Bed Bugs

What do bed bugs look like? A bed bug’s body consists of a head, thorax, abdomen, and 6 legs. They grow to about the size of an apple seed. They are reddish brown in color. They are oval shaped and flat if they have not had a recent blood meal, they are inflated after they have had a feeding. Bed bugs go through 6 stages of development through gradual metamorphosis. They progressively grow larger with each stage. They require at least 1 blood meat, then they molt into the next larger nymph size until they reach adulthood. Female bed bugs lay between one to five eggs every day and can lay 250 eggs in her lifetime. Bed bugs prefer human blood. They typically come out at night for their meals. Bed bugs have beaks they use to feed on blood. They inject an anesthetic into the skin that keeps the victim from feeling the bite keeping it undetected as it gets its meal. They tend to go after the exposed skin such as arms, legs, face, ankles, and neck. They of course not only infest beds but also office desks, your favorite chair, couch, and will spread through the entire home as the population grows. Bed bugs are easily transferred from one place to the next.