Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)
Once thought to be a pest of a bygone era, bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have made a dramatic public reappearance in the United States in the past decade. In 2009 and 2010, the American news media reported heavily on how commercial buildings, multi-family projects, hotels, transit systems, and other urban locations across the country were being invaded by these pests that are well known for being secretive during the day and vicious in their attacks on sleeping humans at night.
Bed bugs travel from location to location solely by hitchhiking on individuals, in infested items, or in means of transport of goods. During the day (except in extreme cases of infestation) bed bugs will remain hidden from view in cracks and crevices of general household items, furniture (especially bedding and bed furniture), clothing, floor baseboards, wall hangings, etc. At night, bed bugs will emerge from their hiding places for the sole purpose of feeding on the blood of a human host.
Hatched from eggs laid by a fertilized female, bed bugs will emerge as an instar (immature insects) about 1/20th of one inch in size, small enough to require a 10X or more magnifying glass for identification. During their life cycle, bed bugs will go through five instar stages before maturing into reproductive adults. Adult bugs can reach 1/8-3/16 inch in size.
The good news is that, as far as academic research has told us to date, bed bugs are not vectors of disease. The bad news is that all instar stages can bite and suck blood just as adults will. Depending on the sensitivity of the individual, bite reactions can range from virtually non-existent to skin discoloration, inflammation, and scarring. Most people have bite reactions in between the extreme ranges.
Bed bugs are attracted to their prey primarily by carbon dioxide exhaled from normal human respiration and to a lesser extent from body heat. Though they can feed as frequently as every 3-7 days, they can survive for over two months before the next meal depending on the instar stage of the bug, ambient room temperatures, and other factors.
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Bed Bugs in Oregon - Leupitz Pest Control
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