Bed bugs
Do bugs belong to the past?
We find them mainly in army camps and prison cells, but sometimes also in houses, hotels, theaters, airplanes, boats, trains, buses and other places.
What are bugs?
They are parasitic insects infecting mankind for more than 3500 years. There are at least 92 known species all around the world. The most common species is lectularius Cimex, which is better adapted to human environment.
Development stages
Eggs:
female bugs can lay more than 500 eggs during their lives, with a rate of 5 eggs per day. Eggs, at the beginning, are white and sticky and as small as dust particles. They are usually found in dark, protected places like gaps in the walls and floors, cracks in furniture, under sofas’ pillows, under wallpapers, etc. These eggs will usually hatch after one to three weeks, according to the temperature. The higher the temperature, the shorter the hatching time.
Pupae:
Pupa stage consists of 5 sub stages, during which bugs are fed on blood, having one meal per sub stage. Pupa stage can last from several weeks, under favorable conditions, to one year, when temperatures are low and there are no mammals around to bite and feed on.
Adults:
An adult bug can bite as long as 10 minutes or more and take as much blood as 6 times its body weight. Very often the ‘victim’ does not realize that he or she is being bitten.
Symptoms
Bugs have a long snout with two hollow tubes. One of the tubes is used for sucking blood, while the other is used for pouring saliva, which contains antiseptic substances, responsible for the pain. Although the meal lasts for 3-10 minutes, most of the people do not feel the bite during that time. The bites, in some cases, do not cause any symptoms, while in other cases can cause itching, red skin and swelling, as a reaction to bug’s saliva. Most people can not distinguish bug’s bite from that of a mosquito. As a consequence, bugs will reproduce undisturbed and only when they become very annoying, people start searching, in order to control them.
Spread of diseases
Bugs are not responsible for spreading any infectious diseases. The only disturbance is concentrated to the red skin symptoms from their bites. This is due to an allergic reaction to bug’s saliva poured in the wound during their meal.
Places we usually find bugs
We usually ‘catch’ bugs from travellers’luggage, clothes, furniture and anything else that is contaminated. It is very usual to find bugs in our house when we have a soldier as a guest, due to the fact that bugs are mainly found in army camps.
When they are established in the house, it is easy to move from one room to another. Although bugs are usually found in the seams and the inside of mattresses, in cracks of boxes, on bed edges, these are not the only places they can be found in.
Taking in consideration that bugs feed on blood, their presence has nothing to do with cleanliness. They can infect a luxurious hotel as well as an army camp.
Definition of bugs’ presence
The only way to define if bites are coming from bugs, is to examine if they are in a line. The next thing to do is to find their hiding place.
To control bugs, we use pyrethrinoid insecticides in the form of spray, which must be done by professional staff, in order to have good results and get rid of these annoying insects the soonest
To control bugs, we use pyrethrinoid insecticides in the form of spray, which must be done by professional staff, in order to have good results and get rid of these annoying insects the soonest
