Bed Bugs infestations are becoming more and more common around Kansas City each year. 97% of pest management professionals have treated for bed bugs in 2022. Bed Bugs are parasitic-type insects that only feed on the blood of humans and animals. What makes it worse is you could get a Bed Bug infestation through no fault of your own. Bed Bugs do not discriminate where they infest. A Bed Bug will go wherever you will take them. Bed Bugs move from place to place on things like luggage, used couches, and used mattresses are just a few of the free modes of transportation they get. The three most common places for infestation are single-family homes, apartments, and hotels. Other common places include nursing homes, public buses, office buildings, and hospitals. This is why most infestations are not your fault, you can come across Bed Bugs and bring them home from almost anywhere.
Life Cycle of Bed Bugs
The Bed Bugs themselves go through many different stages in life before they hit adulthood. The first stage of the life cycle is the egg stage. Once hatched, they go through four different nymph stages before the adult stage. An egg will resemble the size and color of two grains of salt next to each other. There are between one and five eggs laid each day by adult females, which will hatch a week later. The nymph stage lasts up to five weeks. Through each of the next steps of the life-cycle, they will molt growing larger until they reach the size of an adult. In appearance, they will have the same body shape as the adults but will be much smaller and yellow. Adults most commonly live around four to six months. But under favorable conditions, they can live up to a year without a meal. Due to their blood meal diet, their color changes to a brownish appearance. They are flat-shaped insects, so they can fit in small spaces, such as creases in furniture.
How do Bed Bugs Spread in Your Home?
The most common way someone’s home becomes infested with Bed Bugs is from bringing used furniture that is already infested with Bed Bugs. The problem is, not many people know how to recognize the signs of a bed bug infestation. These bugs will hide in the tiny crevices in this furniture and are easy to miss when you bring that furniture into your home. Once that furniture has been brought back, the Bed Bugs will spread to different rooms. Another common way for an infestation to begin is to bring Bed Bugs back from vacation. Bed Bugs will catch a ride on your suitcases or clothing inside and then spread through the home upon your return. In most cases, an infestation early on is difficult to diagnose, unless in the case of used furniture, which will be easier to identify signs such as live Bed Bugs, eggs, and molted nymphs.
Once an infestation has grown, the signs begin to get a little more prevalent. These signs are still difficult to recognize for anyone who may not know what they are looking for. The University of Kentucky conducted a study that found that 84% of pest control professionals have been contacted about different pests before identifying the problem as Bed Bugs. There are a few different signs; that can tell you there is a bed bug infestation. Seeing brown spots on the infested area will be a fecal matter of the Bed Bug, blood spots on your sheets, Bed Bug eggs found, molts of nymphs, and of course seeing a live Bed Bug. These will primarily be found in crevices on any furniture or mattress, so check the stitching, cushion zippers, and even flipping the furniture. You will also notice sporadic bites as the infestation is still growing and only the adults are feeding regularly. Bed Bugs feed at night numbing the bite area, which is why you wake up with these bites not knowing where they came from.
How do I Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
There are two ways to treat bed bugs, chemical, and heat. A heat treatment will be the most effective treatment that will kill adults, nymphs, and eggs. If you are looking for a Bed Bug Treatment in Kansas City, Blue Beetle is the top Bed Bug company in the KC area with openings now for bed bugs. If you want to learn more about what attracts bed bugs, check out this article: https://bluebeetlepest.com/what-attracts-bed-bugs/
