Pesticide Information Center and Indiana University fact sheets, to give just [.]..

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Huntsville Housing Authority is working to contain a..

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials to search every campus dorm room for . - The Republic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials to search every campus dorm room for .
The Republic
Officials at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say they plan to search every dorm room on campus for bedbugs after an infestation was discovered earlier this month. University officials said Wednesday they've spent $20000 so far on services and .

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Earth Island Journal - Can Danilo Atilano feed the world?
January 1, 2012 -- DANILO ATILANO LEADS US onto the moist soil from which his waist-high stalks of rice grow. It is four o'clock in the afternoon. He has...

Edmonton dry cleaners refuse to treat bed bug-infested clothing
Ahhhh, the laundry problem. Image credit: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net People with bed bugs are often told that laundry can be washed/dried on hot, simply dried on hot, or dry cleaned. The latter, however, is a can of worms carpet beetle larvae. The CBC reports that “many dry cleaners” in Edmonton won’t treat bed bug-infested [.]..

UNL to inspect every dorm room for bedbugs - Lincoln Journal Star

UNL to inspect every dorm room for bedbugs
Lincoln Journal Star
(PATRICK BREEN/LJS file) University of Nebraska-Lincoln leaders said Wednesday they plan to inspect every dorm room for bedbugs after finding them in 25 residence hall rooms. "We are doing everything possible to address the problem," said Juan Franco, .

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How did bed bugs get here? Did they never leave? Recent research on genetics and inbreeding
A new article by Katherine Harmon in Scientific American explores genetic research into bed bugs, which may be used to explain how they spread and thrive. North Carolina State Entomologist Dr. Coby Schal and other researchers (including Drs. Warren Booth and Ed Vargo of NCSU and Changlu Wang of Rutgers) have been collecting samples from [.]..

Grandmother loses her Green Bay Packers possessions to
Although Jeanette Skenandore, 83, lives in EURœLions territory,EUR she still proclaims she is a fan of the Green Bay Packers EUR” last years Super Bowl winner. Skenandore lost almost all of the Green Bay memorabilia she collected during 20 ...