A Day in the Life of a Bed Bug in Lexington, KY

Bed bugs have become an epidemic throughout the country. These small, brown, and oval shaped bugs live on the blood of animals or humans and can infest houses and buildings in a hauntingly fast manner. Because bed bugs are being seen more and more frequently, it is important to be well informed about these insects to prevent your home from becoming the next infestation ground. At IPM Pest & Termite, your best choice for pest control in Lexington, Kentucky, we want to help you better understand this insect so you can prevent it from taking over your home.

As stated, bed bugs are small, brown, oval shaped insects that are flat, and appear to be about the size of an apple seed. But, these bugs do not start out this way. Bed bugs are hatched from eggs. Female bed bugs can lay between one and five eggs a day and over five hundred eggs in their lifetime. These eggs are usually in clusters and in tight, hard to reach cracks. Within two weeks these eggs, that are roughly the size of two grains of salt, hatch and produce an immature bug. Young bed bugs, nymphs, shed their skin five times until they reach the appropriate age for feeding. While adult bed bugs are brownish in color, nymphs are yellow or white. Within five weeks and a first feeding the nymphs reach maturity. When they have reached full maturity bed bugs feed once a week. They use their elongated beaks to draw blood from their food, their bodies swell until they are full, and then they crawl away to await their next feeding. Bed bug bites are painless when they first occur and later turn into to itchy welts that can appear anywhere on the body. While most active bed bugs live around five months, it is possible for them to live up to a year, even if they are not feeding. Because bed bugs do not have nests, hide in tight spaces, and are hard to find, they can produce over three generations of bugs in just one year and before you even become aware that there is a real problem, the infestation may already be out of control.

Because these bugs are so small and flat, they can easily slip into your house undetected on clothing, luggage, used furniture, and bedding. While initially they may start out in your bedframe, seams of your mattress, and headboards where they can easily access their food, over time they will scatter through the room and infest more and more locations throughout your home. To keep your home infestation free, look for signs of bed bugs if you wake up itchy.

If you are concerned that you may have bed bugs and want to make sure your infestation is taken care of properly, contact IPM Pest & Termite. The best of Lexington pest control, our experts can make sure your home is bed bug free in a safe and professional manner. As a member of Angie’s List and holding an A+ BBB rating, we can guarantee that our services will meet all of your standards.