Do bed bugs have wings? This is a question people often ask pest control professionals when they find a bug in the bed. Bed bugs do not have wings. If you find a winged insect in your bedroom, it may be a carpet beetle or something else. But, if you find a wingless bug, it may be a bed bug.
Bed bugs are a serious issue, so it’s smart to learn what these pests look like. They are notoriously hard to get rid of. If you suspect you may have an infestation, you need to have it dealt with quickly. For that to happen, you need to know how to identify these pests to determine the right way to get rid of them.
Fortunately, experienced pest control specialists know exactly how to identify bed bugs, along with any other pests that might find their way into your bedroom. It’s important to note that bed bugs can be hard to identify, partly because they are hard to find. These pests are typically only active at night, in the darkness. During daylight hours, they stay hidden.
Adult bed bugs are oval-shaped insects about the size, shape and color of apple seeds. They don’t have wings, and their bodies are flat. These pests often hide in the cracks that run along mattresses. They can also hide in tiny crevices between floorboards, in the bed frame or between the baseboard and the wall. This is part of what makes them so hard to see.
One way to check your bed for bed bugs is to wrap tape, sticky side out, around a credit card. Press the card into the narrow spaces that run along the seams of the mattress, down the joints of your bed frame, between the floorboards and similar spaces. If you have a bed bug problem, you may pull out the card and find these insects stuck to the tape. You might also find their eggs or their nymphs.
Bed bug nymphs are the immature form of this pest. They look like smaller, somewhat paler versions of adult bed bugs. It’s helpful for homeowners to know what color bed bugs are. They range from whitish-yellow to light or darker brown. Bed bug eggs are tiny and white and hard to see without a magnifying glass.
It’s important to note that the name “bed bugs” can be a bit misleading. It suggests these pests are only found in people’s beds, but they can infest any area of the home where people spend lots of time. Bed bugs might infest a sofa or easy chair, for example, especially if someone sleeps there regularly. People also sometimes find bed bugs inside dresser drawers, on the wall behind framed artwork or clustered just behind a light switch or outlet plate.
Bed bugs can also travel from one room to another in the home. For example, if you have bed bugs in one bed or room, and then an item from the infested room gets moved to another, the pests can wind up infesting both spots. Or, if a bed bug population grows unwieldy in one room, they may move to another nearby room.
This is the same way bed bugs move from one city or country to another. This is the reason why it’s always a good idea to carefully inspect your mattress and room for signs of bed bugs when you’re traveling. It’s also a good idea to use the luggage rack rather than setting your bags on the floor in a hotel and hang your clothes in the closet rather than putting them in dresser drawers. They’ll be less likely to pick up bed bugs in these places.
Here are some signs of bed bugs that you might notice, whether in your home or while you’re traveling:
- Blood stains or bed bug fecal matter stains on your sheets, mattress or pillows. These may be small dots or tiny pinpricks that are rust-colored, brown or black.
- Itchy, reddish bites on your skin. These typically show up on exposed skin, since bed bugs feed wherever they can easily reach. They also tend to bite someone several times, a few millimeters apart. Your bites may show up in lines of several bites close together.
- Shed skins, known as bed bug casings, or egg shells in the cracks and crevices of your mattress, bed frame or nearby areas. These may be so small and pale that they’re hard to see without a flashlight or even a magnifying glass.
- Heavy bed bug infestations give off an unpleasant, musty smell.
Sometimes, people mistake bed bug bites for flea or mosquito bites. It can be hard to tell what you’re dealing with if you never see the pest itself. But if you suspect you may have bed bugs, it’s time to seek professional help.
An experienced pest control specialist can inspect your home and determine what type of pest has taken over your space. They will develop a customized plan to eliminate the problem so you can regain your peace of mind—and a peaceful night’s sleep.
Do Bed Bugs Feed Every Night?
If you think you have a bed bug problem, you might wonder, “Do bed bugs feed every night?” It’s smart to learn about these bugs and their feeding habits. Knowing their habits will help you identify them correctly and determine the best way to get rid of them.
Sometimes, bed bugs do feed every night. They can also go a week or two between feedings. If you are getting bitten every night, it may be by different bed bugs or by the same one. It’s also possible that you could still have an infestation even if you aren’t getting bitten every night.
It can be easy to confuse bed bug bites for mosquito bites or flea bites or vice versa. There are some key differences, though to what flea bites and bed bug bites look like. Flea bites typically show up on people’s ankles since that’s the easiest spot for fleas to reach. Bed bugs and mosquitoes, on the other hand, can bite people anywhere they find exposed skin.
Flea bites and mosquito bites tend to be randomly scattered over the skin, whereas bed bug bites often show up in lines. This is because these pests typically bite someone, feed on their blood, move a few millimeters away and then bite them and feed again. Some people call this a “breakfast, lunch and dinner” pattern.
It’s also easier to see fleas and mosquitoes than bed bugs. Adult bed bugs are easily visible to the naked eye, they just rarely venture out in the light. They hide in tiny spaces during the day and venture out in the darkness to feed on their sleeping prey.
Since these pests can go days or even weeks without a blood meal, sometimes people don’t realize they have a bed bug problem. This is why, if you’re getting itchy bites at night or you see other signs of possible bed bug activity, it’s wise to contact a pest control professional for help.
Can Bed Bugs Live in Leather Couches?
We know that bed bugs can live in many places besides the mattress or bed frame. They can also live in dresser drawers or hang out on walls. These tiny pests can even infest upholstered sofas and easy chairs. But, can bed bugs live in leather couches?
Bed bugs are great at surviving in lots of different conditions. They can hide out in various places in the home between blood meals. Bed bugs can indeed live in leather couches; they can also live in other furniture or in people’s clothes or bedding.
Once you have bed bugs in your home, they are likely to affect everyone living in the home. This is partly because these pests are so adaptable to many different types of spaces and conditions. They can also go quite a while between feedings. If the temperature and other conditions are just right, adult bed bugs can live for over a year without a single blood meal!
This is part of what enables these pests to travel from room to room or even from one home to another. If you bring secondhand furniture or clothes into your home, you might unwittingly be bringing in bed bugs that have been hiding and waiting for a new host. Or, if you have bed bugs in one bedroom and move some of that bedding to another room in the house, that can also spread the pests around.
Hiring a pest control specialist is the best way to deal with these pests because they can thoroughly inspect your whole home for signs of bed bug activity. A pro will know exactly where and what to look for in seeking evidence of pests. Based on what they find, they will be able to advise you on how to resolve the problem and how to stay free of bed bugs in the future.
ABC Can Get Your Bed Bug Problem Under Control
Bed bug problems can take a large toll on you and your family. When you notice an infestation, contact ABC Home & Commercial Services. We have multiple strategies at our disposal to control bed bugs, so you and your family can be comfortable again.