Bed bugs - appearance and their bites, what parasites are afraid of

What does a bed bug look like - photo

The bed bug belongs to the class of insects and has small sizes from 6 to 10 mm. His body is flat and slightly wide. When the parasite is hungry, it becomes round. The bedbug has no wings, but constrictions are clearly visible on the body at the junction of the segments of the abdominal region.

What do domestic bed bugs look like:

1. Color. Adults have an even brown color. With severe hunger, the color of their bodies changes to red. After the bug drinks blood, its body will again darken to black.
2. Size. The body of a well-fed insect changes in size, they become larger. When the belly is full, it lengthens and increases in thickness (due to being filled with blood). At such a moment, the house bug becomes similar to a cockroach larva, only without wings.
3. The average size of an insect is between 5-9 mm.

The flat shape of the insect's body perfectly protects it from being crushed by people tossing and turning in bed. However, a well-fed bug becomes very vulnerable. Crushed insects in a bed are engorged insects that leave brown spots.

The larvae of a small bug resemble adult individuals, but their size is somewhat smaller and their color is lighter. From the first days of life, they search for food on their own. When hungry, they are transparent; after saturation, the blood inside is clearly visible.

On a note! Bed bug eggs are small, similar to small grains of rice. They are painted white, have an elongated shape and a length of about 0.5-1 mm.

How do bed bugs differ from other insects:

1. Cockroaches. These parasites have two noticeable appendages on the back of their abdomen that resemble antennae. House bugs do not have such processes. In addition, adult cockroaches are much larger than even the largest bed bugs.
2. Ticks. The pests most similar to bed bugs. They are distinguished by the number of limbs. Bed bugs have 6 (like all insects), and ticks have 8 (since they are arachnids).
3. Ants. Ants have a characteristic body shape that differs significantly from the body shape of bedbugs. They are longer and have a constriction in the area of ​​the central part of the body. Bed bugs do not have constrictions, and their bodies are wider.
4. Fleas, lice. Bedbugs cannot be confused with these bloodsuckers due to their size. Both fleas and lice are difficult to see with the naked eye, but bed bugs are noticeable insects.

How to determine if there are bedbugs in an apartment

There are several characteristic signals indicating that bed bugs have settled in a room or apartment:

• marks of insect bites appear on open areas of the body after sleep;
• black spots are visible on the sheets (traces from pest droppings);
• On the bed you can see brown stains of dried blood, from crushed insects that have drunk blood.

It is not difficult to recognize the presence of bed bugs in your home. The habitat of these insects is in the bed, in things.

In the nest of parasites you will see the entire bedbug family: several brown adults, baby larvae of different sizes in lighter colors, as well as many white egg clutches.

Important Details

Where do bedbugs and bedbug larvae come from?

About the reproduction of bedbugs: we need to know that bedbug eggs appear in the amount of 5 pieces per day - this is from one female. But the individual lives up to 13-14 months. Let's do the math together: take 400 days as a basis and multiply 400 by 5. The result is that one female can produce 2000 creatures in her lifetime. This is why bed bug control is extremely necessary. If this is not carried out, then the matter will take on the character of an epidemic:

• The colony begins to expand;
• The number of bedbug bites is increasing;
• Individuals move to nearby houses.

Bedbugs in the apartment will begin to “move” to nearby dwellings and infect the entire building, or even the area. And here protection from neighbors becomes an important detail. Even if you kill all the creatures, they can still come from outside. This problem can only be taken into account by professional extermination of bedbugs, but this will be discussed later.

Interesting: for some reason, the inhabitants of ancient Egypt believed that snake venom helped against bedbug bites. It is possible that sooner or later we will see on the Internet another advertisement from charlatans with a miracle cure - “Kirkorov saved himself from bedbugs with the help of snake venom, and this is also his secret...”. This does not work.

How long do house bugs live?

The average lifespan of a bed bug is 10-12 months. In particularly extreme conditions (for example, during a sharp cold snap or the absence of a person in the house for a long time), they fall into suspended animation, in which they can remain for more than a year until the return of a source of food or normalization of external climatic conditions.

IMPORTANT! Household bugs are also called bed bugs, and their clutches instantly die at temperatures of +50°C and -10°C.

Lifestyle

Bed bugs are predominantly nocturnal. Only a certain danger or alarm can force them to become active during the daytime, for example, destruction of their habitat or the action of third-party chemicals.

The parasites are most active between 3 am and 6 am. At this time, they are especially dangerous for humans, since they go out in search of food, this is their feature. Insects are mobile and fast, they can get from any corner of the apartment to the bed in a matter of seconds, spend about half an hour feeding and return to their previous shelter.

