Facts and Truths About Bed Bugs

Here are a few facts and truths about bed bugs: It has existed in the world since thousands of years, and historically they were first mentioned in ancient Greece way back in 400 BC.
Between 2000 and 2005, the US National Pest and Management Association said there had been a 71 per cent rise in bed bug infestation calls.
The infestation resurgence has been attributed to increasing international travel, new pest-control measures, sale of used furniture and the bug's resistance to various pesticides.
Bed bugs are not nocturnal, although they are more active in the night.
They have been known to feed on people even during the day without being noticed.
They don't just exist in small, dirty homes but can develop even in big houses.
Regular cleaning will help reduce the chances of infestation, though.
They can be very tiny but can be seen with the naked eye.
The babies are the size of a mustard seed, while the adults are the size of an apple seed.
Baby or small bed bugs are called nymphs and they need to shed their skins five times to reach maturity.
It takes only a month for them to fully develop, if the conditions are ideal.
It do not transmit any disease, although they can cause irritation and rashes which can be more of a nuisance than a life-threatening condition.
The bugs and their eggs can be carried over from a pet, infested furniture, clothes and bags.
A female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs throughout her life and the size of the eggs is as small as a speck of dust.
The creatures which prey on bed bugs are ants, cockroaches, spiders, centipedes and the masked hunter insect.
It can be removed through vacuuming, heat and dry treatment, using certain pesticides, but it is better to get a professional pest control expert to get rid of them effectively.
They cannot fly or jump as they do not have any wings.
They are mostly nestled in the hundreds of threads present on the bed.
They can live for almost a year in cool conditions without feeding at all.
In warm conditions they want to feed four to five times a day, but adults can continue to live without feeding for around five months.
When a bug feeds on a human, the latter's DNA will stay in its system for 90 days and hence analyzing the blood of a bed bug can be helpful for forensic purposes.
Beg bugs are very resilient and can live in varied temperatures and weather conditions.
Adult bed bugs also have the ability to go into semi-hibernation and can live for a longer duration.