Interesting Bed Bug Facts and Information

Bed bugs—they’re small, brown, oval-shaped insects that like to snuggle up in linens and suck blood. They’re a big problem for many businesses. They don’t fly, they lay hundreds of eggs, and they’re incredibly annoying. That covers bed bug basics… right? 

Well, that may just scratch the surface. There’s more to  bed bugs than the basics, however. Bed bugs are weird… even for bugs. The more you know about your least favorite pest, the better you can avoid them! That’s why we’ve compiled a list of eight lesser-known bed bug facts.  

8 Interesting Facts About Bed Bugs 

It’s time to dive into the strange world of bed bugs. Peruse our list of interesting facts to learn more about these creepy crawlies: 

1. Bed bug eggs are almost too small to see 

Bed bug eggs are only 1 millimeter long. That’s about the size of a pinhead. A single female bed bug lays eggs every single day and lays up to 500 in a single lifetime, which is why a single pregnant bug can wreak havoc quickly. 

2. Bed bugs can ingest seven times their own body weight in blood 

That’s equivalent to an average adult male holding 120 gallons of liquid in his stomach at once. Yowza.

3. Regina Gries has let 20,000 bed bugs bite her… for science

Researcher, Regina Gries, has been working on developing pheromone traps for catching these pesky pests for many years. Surprisingly, she uses herself as a test subject, allowing bed bugs to feed on her at regular intervals. Now that’s devotion.

4. Bed bugs can live in just about any environment 

Bed bugs are incredibly hardy creatures. Pest control pros routinely find them in apartments, hospitals, dorm rooms, schools, theaters, and more.They can withstand temperatures from nearly freezing up to 120 degrees fahrenheit.

5. Bed bugs have sharp instincts 

‍Bed bugs aren’t capable of creative problem solving, but they do rely on very strong instincts. These instincts allow them to resist the allure of food during the daytime when their prey could spot them.

Bed bugs only come out of hiding when the smell of exhaled carbon dioxide gets too strong to resist. That usually happens in the evening, when you’re sleeping.

6. Bed bugs resist pesticides 

Historically, pest controllers removed bed bugs from homes or businesses by using traditional fumigation or pesticides. In recent years, however, bed bugs developed a natural resistance to these traditional methods. Now, pest controllers need to use different methods to remove them.

7. Bed bugs are picky about what they eat 

Bed bugs will only consume blood from a live host. They’re not tempted by spilled or cold blood. Only the best for these pesky pests, apparently.

8. Bed bug saliva contains a mild anesthetic 

‌Have you ever wondered why people don’t wake up at night after bed bugs bite them? Bed bug saliva actually works to anesthetize the places the bug bites. The prey doesn’t feel the pain of the bite, so they keep sleeping while the bed bug feeds.

Get bed bug help from the professionals at Assured Environments 

As you can see, we know quite a bit about bed bugs. The upside to all this bed bug knowledge is it makes us good at stopping them. If you have a bed bug problem, the experts at Assured Environments are standing by to help. Contact us today.