Bed bugs have become problem some throughout the Fort Myers Area. Although the name implies these bugs are found only in the bedrooms, this is not true. Bed bugs are found throughout our environement: on buses, trains, movie theaters, locker rooms and office spaces.
Bed Bug Facts:
- reddish brown, flattened, oval, wingless insect
- up to 1/2 inch long
- nymphs (babbies) have a translucent, barely visible body no bigger than a speck of dust.
- nymphs must feed on blood to grow, shedding skins as the develop in a process called molting.
- They do not discriminate and will infest all types of facilities and living environments. Luxury homes and hotels are both affected. Sanitation and cleanliness have no bearing on their presence.
- They typically feed every 7-10 day for about 3-10 minutes.
- One bed bugs will bite 1-3 times during this feeding.
- An adult can survice 400 plus day without a blood meal, nymphs only 3 months. This means they can travel great distance in bags, boxes, furniture, luggage until they find their next host and home.
- Bed bugs hid in seams, cracks and crevices. This behavior and their small size make them very difficult to see and treat. This also means, you can bring them home on your coat, bag, shoes, pants, pockets, cuffs or in a package.
- Evidence of an infestation will be tiny, black speckled droppings, molted skins, and eggs (although nearly impossible to see)
- Bites and reactions vary between individuals. Some people are highly allergic to the saliva injected at time of feeding.
- Bedbug saliva is an analgesic (no pain) and anti-coagulant (no clotting). This allows bed bugs to efficiently feed on host without pain or discomfort from the bug bite.
- It can take up to 5 days for the itch and irritation associated with the bites to appear. This often makes it very difficult to determine precisely where one is bitten.
- Several treatments are necessary to get rid of an infestation.
