Though the thought of bed bugs may make people cringe, the small insects exist worldwide. In the past 10 years, researchers report a resurgence in bed bug populations, even though they have not identified a reason for this increase, according to Dr. Barb Ogg, University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension educator, in the article "Managing Bed Bugs."
Adult Bed Bugs
Reddish-brown in color, the tiny adult bed bugs measure anywhere from 3/8 to 1/4 inches long with a flat, wingless body. Younger bed bugs have a light brown or yellowish color. However, bed bugs may appear red after they have consumed the blood of a host. After feeding, the bed bugs may look bloated, almost like a different bug, according to Ogg.
Eggs
Female bed bugs can lay up to two or more eggs a day, laying thousands of eggs in a lifetime, according to Michael F. Potter, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture extension entomologist, in the article, "Bed Bugs." Without magnifying them, humans may not see the tiny eggs. The eggs are whitish in color and have a stickiness, which accounts for why the eggs attach to various surfaces. Later the bed bug eggs develop a red eye spot.
Nymph Stage
When the eggs hatch, bed bugs at the nymph stage look like "straw-colored" dots about the size of a "pinhead." Then, the nymphs continue to shed or molt "five times before reaching maturity," according to Potter. Between each molting, the nymphs need a "blood meal." In optimum conditions with temperatures between 70 to 80 degrees, bed bugs can reach maturity in a month, but cooler temperatures as well as limited access to blood may extend this growth period.
Habitat
Bed bugs can live 6 to 12 months without food, Ogg writes, and the insects can survive in vacant apartment buildings or hotel rooms. They tend to live near wherever humans sleep, hiding in spaces and cracks in woodwork, beds, walls and other areas. At night, bed bugs come out of their hiding to feed on unsuspecting hosts. Unlike ants, bed bugs "do not have nests" but "congregate" wherever they hide, Potter writes. In fact, on closer inspection, bed bug areas may show staining, "dried excrement," molted skin, blood from squashed bugs and bed bugs.
Feeding
The bed bugs with their flattened bodies feed "solely on the blood of animals," Potter writes, and the bed bug typically found living with and around humans is the Cimex lectularius. Even though this particular bed bug prefers humans, The Cimex lectularius "will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents," according to Potter. Bed bug bites on humans typically occur on the neck, face and upper body; however, humans can find bites around their ankles and legs.
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