What Causes Bed Bugs

If you think only mosquitoes can spoil your nights then you are wrong. There is one more creature which can give you sleepless nights. It is the bed bug. But what are bed bugs? Bed bugs are small, irritating parasites which feed on human and animal blood. They are mostly active at night and reside in the furniture, cracks of the walls and upholsteries in the daytime. As they feed on human blood they are also responsible for many diseases and infections. Hence you need to take a lot of precautionary measures to keep these bed bugs away. So, let's find the causes, signs and treatments of these annoying creatures.

Causes of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs belong to the Cimicidae family. How to identify bed bugs is one of the most important questions commonly asked by people. Well, bed bugs are small, reddish brown colored parasites. They are flat until they are not fed. They increase in size after feeding and take an oval shape. There are nearly 92 species of bed bugs. They are found in almost all parts of the world. Let's find out the causes of bed bugs in the following points.

• As we know that the bed bugs feed on animals, they hide themselves in the hair of the animals. Chicken, turkey and some other birds are the most common carriers for them to hide, feed on and travel from one place to another. Some species are capable of traveling on cats too.
• A female bed bug is capable of producing 200-300 eggs at a single time. This shows that even if a single female bed bug invades your house, they can develop an entire colony. And once they increase in number they are very difficult to find and kill.
• You will be surprised to know that the bed bug's eggs can remain in a dormant stage for more than 1 year. Not only this, the bed bugs themselves can stay unfed for more than 1 year. This shows how to get rid of bed bugs is not an easy job.
• As we know bed bugs can stay for a long time without getting feed, they can travel to a long distance. They are wingless but they can travel at least 100 feet a day. Hence if you are staying in an apartment, then beware of other apartments, if even one of them has bed bugs, they can spread to other houses nearby also. Apart from this, they can hide themselves in clothes, suitcases, etc. and thus can travel to other countries too.
• They can be commonly found in hotels and lodges where many people come and stay during vacations.
• Cleanliness is necessary for the house but this doesn't mean it will restrict the entry of bed bugs. They just need plenty of place to hide themselves. Hence keep your house clean but keep a regular check on bed bugs signs.

Bed bugs feed on blood. Hence if you observe small red to brown spots on the mattress, sofas, cushions, furniture and other furnishings etc., with a bad odor then it is possible that there are bed bugs. Most importantly stay away from bed bugs bite. You can recognize the bites as red itchy bumps which can even spread infections and diseases. Hence to get rid of bed bugs you need to implement some good bed bugs treatment or you can also call a professional pest control team which can help you with a permanent solution. At home you can use bed bugs repellent or heat therapy to drive them out of your house. Hope this article was informative and helpful.