Bed bugs belong to the family Cimicidae and class insecta. They are flat, oval and wingless. These are reddish-brown bugs that are usually less then 7mm long, have moderately long, slender antennae, thin legs and vestigial wings in the form of stubs.
Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, bed bugs can live over 300 days.
They can run surprisingly fast. They are found in human habitations, particularly bedrooms and feed upon human blood. Lacking human blood, this insect will feed on the blood of rats, mice, rabbits or chickens. It can survive without food for up to 15 months.
The bed bug is not known to transmit any human diseases. Bed bugs were brought to North America by early colonists.
Elimination of bed bugs from a structure is unlike any other pest control challenge. It requires joint efforts of the client and the pest management expert. Through preparation of the site by the client, a thorough inspection, precise and targeted treatment of the bug harborage sites are the key to successful bed bug control.
