by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: June 25, 2009   Last Updated: September 22, 2010

Whether you term them bed bugs or bedbugs, there are many facts about bedbugs everyone should know. Knowing these facts could be more imperative today than a few short years ago because bedbug infestations have increased over the last few years. Tips for identifying bedbugs are also crucial because you don't want to overlook these pests. Nor do you want to accidentally treat your home for what you thought were bedbugs.

Bedbugs are bloodsucking hemipteran insects. Hemipteran simply means they are true bugs thus classified because of their sucking beaklike mouthparts. Bedbugs are from the Cimicidae family. Common bedbugs or Cimex Lectularius are the ones most likely to invade human households because they are the most adapted to human surroundings. Bedbugs are also known as kissing bugs, bloodsuckers, conenoses, and simply bugs.

One aspect of bedbug identification is the fact that they have no wings. So, if something bites you or a family member and then flies away - it was not a bedbug. Bedbugs are wingless.

Despite not being able to fly, bedbugs get around pretty fast by crawling and they are excellent climbers. Chances of seeing them during the light of day are slim to none, however, because bedbugs hide in dark places during the day. Bedbug nocturnal behavior allows them to sneak into bed with humans and suckle human blood while humans are sleeping.

If you happen to be changing bedding, cleaning the closet, or moving a dresser and you come across insects identified to be flat and miniscule with oval brown bodies, however, you may have sought the little buggers out without even knowing it.

Tiny bedbug sizes and body shapes allow them to squeeze between small spaces. For this reason, bedbugs tend to make cracks, crevices, mattress folds, bed frame parts, molding inners and carpeting adjacent to walls their homes. In these areas, bedbugs can be identified by their small sizes and shapes as mentioned above, by their brown coloring, and by specks of feces they leave in their living quarters. In fact, an important tip in regard to identifying bedbugs, is seeing specks in mattress creases that can suggest bedbug presence.

Generally, bedbug bodies look an opaque reddish brown, however, bedbugs may look like they're translucent when they haven't eaten and in particular after shedding their skin (molting). It has been suggested that bedbugs give off an unpleasant odor. So if you smell something strange in any areas of a room you might want to investigate for bedbug

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>