All Things Bed Bugs – Why, How, etc.

WHAT are Bed Bugs?

A typical adult Bed Bug is the size of an apple seed, hence, easily, visible to the naked eye. But you need more than an eye to see them. 😳 Like with everything else you need presence and focus of mind. 😀 For that purpose we are providing some information as what to look for.

Bed Bugs are almost circular to oval in shape but their head is easily identifiable.

However, compared to their width and their length; they have little height. They are more flat than most other insects. This gives them the advantage to disappear into small cracks and slit. Hence, the misconception of “Can you see bed bugs?”.

WHERE to find Bed Bugs?

Once you understand the physical appearance of Bed Bugs, next you want to understand their instincts and behaviour to know where they are likely to be?

Bed Bugs despise to be noticed by their human hosts; hence, they avoid light. As well their bodies are prone to be crushed with little pressure compared to other insects, so they avoid close proximity of their hosts where the hosts movements are too easily felt. So bed bugs would prefer to nest in more sturdy sections of our sleeping arrangements compared to the pillows and such.

When the infestation has progressed to advanced stages, bed bugs compete for space and then, yes, you would see them in the seems and piping of pillows and other sections of our bed where they might be more susceptible to being crushed. And you will occasionally see blood marks or smudges in your bed components. But then you would be too acutely aware of their presence, and that too, for a while. 😱

HOW to Inspect or Look for Bed Bugs?

Have a better lighting situation than you think you need. A headlamp is great tool. And take at least 30 minutes looking into all little gaps, cracks, slits and holes in a bed frame. Do not expect to detect movement. Bed bugs would not likely move if a light is shed on them; very unlike cockroaches.

In the order of significance, you are likely to observer black excrement spots, skin sheds (bed bugs shed their skins at 5 stages of growing up), blood mark or smudges, and the bed bugs themselves (of different sizes from a newly hatched translucent baby to an adult that is fully fed with blood meal and looks reddish).