Odds are, you know what bed bugs are, even if you’ve never experienced a bed bug invasion. There are plenty of horror stories about bed bug infestations to make you well aware of the fact that getting rid of bed bugs is no easy task and is something you never want to experience. However, there are a lot of things that you may not know about bed bugs. The following are six little-known facts about bed bugs:
1. Bed Bugs Have Mutated over the Years
The idea of mutant bed bugs might be terrifying, but it’s already happened. Decades ago, bed bugs were killed using pesticides, such as DDT. However, the use of these chemicals caused bed bugs to mutate to the point where they’ve never been stronger. Not only are they stronger, but they also have developed a resistance to many of the insecticides that used to be effective against them.
2. Bed Bugs Use Anesthetics
If you’ve ever had a getting rid of bed bugs problem, then you probably realized it when you woke up in the morning to dozens of itchy bites. People often wonder why they don’t wake up during the night when bed bugs are feeding on them. It’s because bed bugs’ saliva contains an anesthetic that promotes increased blood flow at the site of the bite. This, in turn, makes the feeding process go much more quickly and helps numb the bite, making it practically painless.
3. Bed Bugs Only Feed Every Five to Ten Days
After a bed bug feeds, it disappears for five to ten days to digest its meal, mate, and produce eggs. So why do you keep getting bit every night? Because there are many bed bugs—perhaps they’re taking shifts! And even if they don’t have access to a full meal every five to ten days, bed bugs can go a very long time without feeding. In fact, they can live up to several months without a meal of blood.
4. Bed Bugs Are Intelligent
Bed bugs are pretty smart for being such tiny pests. They know that the best time to feed safely is at night, when their prey is asleep. Because of this, they will stay out of sight during the day, hiding in the folds of the mattress and in the nooks and crannies of the bed frame and other pieces of furniture.
5. Bed Bugs Can Live Anywhere
One of the most common misconceptions about bed bugs is that they are only found in small, dirty places in large cities. Bed bugs can actually live anywhere, which means that they can be found in both rural areas and cities. Additionally, they’re not just found in dirty apartments and motel rooms. They can invade five-star hotels and carefully cleaned suburban dwellings just as easily.
6. Bed Bugs Used to Be Nest Bugs
Bed bugs have evolved over millions of years, but one thing hasn’t changed. They feed on their prey where it sleeps. Before they became bed bugs, they were nest parasites that inhabited bird and bat nests. Eventually, they moved on to humans by infesting the human nest—also known as the bed.
These are a few little-known facts about bed bugs. If you need help getting rid of bed bugs, then contact us at Bain Pest Control today.