We’ve written about warning signs of bed bugs, how to prevent them and how to be cautious when travelling. The truth is, there is so much to know when it comes to these pests. This week we are talking about their stages of life and how to be spot them as they grow!
Bed bugs are nocturnal pests feeding on the blood of humans and also other warm blooded animals. (Maybe your pets too!) They are wingless insects, but they cannot jump. They move by crawling and climbing to different places.
Bed bugs originally begin as eggs in a grain-like size (up to 1mm, almost two grains of salt!) and are milky white in colour. Female bed bugs lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime, about 5-12 eggs per day. These eggs are usually placed in tight cracks either in groups or individually on their own. The eggs hatch within a week and the newborn bugs feed immediately.
Young bed bugs also known as nymphs. They are a yellow-white colour and pass through five growing stages before they become mature. In order to move to the final stage, they require a blood meal. When they become mature they are reddish-brown in colour. The nymphs can become adults within 5 weeks at normal room temperatures.
It’s much easier to identify a bed bug if you know the different stages and what it looks like throughout those stages. In addition, be sure to look for the earliest warning signs such as exoskeletons, blood spots and faecal matter. If you have identified one in your home call Advantage Pest Control immediately to schedule an inspection.
– Paolo Bassio
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