The Bed Bug spread is a common one

The Bed Bug spread is a common one, as these tiny insects are understood to have traveled from their place of origin in the Asian continent to the entire globe.

It is not unusual to find an infestation of Bed Bugs, but what is important is that we recognise where they live, how to find them and what to do about them.

The female Bed Bug will produce eggs each day; as she can exist for extraordinary lengths of time – over a year – this results in a natural explosion of the Bed Bug population.

The bed bug is active at night – when we are sleeping – and the first clue to the presence of Bed Bugs is the presence of bites on the skin in the morning.

The bed bug will feast during the night, and when it feeds on our blood it leaves behind indications of its presence.

A bed bug feeds by spearing the skin and feeding in a tube with which it pulls out the required blood, and hence the victim will rarely be aware they are being bitten as they are generally asleep.

After feeding – which can be as long as ten minutes – the Bed Bug leaves behind a red puncture which may swell and will hurt continually, bringing irritation and discomfort to the individual.

The problem regarding diagnosis is that the indications of Bed Bugs are often similar to a number of other skin infections.

Scabies displays very similar signs to bed bug infestation, and many insect bites such as mosquito can also result in a similar tell tale red welt.

Bed bug bites will most likely appear on skin that remains exposed while we sleep – the arms and legs, face and neck are all commonly bitten – and it is to these areas we should look when looking for signs of the creatures.

The Bed Bug is a night feeding insect and it likes to feast on our blood; it also likes to remain hidden and this is why it frequents our beds and furnishings.

While the Bed Bug does not nest like many other insects, it does gravitate to suitable places, hence many will hide together in the crevasses of a mattress, the inside of covers and linings and any dark and secure places.

Bed Bugs are frequently carried into the home by persons who have been elsewhere and have maybe slept on a number of unusual and frequently used beds.

A Bed Bug case is not usually a case of ill hygiene, however, as any number of hotels and guest houses have also been the source of cases.

Bed Bug infestations spread very fast; with one female bug laying around five eggs every day it is easy to see how quickly the colony can grow.

To eradicate Bed Bugs you also need to get rid of the infested mattress and any other furnishings that may be infested with the creatures.

As bed bugs are very numerous and difficult to find, getting rid of all the eggs and creatures with off the shelf remedies may not be entirely successful.

During an infestation of bed bugs, all clothes, covers and linings that have been in contact with bugs – or you think may have been – have to be be thoroughly washed; if possible this should be done on the hottest setting possible to be certain to kill the bugs.