Bed Bug Basics

Description

Color: Brown or Reddish Brown (After Feeding)

Shape: Broadly Oval & Flat, Looks like an apple seed and is about the same size.

Bed bugs are elusive, nocturnal creatures and come out at night to feed exclusively on blood.
Bed bugs are very resilient and may live up to 12 months without a blood meal.
Bed bugs are not caused by poor sanitation or ones’ social status.
Bed bugs are not limited to the bed or the bedroom but instead will disperse throughout a
dwelling. They will crawl considerable distances to obtain a blood meal.
Bed bugs like to hide in small cracks and crevices close to where humans rest & sleep. They can
be found behind baseboards, upholstery, and in furniture crevices. Other places to check are
wall hangings such as picture frames, night stands, stuffed furniture, floorboard cracks, behind
loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, conduits, etc. In heavy infestations,
bed bugs may be found in wall voids, attics, and other enclosed places.
Bed bugs can be introduced into a structure via furniture or in the belongings of someone who
has been living in a bed bug infested situation.
Bed bugs like to travel and will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near a food supply.

Create a Plan of Action to educate yourself, your staff and customers about bed bugs and what to
do if there is a possible bed bug sighting.
A Plan of Action will help you act quickly and effectively and cost you or your company less in
the long run.

Bed bug have not been demonstrated to be effective transmitters of disease.
Not everyone reacts to bed bug bites and some have delayed reactions to the bite. Bite symptoms often
appear in rows of several or more bites.
Bed bugs bite symptoms typically appear as red, itchy welts but can vary from one individual to the next.