Bed Bugs—Still Biting Us After More Than 2,000 Years

Bed bugs are tiny non-flying bugs that belong to the insect family Cimicidae, including 3 species that bite people. The adult bugs get to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) long, while nymphs are about 1/20 of an inch (1.5 mm).

These bugs are sometimes incorrectly recognized as ticks or little roaches. They're reddish brown, oblong and flat, around the dimensions of an orange seed.

The bugs may be in just about any crevice or shielded area. The most typical area to see them is the mattress.

They frequently go into hiding inside stitches, tussocks and cracks of the box spring. The bed frame, mattress and headboard might hold bed bugs or their eggs.

Females lay around two hundred eggs, generally around the rate of 3 or 4 each day, in crevices and cracks in the floor or bed furniture.

They lay their eggs following a blood dinner, usually from people.

The bugs tend to be most lively through the night.

They bite just about any uncovered parts of skin while a person is asleep. The head, the neck and throat, arms and hands are normal places for bed bug attacks.

Discovering these bugs in your house has nothing to do with poor cleanliness! Just one bug needs to latch on to your clothing or furniture, even a suitcase, to invade your home. What's even worse is they may be present up to twelve months without ingesting any of your blood.

Bed Bug History

The bug (Cimex lectularius) has been a parasite of people throughout written record. The bug's adjustment to people is so complete that the bite is almost never sensed until the bug has left its prey.

Bed bugs have been described in historical Greece around 400 B.C. Initially written and published around 75 AD in Rome, Pliny's Natural History stated that these bugs have medical benefit for conditions like snake bites as well as ear infection.

Firm belief for the healing use of bed bugs remained, right up until the 1700s, when some prescribed their use in treating anxiety.

Treatment Options

To treat for bed bugs, try using orange oil products, plant oil products and diatomaceous earth. A capful of a d-limonene product for each washer load ought to thoroughly clean the bedding while not doing harm to the material.

It's likely, though, that you won't get rid of bed bugs that easily. See Eliminating Bed Bugs Yourself for more on the various options you have.

If this page was valuable for you, please share your new knowledge. Click Like...