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Common Insect Pests
Provided courtesy
Triton Pest Control
Bed Bugs
This
is a pest you rarely hear about anymore, but they are still out there and have
seen a resurgence since the early 1990's. This nuisance pest attacks humans and
animals. Bed bugs suck blood but do not transmit disease or damage property. Bed
bugs have become more prevalent in homeless shelters and among the migrant
worker community. Bed bugs can thrive where overcrowded living conditions and
sanitation are less the ideal.
IDENTIFICATION & BEHAVIOR
Bed bugs are approximately 3/16 inch long and adults are oval and flat with dark red or mahogany coloring. After filling themselves with blood they will grow in size and take on more of a red coloring.
The bed bugs body appears shiny. Their sucking mouthparts pierce the skin and suck the blood of the host. If you are sensitive to the bite you may experience itching and/or swelling in the area of the bite.
The female usually lays between 200 and too eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are deposited in cracks and crevices near their nest or the hosts sleeping area. The eggs hatch in about a week and will mature in four to nine weeks. Bed bugs can survive up to a year without food.
This pest has been known to hide in cracks, crevices and folds of mattresses and upholstered furniture as well as carpeting, cracks in floors and even behind electrical switch plates. Several other possible nesting areas are the folds of drapes and the motor compartment of refrigerators.
CONTROL
Your PMP can apply a residual product in the cracks and crevices of suspected nesting areas, including behind baseboards. It is recommended you vacuum suspected areas of infestation prior to treatment. If you have a current infestation, check areas carefully for any additional harborage.
About the author: Triton Pest Control offers pest control services to their local Pennsylvania customers, as well as online sales of Vector Fly Systems, rodent traps, and more at their website http://www.tritonpestcontrol.com