Bed Bugs and how to find them
Adult bed bugs are light brown or a reddish-brown, flat and oval-shaped. Bed bugs have segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. Adults grow to 4–5 mm long and 1.5 to 3 mm wide. When hatched they are translucent and a lot lighter in color. A bed bug nymph of any age that has just consumed a blood meal has a bright red, translucent abdomen, fading to brown over the next several hours, and to opaque black within two days as the insect begins to feed.
Bed bugs obtain all the additional moisture they need from water vapor in the surrounding air. Bed bugs are attracted to their hosts primarily by carbon dioxide, or by heat. Bedbugs prefer exposed skin, preferably the face, neck, and arms of a sleeping person. The sensitivity from different people vary from extreme allergic reaction to no reaction at all. The bite usually produces a swelling without red spots. If many bed bugs feed on the same area small reddish spots may appear after the swelling subsides.
How to find Bed Bugs
Look closely all around the bed. The edge of the mattress is called piping and needs to be inspected. Look under and tags of the mattress and box spring. Take your box spring and flip it over and follow the edges with a flashlight. Most box springs have either white or clear plastic tabs on the corners, pull each one down and look on the inside.
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