BED BUGS
Cimex lectularius L.

	Bedbugs Fleas Ticks

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Appearance:
Bed bugs are reddish brown in color and are wingless. They are roughly oval in shape and become swollen after a blood meal. Bed bugs are dorsoventrally flattened (thin), and this means that they can hide in narrow cracks and crevices. They are also fast runners.

Size:
Approximately 3/16-inch long.

Behavior:
Bed bugs feed on blood and have mouthparts that are especially adapted for piercing skin. Like most blood sucking arthropods, they inject saliva during feeding, which has anticoagulant properties. Bed bugs respond to the warmth and carbon dioxide of a host and quickly locate a suitable feeding site. Most feeding occurs at night, and they generally seek shelter during the day. However, bed bugs are opportunistic and will bite in the day especially if starved for some time. They can survive for long periods without feeding. While their preferred host is human, they will feed on wide variety of other warm-blooded animals including rodents, rabbits, bats, and even birds.

Habitat:
Being a cryptic species, bed bugs shelter in a variety of dark locations; mostly close to where people sleep. These include cracks and crevices such as mattress seams, sheets, floorboards, behind paintings, in carpets, behind skirting, within bed frames and other furniture, and behind loose wallpaper. Bed bugs are often found in hotels and may move from room to room on people’s luggage. Blood spotting on mattresses and nearby furnishings is often a tell tale sign of an infestation.

Health Concerns:
Bed bugs have been implicated in the transmission of a wide variety of infectious agents, although their status as vectors is uncertain. It has been suggested that they might play a role in the spread of Hepatitis B; however experimental evidence does not support this. Bed bug bites becomes itchy welts on the skin that can cause allergic reactions.

Control:
Do you live in Florida and think that this pest may be invading your home? Hulett Environmental Services offers specialty treatments designed to control and eliminate this pest!

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