Bed bugs spend most of their life cycle preferring to hide in various shelters, emerging at night to satisfy their hunger or to find a new home if the old one has been destroyed.

IMPORTANT! Parasites usually eat once every 5-7 days. If you notice new bites on your body every day, this is a sure signal that there are a huge number of parasites in the house.

After a single feeding, bedbugs digest the blood somewhere in a secluded corner of the home.

Reproduction and development

Bed bugs mate through traumatic insemination:

1. The male, using his genital organ, pierces the female’s abdomen and injects seminal fluid into it.
2. After a few weeks, the female begins to lay eggs (up to 5 eggs daily). Over the entire life cycle, one adult female is capable of laying about 250-500 eggs.
3. An insect in an egg will develop to the adult stage on average 30-45 days, but in extreme conditions development can take up to 100 days.
4. Bedbug larvae immediately begin to look for food on their own, because to move to the next stage of development (and to molt) they need a certain amount of blood they drink.

Distribution history

The bedbug's original habitat was probably caves in the Middle East, inhabited by people and bats. They were first mentioned in ancient Greek sources in 400 BC, later Aristotle wrote about them. Pliny, in his Natural History, credited bedbugs with the ability to treat snake bites and ear infections. Belief in the medicinal value of bedbugs lasted at least until the 18th century, when Guettard recommended their use in the treatment of hysteria. The first mentions were in Germany in the 11th century, in France in the 13th century, in England in 1583[2], although before 1670 they were rare there. In the 16th century, the conquerors of the New World brought it to the American continent. In Central Asia, the bed bug began to appear as a human parasite only in the sixties of the 19th century with the arrival of Russian troops in Turkestan. [ source not specified 47 days

] For 20 years, it appeared in all cities and villages of Turkestan. However, in addition to human dwellings, the bedbug is also found in nature: in tree hollows, in caves, etc. It is known to be found in the Baharden Cave in Turkmenistan. The cave, located on the northern slope of Kopet-Dag, is difficult to access and rarely visited by people. The bugs were found in that part of it that is completely devoid of light; here they are found in the droppings of bats and even in the water of an underground lake, where, apparently, they fall from the places where these animals accumulate on the cave vaults. In the Daurian steppe, the bug lives in the burrows of rodents (Daurian pika, school vole, etc.), as well as in the nests of tree sparrows, wagtails and swallows, built on human buildings. Knowledge of this side of the life of a bedbug is still very fragmentary.

How do bed bugs bite?

The blood-sucking bug chooses a certain time to bite - at night. Makes several bites at a time. Overnight you can count up to 500 such manipulations. The parasite bites through the skin and secretes a special substance that causes itching and irritation.

Bedbug bites can be distinguished, for example, from mosquito bites. If you are bitten by bedbugs, there will be several wounds in one place, as they look for the thinnest and most tender place.

At night, parasites go out hunting (especially active between 3 and 6 am). Bed bugs can bite during the day if you have been away for a long time and deprived the parasites of food.

IMPORTANT! Bed insects can be carriers of serious diseases such as fever, plague, typhus, malaria and anthrax. However, when bitten, pathogens do not pass to humans.

Features of cooperation with SES: questions and answers

Do I need to prepare the room for the procedure? We recommend moving furniture away from the walls. It is enough to maintain a distance of 15 cm. It would be useful to carry out preliminary cleaning, but this is not necessary. Boil your bed linen. Throw away all food and wash dishes and sinks. In fact, you don't need to worry too much about this. The drugs are so effective that even bedbug larvae buried in the soil of plants will be destroyed.

How much does it cost to exterminate bedbug larvae? The price of treatment depends on the size of the room. The larger the object, the lower the cost will be. The company also offers the opportunity to save money - involve your neighbors and order the service together.

How quickly can you remove bedbugs? The spraying procedure takes only 30-60 minutes. During this time, you must leave the premises with your pets. Immediately after graduation, you can calmly continue living. After 4-5 hours, open the windows and ventilate.

How long will it take for bedbug bites to go away? The effect is noticeable immediately. The colony dies out completely within 4-5 days, but even after 1 day you can sleep peacefully, enjoying the absence of blood-sucking insects.

How soon can floors and objects be washed? Before carrying out wet cleaning after bedbug baiting, you should wait 2-3 days. After the expiration date, feel free to use soap solutions, etc.

What are bed bugs afraid of?

