Monday, September 29, 2008

Don't let the bed bugs bite



Ten facts about bed bugs:
1. They are nocturnal blood-feeders that feed mostly at night when their host is asleep.

2. Bed bugs inject a salivary fluid that acts as an anti-coagulant and numbs the area while they are feeding - a process that can take from three to fifteen minutes, during which time the host does not feel the bite.

3. Afterwards, hosts show various reactions, including rash-like patterns, a raised bump, or flat welts and are often extremely itchy.

4. They most often live in beds and bedsheets but can also be found in clothing, draperies, and wood furniture or hiding in cracks or behind pictures on the wall.

5. Because bed bugs are blood-eaters, they do not respond to baits for other insects like ants or roaches.

6. They can go for over a year without feeding.

7. Bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases.

8. An infestation of bed bugs is not a result of an unclean environment.

9. They are most often found in hostels, hotels, apartment buildings and in other areas with a transient population as they can be transferred on furniture, clothing and luggage from one location to another.

10. Bed bugs mate by way of traumatic insemination.

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