Bed Bug

Category:

Actual size: Less than 6 mm

Characteristics: Oval, flat, and mahogany brown to red-brown.

Legs: 6

Antennae: Yes

Wings: No

Habitat: Single-family homes, apartments, hotels, hospitals, schools and college campuses, office buildings, retail stores, movie theaters, and even public transportation.

Habits:

  • It requires a blood meal to reproduce.
  • Feeds exclusively on the blood of humans and mammals.
  • Typically found in beds, box springs, headboards, and used furniture.

Bed Bugs in Eastern Tennessee

Found throughout Sevier County, bed bugs are resilient pests that feed exclusively on blood. Humans serve as their primary host, however, bed bugs also feed on birds and mammals. The flat oval body of a bed bug allows them to remain well hidden in cracks and crevices. Although bed bugs typically feed at night while their host lay fast asleep, they will also feed during the day.  Depending on temperature and humidity, bed bugs can live for a year without a blood meal. Their bite is essentially painless, so they are rarely detected at the time of feeding activity.

Bed Bug Habitat

Bed bugs inhabit areas where humans sleep or rest for extended periods of time. Concealing themselves in the seams and folds of bedding, used furniture, and luggage, bed bugs can be difficult to detect. The box spring of a mattress is a favorite hiding place of bed bugs, as well as, cracks and crevices on the bed-frame or headboard. Found in homes, hotels, apartment buildings, schools, and medical facilities, bed bugs prefer to live in close proximity to humans. Bed bugs do not have to feed every night and can go several days between feedings. However, they do require a blood meal every time they advance into a new lifecycle and shed their skins.

Bed Bug Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Bed bugs do not spread disease, but their bites can cause severe allergic reactions. Since their bites are painless, most people may not realize they have been bitten by bed bugs for several days. Welt-like swelling in a straight line on the skin is a sign that bed bugs may be present.  Bed bugs leave a mark when crushed, so the appearance of small brownish dots on sheets is another indication of an infestation. Eliminating an established bed bug infestation is not a DIY project, so it is recommended to consult a bed bug exterminator if you suspect you may have an infestation.