There are several things you can do to kill or repel bed bugs. What repels insects:

• insecticides (Raptor, Reid, Dichlorvos, Clean House, Fufanon, Agrant, Fumitox);
• high and low temperatures. Sharp temperature fluctuations are a factor influencing the activity of bedbugs. If you lower the temperature in the house to +10°C or increase it to +35°C, bedbugs will begin to look for more comfortable living conditions;
• herbs. The aromas of herbs can repel bed bugs, since they are guided by their sense of smell, for example, they are afraid of the smells of wormwood, tansy, wild rosemary, chamomile, calamus;
• essential oils or perfumes. Another source of pungent and unpleasant aromas for the parasite. A scent that repels bedbugs: essential oils of lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus or cheap cologne;
• traditional methods. Bed bugs are afraid of vinegar, turpentine, denatured alcohol, kerosene, acetone and other compounds with a pungent odor;
• Bedbugs do not like bright light. If you turn on a bright light at night, the parasites will scatter;
• bleach - this powder destroys insects if you pour it directly onto the pest source.

Allergic reactions

Everyone knows that pests not only tend to bite, but also crawl on your bed while you sleep.
Bed bugs can cause allergic reactions even after they are completely eradicated. As they crawl around the bed, they leave behind a substance called “Histamine,” which can cause an allergic reaction, including an asthma attack.

It is the substance “histamine” that causes your runny nose, itching all over your body, and you may also find an unpleasant rash all over your body. Allergy sufferers and asthmatics are especially contraindicated from staying in a home where there were or are bed bugs.

How to deal with bed bugs

Only special insecticides that cause paralysis of the nervous system of insects can completely destroy parasites. Other remedies will only help repel bedbugs.

Chemicals:

1. Aerosol insecticides. With their help, treat areas where pests are believed to have settled, i.e. furniture, mattresses, baseboards, cracks and corners in the house, and in some cases, clothing.
2. Insecticidal powders. Effective products that are safe for humans and animals. Carefully scatter them in places where parasites accumulate.
3. Smoke bombs. Easy to use and effective.
4. "Raptor" (aquafumigator). Produces water vapor with cyphenothrin, a safe insecticide for animals and humans.
5. Pest control. If there are too many parasites, they resort to the help of professionals. Exterminators will quickly remove insects using special preparations.

Traditional methods of struggle:

1. Herbs and herbal preparations. The smell of plants can repel bed bugs, for example, wormwood, tansy, chamomile and others work great.
2. Essential oils. A source of pungent odors, which is suitable for fighting parasites.
3. Kerosene, naphthalene, turpentine, ammonia. Use these strong-smelling compounds as carefully as possible, as they can be harmful to health.

Removing pesky bed bugs from your home can be very difficult. These sneaky parasites are able to hide in secluded corners of the apartment and hibernate under unfavorable conditions for their life. When you detect the first signs of an attack by these pests, begin to actively fight them before they infest the apartment and harm your health.

Main habitats

Now we know almost everything about bedbugs. But where do they like to live? Since bedbugs prefer a nocturnal lifestyle, during the day they hide in secluded dark corners. Their favorite habitats are:

• pillow and mattress seams;
• upholstery of upholstered furniture;
• furniture grooves;
• baseboards and areas near sockets;
• Appliances;
• cabinets and spaces behind them;
• reverse sides of watches, paintings, photo frames.

