Bed bugs are no more the pests that were active and abundant just in the past. With urbanization and changing lifestyle, these blood suckers are making a comeback. These biting pests were believed to live in filthy conditions, but the truth is somehow different. Bed bug infestation is more commonly found in clean and uncluttered urban homes compared to the rural ones.
Biological Classification
These tiny pests that are very rarely visible to the naked eye are biologically called Cimex lectularius. Their classification in the animal kingdom is done as below:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Family: Cimicidae
- Genus: Cimex
- Species: lectularius
Physical Description
- The adult bed bug are comparatively larger and are oval and flat. They are about 1/4-inch long and doesn’t have wings.
- They usually crawl over beds in the dark to search for a human host to feed upon. Bed bugs use piercing and sucking proboscis to penetrate the human skin.
- At the first stage of their life, nymphs are colorless and darkens with each molt. Their eggs are white colored and measure less than 1 mm in length.
Habitat & Diet
Bed bugs can generally be found hidden in the corners, crevices, wall cracks, furniture seams and mattresses. They are dependent on humans, pets, or other animals for feeding on blood. They can survive for up to months without food. Bugs usually attack their host at night, so that a person remains unaware of the bites.
Bed Bug Life Cycle
Since these pesky pests breed up faster and produce up to 500 offspring during their lifetime, they can result in a large infestation quickly. If they are present in your home, call experts for bed bug extermination. A female lays eggs in a cluster of less than 50 and use a sticky substance to keep them attached to a rough surfaces. Most possibly, the eggs will hatch within 1-2 weeks. The average lifespan of a bed bugs is about 10 months, though some some blessed ones may live substantially longer.
These are some of the facts about bed bugs that should be known to all. If you are facing a bed bug invasion inside your home, don’t hesitate to call our pest exterminators at Niagara Bed Bugs for effective and long term bug removal service.