If you’ve ever seen a bed bug crawl, you might think these are slow creatures that must take a long time to spread from one place to the next. Despite their slow pace, however, bed bugs have found a way to move quickly and infest any home in no time at all. Bed bugs reproduce at an alarmingly fast rate and they hitchhike on our belongings to get around. If you’re worried about bed bugs, don’t hesitate to give bed bug removal Toronto a call.
Bed bugs are small, nocturnal insects that feed on the blood of people and animals. These bugs are reddish brown and have flat, oval-shaped bodies that grow up to 6mm long. Bed bugs look a lot like apple seeds at first glance. Bed bugs usually live for only a few months, but they reproduce rather quickly. The average female bed bug will produce somewhere between 200 and 500 offspring in her lifetime. She will lay eggs every few days until her death. This means that having only one or two bed bugs in the home will quickly become a full-blown infestation if no action is taken.
Though bed bugs can only move at a pace of about 3 to 4 feet per minute, they are master hitchhikers. Bed bugs move from place to place by clinging onto the fabrics of people’s clothing, bedding, furniture, or suitcases. It’s not uncommon for people to bring bed bugs into their homes by purchasing used pieces of furniture or doing their laundry at public laundromats. Hotels are known for housing bed bugs. Bed bugs can also be found in movie theatres, libraries, lecture halls, and public transit. They will cling to the clothing and belongings of unsuspecting visitors and find their way into their homes.
Once they have successfully invaded a home, bed bugs like to hide in the cracks and crevices of the bedroom or living area. Bed bugs are commonly found in the seams of the mattress, the joints of the bed frame, or somewhere deep in the box spring. Bedside tables, power outlets, and baseboards are also common hiding spots. Futons and couches may also suffer from bed bug infestations. To prevent this from happening, inspect your clothing and luggage thoroughly when returning home from a trip. Cover your mattress with a protective casing and carefully inspect any used pieces of furniture you bring into the house.
Bed bugs are slow-moving, but they take advantage of human travel to get around. It may only take a few weeks for a bed bug problem in one apartment to reach a neighbouring unit or a few days to go from one bedroom to the next. A bed bug infestation can also appear out of nowhere if you bring some home with you. If you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home or business, call The Exterminators. We take bed bugs seriously and promise to provide you with the best care. Call pest extermination (647-496-2211) for safe and effective bed bug treatment.
