Bed bugs can be stopped if you contact your Broken Arrow exterminator today. These bugs are an insect that victimize us in the middle the night as we try to sleep. They are blood feeders who hide in secret in our bed mattresses and sheets. They wait until we are fast asleep before they attack, trying to take the blood from our veins. These disgusting little insects can steal your sleep and your peace of mind. So, if you’re having an issue with bed bugs, then let’s figure this thing out. In this article, let’s take a good hard look at bed bugs, their lifecycle, and what you and your Broken Arrow exterminator can do to protect your home from them.
BED BUG HISTORY AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Bed bugs have been around for as long as we have. We have cave paintings that have pictures on the walls of bed bugs. Writing from the Romans discussing how they have dealt with bed bugs are found in many museums. There are spell books from the Middle Ages that use crushed bed bugs in their potions. Even the Egyptian‘s have hieroglyphics written on their walls referring to bed bugs.
Most entomologists believe that bed bugs began as a relative of the bat bug. The bat bug looks almost exactly the same as the bed bug and feeds on the blood of bats. It’s believed that when we were still living in caves, bats roosted above us as we slept. These bat bugs would feed upon the sleeping bats. Eventually, some of them decided that they would come down and start feeding on us sleeping below. These were the first bed bugs.
Bed bugs ran rampant through our population until the 1940s. It was at this time that a brand new pesticide came on the scene. This pesticide was known as DDT. DDT was a miracle chemical. It could kill any bug and was extremely effective against the bed bug. People would actually hose down their sheets and beds with DDT killing off many bed bug infestations. In fact, the insect almost went extinct during this time period. But unfortunately, scientists realized that DDT was a carcinogenic. Because it caused cancer, they stop the sale of this pesticide. Ever since then, bed bugs have been getting larger in population every year. Contact your Broken Arrow exterminator for help with dealing with bed bugs.
BED BUG LIFE CYCLE AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Bed bugs develop using an incomplete metamorphosis. This means that they are born from an egg and hatch as a nymph. A nymph is a smaller version of the adult bed bug. In order to grow from the size it is to the adult size, it must molt or shed its exoskeleton. It will do this five times during its lifecycle. Each time it molts, it must take a blood meal in order to have the energy to go through the process. Once it gets to full grown adult hood, then it will search for a mate.
The mating process of a bed bug is known as traumatic insemination. The female does not have any openings in her exoskeleton in order to reproduce so she must wait for a male to break open her exoskeleton and insert his reproductive material. Once this happens, she will take a blood meal before she lays the eggs in order to have the energy. Then she’ll lay eggs usually in the seams of a mattress, or some other hidden place protected from predators or other dangers. Then her job is done and the life cycle will start over again. Bed bugs do not care if they mate with relatives. Parents and children or brothers and sisters, can still mate and still produce completely healthy bed bugs. Contact your Broken Arrow exterminator for help with bed bugs.
BED BUG SIGNS AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Is it important that your are able to identify a bed bug in order to find them. The bed bug in it’s adult phase is about the size and shape of an apple seed. It’s an orangeish brown in color and can usually be seen between the mattress seams where it likes to hide. The eggs are a whitish yellow in color also found in the mattress seams. They are usually about the size of a small grain of rice. After the egg hatches, and the first nymph emerges, it’s about the size of a head of a pin. It’s usually translucent in color until it takes its first blood meal and then it takes on that orangeish yellow color.
When bed bugs bite, they will often spill a little blood. Often you can see small, red dots on your sheets, pillows and mattresses. In addition, they will often defecate after they’ve eaten. You can find black dots in the same places. If you are seeing red and black dots on your mattresses, pillows or sheets, then it’s time to call in a Broken Arrow exterminator for help.
In addition, you can also see bites usually on your skin. This can be a little more subjective because some people don’t respond to the bed bug bike at all. Other people get large rashes. And still others will get small bites that are itchy. It’s hard to identify bed bugs simply from their bites or anything else that is biting you. That’s why it’s important to see other signs if you’re dealing with bed bugs. Contact your Broken Arrow exterminator for help.
ELIMINATING BED BUGS
If you’re dealing with bed bugs, or any other pest control problems, then it is time to call a Broken Arrow exterminator that can help. Here at TermMax pest control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with bed bugs, or any other parasites. We service the greater Tulsa area, including Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Prattville, Coweta, Catoosa, Claremore, Owasso, Turley, Jenks, Bixby, and so much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!