COBBTF About Bed Bugs – Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force

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Bed bugs are parasitic insects. Human blood is their preferred food, but they will also feed on rodents, bats, birds and pets, if humans arent available.During its life cycle, a bed bug hatches from an egg into a nymph and molts (sheds its old skin) five times before becoming a full sized adult, about the size of an apple seed. Eggs are glued onto a surface by the adult female bed bug. All nymphal stages and adults require blood meals. Bed bugs typically bite at night. However, they also can feed during the daytime.

Adult bed bugs are small, but visible to the naked eye. An adult bed bug is from 1/4 3/8 inches long and reddish brown. Bed bugs have an oval shape with a flattened body when unfed; their body becomes swollen after they have fed. The young nymph (immature) that has just hatched from the egg is less than 1/10 inches long and nearly colorless, but it becomes red after taking a blood meal. There are five nymphal stages, with each stage slightly larger than the preceding one. Nymphs typically are yellowish brown to reddish brown.Bed bugs cannot fly, but they can walk very fast. They are able to cling tightly to surfaces, and they can fit into very small cracks and crevices where they often hide during the day.

Consult your physician regarding bed bug bites. Anti-itching medications and antibiotic salves applied to the skin may be helpful.

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COBBTF About Bed Bugs - Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force

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