How Does a Bed Bug Infestation Occur

How Does a Bed Bug Infestation Occur?

There is what you need to know about bed bugs control and infestation. Bedbugs are tiny oval brownish insect which live on blood of humans and animals. They have flat bodies which makes it easy for them to fit into the smallest space available. After feeding, their bodies swell and become reddish in colour. Bedbugs do not fly but they move over the floor very fast. The female bedbug usually lays hundreds of eggs each of which is the size of a speck of dust over a lifetime. Nymphs which are immature bedbugs, shed their skins five times before they reach the adult stage and in order to achieve this feat, they need a meal of blood before each shedding. When exposed to favourable conditions, bedbugs can develop fully into adult to produce three more generations within one year.

Bedbugs have a secretive lifestyle that makes it hard for them to be detected easily. Normally, few bedbugs start an infestation. In fact, if your house is only infested with a male bedbug, you can be guaranteed that there will not be an infestation. However, if there are female bedbugs in the few bedbugs in your home, then soon there will be a takeover. When there is sufficient meal, the female bedbugs lay around 3 eggs on a daily basis. These eggs which are usually the size of dust are cemented on the discreet surfaces near the host and hatch after about 10 days. The nymphs which look more like the adults but smaller will require blood each time they molt to become adults. They have a maximum of five molts before they become adults and start mating. The entire cycle for egg to a mated adult may last between one and half to two months.

Bedbugs’ infestation usually starts small. They feed their host’s blood sporadically and most often they go unnoticed. Being secretive animals, they feed on sleeping hosts and most of the time; the first few bites are often overlooked. However, with time, evidence will build up. Given the fact that bedbugs are known to be social insects, great numbers of nymphs and adults might be found living together. As the nymph continues to develop into adults and more eggs are produced, their community continues to grow. The females will be forced to migrate to areas with less activity to lay their eggs. Male bedbugs are known to constantly want to mate with the females hence they follow them to their new hatcheries. This behaviour is believed to be the one promoting the sudden spread out of the bedbugs. During this time, the bedbugs will be pooping and molting hence their movement can easily be detected.

As the population increases in the hiding places near the host, more and more of the bedbugs are forced to seek for more shelter in new areas far from the feeding site. This is how the bedbugs end up infesting your home.