Adult bedbugs are indeed visible to the human eye — although some of us may need to put on our prescription glasses. Bedbugs are usually about the size of an apple seed, which is about 5 to 7 millimeters long, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The adults can easily be seen with the naked eye. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color, wingless, and are about the size of an apple seed. Immature bed bugs (there are 5 immature or nymphal instar stages) can also be seen with the naked eye but they are smaller than adults, and translucent whitish-yellow in color.
Signs of Infestation
Blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases. Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrement on sheets and mattresses, bed clothes, and walls. Bedbug fecal spots, egg shells, or shed skins in areas where bedbugs hide. An offensive, musty odor from the bugs' scent glands.
A bed bug infestation that's been going on for a while will often show up in the form of black, brown, reddish-brown, or just general dark spots on your sheets or mattress. These spots appear as the infestation grows. They're the result of droppings and crushed bugs.
Like fleas, bedbugs also survive on blood. They are small, reddish brown, and oval shaped. You may not see them during the day because they hide in dark places.
Ultimately, it can take mere minutes to travel from room-to-room, with infestations growing in a matter of weeks or months. Every day, bed bugs can lay between one and 12 eggs, and anywhere from 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime.
Mattresses and pillows make potential habitats for bed bugs. Pillows may also be host to bed bug eggs, making them a potential point of bed bug infestations. A possible sign that bed bugs have infested pillows may be the appearance of bites.
It's true that bed bugs can inhabit any bed, but there are definitely places which are more high risk than others. Bed bugs are rife in places that have a higher turnover of occupancy, such as: Hotels and hostels.
Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line.
When bed bugs infest, they will leave blood stains on sheets, pillowcases, blankets, mattresses, box springs, furniture, carpets, molding, and more. These stains may be red but, most of the time, they appear tan or brown. Significant staining is associated with areas of infestation.
Myth: Bed bugs live in dirty places. Reality: Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood and carbon dioxide. However, clutter offers more hiding spots.
They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.
Do Bed Bugs Usually Stay In One Room? Since bed bugs do not have wings and do not jump, some people incorrectly assume that they tend to stay in one room and not travel much. However, this is not true. Bed bugs move around quickly and seek any place where they can find their next blood meal (i.e. humans).
Call A Professional Pest Control Company To Treat Your Bed Bugs. It is important to note here that simply throwing out your current bed and buying a brand new mattress will not stop the infestation. Bed bugs actually do leave your mattress and it's not uncommon for them to now be in the carpet or on your couch as well.
Bed Bug Feeding
The bugs can bite several times in a night to become full but only feed about once every one or two weeks. People that have only small numbers of the bugs in their homes may not experience new bites every night.
Tea Tree oil is also known to kill and repel bedbugs. Add a few drops to your spray bottle of rubbing alcohol for a “two for one” treatment. Remember that Tea Tree oil is extremely potent so more is NOT better. A steam cleaner can do a great job killing bedbugs.
One bed bug in a home is not always a sign that a significant infestation is present. If you found the one-bed bug, killed it and can't find any more after a thorough search, wait for a few days… bed bugs don't take time off; if there are more, they will try and fed every day if possible. Be Vigilant!
Bed bugs live throughout the year, but there is a particular time during each year when bed bug infestations become more common. In normal years, bed bug “season” peaks in the months of August and September when most families have returned from their travels, and bugs have a chance to gain a foothold.
Bed bugs are most active between midnight and 3 am. They are rarely active during daylight hours, and only come out when attracted by the warmth and carbon dioxide released from a body at rest.
No, you do not need to throw out your mattress after a bed bug infestation. In fact, this is discouraged entirely. Disposing bed bug infested items can be seen as reckless, as it could contribute to the infestation spreading.
They are visible to the naked eye. Adult bed bugs are usually brown in colour. When filled with blood, their colour ranges from red to dark brown. They are oval in shape and about the size of a flattened apple seed, 4 to 7 mm in length.
Non-chemical control tools and tactics like vacuuming are important components of effective bed bug control. Vacuuming alone cannot eliminate bed bugs (except possibly in a very limited new infestation), and vacuuming is typically used in conjunction with insecticide treatment and other non-chemical controls.