10 interesting facts about bed bugs from a bed bug exterminator in Suffolk County, NY

While bed bugs are known for being disgusting, blood sucking pests, and nothing more than a nuisance – they do have some traits that are surprisingly attention grabbing. In fact, bed bugs have been around for so long that there are references about them in ancient Egyptian literature and what are believed to be fossilized bed bugs have been found dating back 3,500 years according to sources. What makes bed bugs so resilient to eradication? Here are 10 interesting facts about bed bugs coming from a Suffolk County, NY bed bug exterminator. This may help shed some light into the life of a bed bug and why they are such a nuisance to humans.

1.  A bed bug injects their prey with their saliva. A bed bugs saliva contains components that act as anti-blood clotting and numbing agents. This allows the bed bug to latch ahold of its food source with a plentiful and flowing supply of food without the host even realizing they have been bit.

2. A bed bug is able to consume seven times their own body weight in food. A bed bug’s food source is blood! More often than not, the blood is from an unsuspecting human host. Frightening!!

3. Bed bugs are attracted to their food source by heat and carbon dioxide. This make a sleeping human the perfect target. The harder one sleeps the more heat and carbon dioxide they can produce.

Related: Bed Bug Control: 4 Facts You Didn’t Know About Bed Bugs

4. They are actually selective eaters. Bed bugs will only feast from a living host. This means that they will resist eating from dead prey.

5. Bed bugs are extremely hardy. This means that they can thrive in just about any environment making infestations and outbreaks common all over the globe.

6. Bed bugs are becoming resistant to commonly used chemical compounds used in the industry. Bed bugs can also live in extreme heat and frigid winter environments, making them difficult to treat.

7. Bed bugs can live virtually anywhere. Bed bugs are typically identified as bugs that live in mattresses and bedding, but this is not entirely accurate. While bed bugs are regularly found In bedroom furnishings and fabrics, they are also known to live behind wall paper, in wall outlets, travel bags, keyboards, light bulbs and other random places. They have been known to infest movie theaters, hospitals and even school buses.

8. Bed bugs do not live on their food source host. A bed bug prefers safety when it comes to digestion and nesting. A bed bug will stay on a human host long enough to feed before retreating to the comfort of their safety zone. They spend a great deal of time digesting their food before they will return for another meal. This means that you do not have to worry about a bed bug laying eggs somewhere on your body or in your hair.

Related: Bed Bug Exterminator: How to Know When Bed Bugs Are Gone

9. A bed bug can survive upwards of 5 months without a food source. While this will undoubtedly vary depending on the age of the bed bug, it is still a true representation of how enduring a bed bug is. This allows a bed bug population to be able to expand rather rapidly.

10. A bed bug is so tiny they are roughly only ¼” at adult size. A bed bug’s eggs are almost undetectable by the human eye.  A bed bug’s eggs are approximately the size of two grains of salt – at one millimeter long. This makes bed bug detection very difficult in many circumstances.