Bedbugs are past that can be taken care of by a local Broken Arrow exterminator. But if you’re having problems with these, you’re probably not getting much sleep at night. These insects prey upon us when we are most vulnerable. They feed upon us when we’re sleeping. Because of this reason bedbugs can be a huge psychological burden on many people. And the fact is that their numbers are getting larger and larger. This means that these infestations are becoming more numerous and more commonplace. In this article, we will take a good look at bedbugs, their life cycle, and what we can do to protect ourselves from these parasites.
BEDBUG HISTORY AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATORS
The bedbugs that your Broken Arrow exterminator fights everyday have been a part of humanity’s story for centuries. Archaeologists have found cave paintings with the pictures of bedbugs in them. The Romans talked about them in their writings. The Greeks did as well. The middle ages we can find spell books to contains potions, using crushed bedbugs. These insects have found their way into our beds throughout history.
Many scientist believe that they are a distant relative to an insect known as a bat bug. Bat bugs look almost exactly the same as a bedbug. In fact, it takes an entomologist to know the difference between the two. But the major difference in the two insects, the bat bugs feed upon the blood of bats, while bedbugs feed upon the blood of humans. It’s believed that many years ago, when humans lived in caves, bat bugs infested the bats that slept above them. In the middle of the night, some of these bat bugs, crawled down the walls and started feeding on the humans. These insects developed a taste for human blood and became the modern day bedbug.
BEDBUG PESTICIDES AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Bedbugs were pretty much synonymous with every human city or village for centuries, until the 1940s. At this time, a new pesticide came on the scene that many Broken Arrow exterminators used called DDT. This miracle pesticide stopped lots of insects in their tracks. The bedbug was no different. People would soak their mattresses and sheets in DDT, almost wiping these insects almost off the face of the earth. But, of course, DDT turned out not to be the miracle that people thought it was. It was found out that this pesticide caused cancer in people so it use was discontinued. While bedbugs almost went extinct over DDT, some of their numbers survived. These pests have been making a resurgence ever since. Every year the number of infestations grows exponentially.
BEDBUG LIFECYCLE AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
Bedbugs are unique insects, in the fact that they develop using an incomplete metamorphosis. They start as an egg, usually placed in the seams of the mattress. Once the egg hatches, a nymph emerges. This nymph is a smaller version of the adult bedbug. The nymph will be a clear translucent yellow in color until it feeds for its first time. Once it feeds, the blood will stain in its insides, giving it that brownish red color that it will maintain for the rest of its life.
As the insect feeds and grows, it will eventually outgrow its exoskeleton. At this point it will have to molt, or shed its skin. Much like a snake, these insects will need a lot of energy to shed the exoskeleton, revealing a new, more supple exoskeleton underneath. To do this it will feed just before it molts. The molting process will happen five times in the lifetime of a bedbug before it reaches adulthood. Each time it will need to feed before shedding its new skin. When it molts for the fifth time, it will be a full grown adult ready to reproduce. Your Broken Arrow exterminator can help you with that.
BEDBUG REPRODUCTION AND BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
When adult bedbugs reproduce, and they use a process known as traumatic insemination. Female bedbugs do not have openings in their exoskeleton to use for reproduction. Because of this, the males will break the outside exoskeleton of a female in order to insert the reproductive material into her body. This, of course, is not comfortable for the female at all. In situations where we have super high populations, it’s common for the females to start crawling up the walls in order to get away from the males. If you’re seeing bedbugs at the top of your ceilings and walls in your home, you probably have a fairly large infestation. Once the female has been inseminated, she will find a safe place to lay her eggs. This will usually be in the seams of mattresses or other hiding spots. This is where we find many adult bugs hiding.
If you think you have bedbugs in your home, it’s time to look for the signs. The number one sign that we usually see are the little black and red dots all over the sheets and mattresses. Wherever these insects lie dormant, they will leave these marks showing their presence. The red marks are where the insect has fed upon a human. The small red dot is caused by a little bit of blood draining out onto the sheet or mattress. After they feed, they will have the need to defecate. This is what causes the small black dots. Because of this, often you’ll see these dots wherever bedbugs are hiding. They’re often found in the mattress seams and in the joints in the bed frame. They can also hide inside the walls, but will prefer to be as close to their food source as possible.
GETTING HELP FROM YOUR BROKEN ARROW EXTERMINATOR
If you’re having an issue with bedbugs, or any other insects, it’s time to call the best Broken Arrow exterminator in the business. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in the business when it comes to bedbugs or any other pests. We service the greater Tulsa area, including Owasso, Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Sand, Springs, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Jenks, Bixby, Turley, and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!