Notes

1. Striganova B. R., Zakharov A. A.
   Five-language dictionary of animal names: Insects (Latin-Russian-English-German-French) / Ed. Doctor of Biology sciences, prof. B. R. Striganova. - M.: RUSSO, 2000. - P. 85. - 1060 copies. — ISBN 5-88721-162-8.
2. ↑ 1 2 Mullen, Gary R.;
   Lance A.; Durden. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Second Edition (English). - Academic Press, 2009. - P. 80. - ISBN 0123725003.
3. Storey, Malcom
   CIMICIDAE (bed bugs)
   (unspecified)
   (inaccessible link).
   BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
   . bioimages.org.uk. Access date: May 27, 2010. Archived August 14, 2010.
4. Family CIMICIDAE (undefined)
   .
   Australian Biological Resources Study: Australian Faunal Directory
   . Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Australia) (2008). Access date: May 27, 2010. Archived February 22, 2012.
5. Tarasov, 1996, p. 235-236.
6. ↑ 1 2 3 Michael F. Potter.
   Bed Bugs
   (undefined)
   .
   College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
   . University of Kentucky.
7. ↑ 123
   Tarasov, 1996, p. 235.
8. Robert L. Usinger.
   Monograph of Cimicidae (Hemiptera - Heteroptera) (English).
   - The Thomas Say Foundation, 1966. - Vol. V11. — P. 13. Archived copy (unspecified)
   (inaccessible link). Access date: July 13, 2013. Archived November 1, 2013.
9. ↑ 123
   Tarasov, 1996, p. 236.
10. Tarasov V.V. Medical entomology. M.: Moscow State University Publishing House, 1996 – 353 p.
11. R. Hulasare, S. Kells, G. Kerr.
    FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH ON EFFICACY OF HEAT ON BED BUGS: COMMERCIAL PRODUCT USING LP FOR RESIDENTIAL & HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (English) (pdf) (inaccessible link). — “Complete and immediate kill of adult bed bugs occurred when temperatures reached at least 118°F. For failed emergence of eggs, complete and immediate kill occurred at 122°F." Retrieved January 13, 2013. Archived January 20, 2013.
12. Raj Hulasare, Ph.
    D. Fundamental Research on the Efficacy of Heat on Bed Bugs and Heat Transfer in Mattresses (English) (pdf) (inaccessible link). Retrieved January 13, 2013. Archived January 20, 2013.
13. TRAUMATIC INSEMINATION (Russian) (inaccessible link). Entomologist's Handbook. Access date: May 19, 2011. Archived June 13, 2011.
14. Klaus Reinhardt, Michael T. Siva-Jothy.
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    (undefined)
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    Annual Review of Entomology, volume 52 pages 351–374
    (January 2007). Access date: May 19, 2011. Archived February 22, 2012.
15. ↑ 1 2 3 Shestopalov N.V., Roslavtseva S.A., Alekseev M.A., Eremina O.Yu., Tsarenko V.A., Osipova N.Z.
    Epidemiological significance of bed bugs and measures to combat them. Information letter // Disinfection business: magazine. - 2012. - T. 81, No. 3.
16. Ethnographic collection published by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. Issue VI. p.137, 1864
17. Jerome Goddard & Richard deShazo.
    Bed bugs (
    Cimex lectularius
    ) and clinical consequences of their bites (English) // JAMA: journal. - 2009. - Vol. 301, no. 13. - P. 1358-1366. - doi:10.1001/jama.2009.405. - PMID 19336711.
18. ↑ 1 2 Kolb A., Needham GR, Neyman KM, High WA
    Bedbugs // Dermatol Ther. - 2009. - T. 22, No. 4. - P. 347-352. - doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2009.01246.x. - PMID 19580578.
19. A Romero, MF Potter, DA Potter, KF Haynes.
    Insecticide Resistance in the Bed Bug: A Factor in the Pest's Sudden Resurgence? (English) // Journal of medical entomology: journal. - 2007. - Vol. 22, no. 2. - P. 175-178. - doi:10.1603/0022-2585(2007)44[175:IRITBB]2.0.CO;2.
20. Owen, James
    Bloodthirsty Bedbugs Stage Comeback in US, Europe
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21. ↑ 12
    PMID 19233933
22. [1] p.131
23. Raj Hulasare, Ph.
    D. Fundamental Research on the Efficacy of Heat on Bed Bugs and Heat Transfer in Mattresses (English) (pdf) (inaccessible link). — “It is important to achieve and maintain temperatures of above 48°C for more than 20 min to effectively kill all life stages of bed bugs. In practice, considering the clutter in the treated space and need to penetrate cracks and crevices, the treatment times are much longer ranging from 6 to 8 and hence 48°C would be highly effective." Retrieved January 13, 2013. Archived January 20, 2013.
24. Instructions for the use of disinfestation agents (unspecified)
    . OJSC "Preventive Disinfection Station". Access date: September 11, 2012.
25. Artamonov V.
    Tansy - field rowan (Russian) // Science and life: magazine. - M., 1995. - No. 3. - P. 160.. - “The camphor smell characteristic of common tansy repels some insects. In this regard, it was used as a remedy against unwanted apartment settlers - moths, bedbugs, fleas.”
26. Stogova N.
    Swamp healers Air and Ledum. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2006. - P. 19. - 96. - (Path to health). — ISBN 5-469-01106-2.. — “To destroy and repel household insects (bugs, moths, mosquitoes) with smoldering wild rosemary branches, you can fumigate homes or soak clothes and spray the premises with a decoction of the leaves.”
27. Hahn Jeffrey.
    Masked hunters
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    Yard & Garden Briefs
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28. Encyclopedia Americana. - 1996. - Vol. 3. - P. 413.
29. Bio-Integral Resource Center