Bed bugs are a species of insect from the family Cimicidae. Cimicidae are blood sucking parasites that feed on birds and/or mammals. In nature there are many of this type of bug. Some examples are: bat bugs, poultry bugs, and swallow bugs. But bed bugs are the only species that has adapted to living entirely with humans. They do not come into your house by way of your yard. These insects are carried in through the front door.
Where bed bugs live?
Bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, cabins, resorts, luxury lines, airplanes, movie theaters, trains, buses, taxis, and in the homes of friends and family. Despite what you may have heard, bed bugs are not limited to only dirty places. These bugs can be found in 5-star accommodations and in the cleanest of homes. If you traveled during the holidays there is a chance you could have carried these bugs home.
What can one bug do?
It doesn't even take a single bed bug to infest your home; all it takes is a few eggs. A female bed bug will leave her eggs in a bed seam, luggage seam, fold of cloth, or piece of upholstery. These eggs are tiny, sticky, and easily missed in the bottom of your suitcase or on a crease of your travel pillow.
Bed bug larvae are so tiny they can fit through a stitch-hole in a mattress. If hatched larvae get into your clothes or bags they can easily avoid detection.
Inside your home, these bugs will begin to multiply quickly. A bed bug can go from larvae to breeding age in under a month. With each female able to have 1-5 eggs each day, it doesn't take long for populations to grow.
What do I do if I suspect bed bugs?
Call a professional like Action Pest Control. If you are outside of their massive coverage area, consider getting a pest control company like them. The key to proper bed bug detection and elimination is K-9 bed bugs sniffers. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and can detect live bed bug eggs, larvae, and adults. These are incredibly elusive bugs. K-9 inspectors take the guess work out of treating for these bugs.
If you traveled during the holidays and suspect bed bugs in your Louisville home, call Action Pest Control and get a bed bug inspection. Stop these bugs before they can feast, and before inconvenient measures have to be taken to eradicate them.