bedbugs

1. How Do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs
Fo the majority of people asking the question, how do you know if
you have bed bugs, it's quite clear to me that they don't have bed
bugs in their home. And why is that, you may well ask! For the
simple reason that they would know very fast if they had, as the
very first sign of bed bugs in the home is usually bed bug bites.
The unfortunate aspect of the present bed bug epidemic is that bed
bugs require a live host to feed on. As soon as they move into any
protected area, such as a persons home, the first thing they will do
is locate anyone who is sleeping. That is their modus operandi.
Unlike other parasites, such as cockroaches and fleas, a bed bugs
only source of food is blood. Although they can feed on the blood of
certain birds, bats and animals, it's usually the human type they
seek.
They are attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide
(CO2), which is what we exhale when breathing. Bed bugs have a
beak like head, and bite by piercing the victims skin with two hollow
tubes.
One tube is used to inject saliva containing anticoagulants and an
anesthetic. This is to prevent your blood from clotting and also to
numb the area, and thereby prevent you feeling any pain. The
second tube is used to suck your blood.
How do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs © 2011 Jenny Hill

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Usually, the first signs of bed bugs in your home, is when you or
someone else gets bitten. There are many other ways to detect
their presence, but unless it’s a fairly heavy infestation, you will be
unlikely to notice.
So the first thing to do, if somebody has gotten an insect bite, is
determine if they are bed bug bites. Although its not unusual to get
bitten by bed bugs elsewhere, its usually whilst in bed that it
happens.
Different people will react in different ways. For some, they might
not notice the bite until many hours or even days later. While for
others it could be very soon after the bite.
Bites caused by bed bugs can resemble those of many other kinds
of blood feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas, but are
different in that they often follow a distinctive pattern of a linear line
of more than one bite.
This pattern is caused if the bed bug is disturbed when feeding,
such as the person being bitten, moving in their sleep. Once the
host has settled again, the bed bug resumes feeding. Also, bed bug
bites often occur in lines following the paths of blood vessels
running close to the surface of the skin.
A single bed bug will usually bite more than once around the same
area, but if you have bites in different areas of the body, its
indicative of being bitten by more than one.
The bites will manifest themselves as flat welts or raised red bumps
and will cause very intense itching, being a dermatological reaction
to the injected anticoagulants and anesthetics.
How do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs © 2011 Jenny Hill

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However, to be absolutely sure that a bite is due to a bed bug, you
will need to view some pictures of bed bug bites. Only then, will you
not have to anymore ponder the question, how do you know if you
have bed bugs?
Although it's unlikely that bed bugs will have established a foothold
in your home before you get any bed bug bites, there are also some
preliminary checks to should undertake to be sure.
Some other signs indicating the presence of bed bugs are blood
stains from crushed bugs, or by rusty (sometimes dark) spots of
excrement (digested blood) on sheets and mattresses, bed clothes,
and walls.
Fecal spots, eggshells, and shed skins may be found in the vicinity
of their hiding places. It can also happen, that an offensive, sweet,
musty odor may be detected when bed bug infestations are severe.
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How do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs © 2011 Jenny Hill