Overview
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are tiny insects that bite people and animals to get blood for food. They are parasites, meaning they need human hosts to supply them with food. Most bites happen while you’re asleep.
What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are flat, brown or reddish-brown insects with six legs. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed (5-7 mm). Young bed bugs are white-to-yellow in color or appear translucent if they haven’t been fed. Bed bug eggs are very small, about the size of a pinhead, and are a pearly white color. If an egg is more than five days old, it’s marked with a black dot on a white egg. A female bed bug lays 200 to 500 eggs during its lifetime, so even a few bed bugs in your home can quickly turn into an infestation.
Where do bed bugs live?
Bed bugs are found in all types of locations, from five-star hotels to homes and apartments, dormitories and shelters. They’re found in buses and trains and ships. Bed bugs are found in all corners of the globe.
Usually, bed bugs live within eight feet of where you sleep and are mostly active at night.
During the day, bed bugs hide in the areas in and around your bed including:
- Along the seams of your mattress.
- In your box spring, bed frame and headboard.
- Between and along the seams of cushions of bedroom chairs or couches.
- In the joints of drawers of bedroom furniture.
- In any cracks, crevices or folds of objects in your bedroom or near your bed.
- Along corners of walls, inside the edges of loose wallpaper and around electrical outlets.
On average, bed bugs live from six to 24 months. Bed bugs usually feed every three to seven days but can survive several months to a year without feeding.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
Your first obvious sign might be a bed bug bite. If you have a bite and want to verify if you have bed bugs, check for signs of an infestation including:
- A sweet, musty odor.
- Reddish or rust-colored stains on bed sheets, sleepwear or nearby objects. This is what bed bugs excrete after eating, essential bed bug poop.
- Bed bug exoskeletons (the skeleton they shed after molting).
- Live bed bugs in the folds of bedsheets and mattresses.
Bed bugs move slower than other small bugs, so pay attention to the speed of the bug you find to help with identification.
Who do bed bug bites affect?
Anyone can get bed bugs. Unfortunately, bed bugs infestations are possible even if you keep your living space spotless. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. They can come into your home on luggage, folded clothing, bedding including used mattresses and other used furniture items and boxes. If you live with a lot of people or with people who travel a lot, you are at greater risk of bringing home these unwanted pests.
How common are bed bugs?
An estimated 1 in every 5 Americans has either had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who encountered bed bugs in their home or at a hotel. Most pest control professionals report infestations occurring during the summer when travel increases. Often, bed bugs are confused as other pests, like fleas or cockroaches, before being diagnosed by a pest control professional.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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