Bedbugs: Easy to Attract, Hard to Remove

There are only a few things that are certain in life such as death, taxes and … well how about the annoying bedbugs? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a statement indicating that infestations of bedbugs are on the rise. In fact it is thought that 1 in every 5 americans has had, or currently has, some type of bedbug infestation in their home (or currently knowns someone who is dealing with this problem).

“Look closely because bedbugs are very hard to see,” Dr. Jorge Parada said in a Loyola University Health System press release. “Bedbugs love to hide in the cracks and crevices associated with mattresses, cushions, bed frames and other structures. They are rarely seen out in the open or on the resting surface of beds or chairs.”

“Bedbugs are champions of hide-and-seek. It is not uncommon to miss the bedbugs altogether, so also look for telltale signs of bedbug infestation,” he added. “These may be suspected if specks of blood or feces are found on the linens, mattresses or behind wallpaper.”

“Bedbugs are sometimes described as appearing like an apple seed,” Parada said.

Adult bedbugs have a wide range of size from 5-7 mm, while juveniles may be as small as 1.5 mm. The miniature stature of these annoying bedbugs makes it very difficult to see with the human eye, especially at a distance or where there is very limited light.

“With feeding, they enlarge, or engorge, with blood,” Parada said. “The adults turn from more brown to more red in color, while the translucent nymphs may become bright red.” As one can assume, the change in color is due to the human blood in their system. Typically bites will occur on exposed areas of the human such as the neck, hands, arms and feet. While most people will have very limited reactions to the bites some may develop more severe reactions. Generally speaking one might not notice the bite for 2-3 days.

30% of the people who are living with bedbugs do not even report any type of bites or irritable skin reactions – perhaps many are just missed due to the small size. It could also be that bedbugs are somewhat lazy when it comes to eating – bedbugs will not take the time to borrow through clothing or any type of barrier (regardless of how thin it might be).

However, “other people have exuberant reactions, with large, red, raised and itchy welts,” Dr. Parada said. “This is especially true if one becomes sensitized to bedbug bites, so that with repeated bites there may be an exaggerated reaction to the bite.”

Eliminating bedbugs is not something you can do yourself. “Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate and there is good reason to get professional help from qualified pest professionals with expertise in treating bed bugs,” Parada advised.

With that being said – please call Bug Off Pest Control. We are your Arizona bedbug experts! We will custom tailor a plan to free you from these annoying bugs safely and in a timely manner. Call Today! (480) 370-5075