Bedbugs can live for up to a year with a steady supply of human blood for food. This is the only pest of its kind that has adapted to living with humans by feeding on their blood. They also feed on other warm-blooded creatures like wild animals and even your pets. These are small parasites that measure about 3.16 inches long, are flat and have a reddish color to them. The most aggravating and gross fact is that they feed at night and go mostly unnoticed.
Studies have shown that bed bugs had been linked with insomnia, anemia, and even psychological and emotional problems. A person who is constantly bitten by these insects may have frequent interrupted sleep, and constant feeding by these nasty pests may be the reason for a person low blood count – especially in children. And the physical and emotional problems associated to the unsightly welts and itching caused by their bites last well beyond the actual bite.
Pesky bed bugs thrive in bed sheets, furniture, bed boards, and even picture frames. They create a major public health problem because so many of them can be found in hotels and other public and private places where people rest. This small oval-shaped bug can lay up to 500 eggs during their lifetime. Homeowners can take proactive actions to thwart off bed bugs before they become a big, nastty infestation. A professional exterminator will definitely be able to rid the home of these insects, but you can also at least take these 2 remedial actions on your own before calling a bed bug exterminator: