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Bed bugs are tiny creatures that are scientifically named Cimex lectularius. You may be really curious how bed bugs look like.

But unfortunately, your chances of getting face to face with bed bugs is really slim. You can only that by looking at their pictures, which are published all through out in text books, magazines and Internet sites.

Pictures of bed bugs that you can actually catch in available sources are somehow enlarged. Because bed bugs are so tiny, you can never really look at their physical structure even if you hold them unto your palm.

You may need to make use of a magnifying glass or several lenses just to take a rather unclear glimpse of bed bugs.

Description from pictures

You may not want to wish to look at bed bugs face to face, or eye to eye. In a recent unpublished study in the US, it is found that most people are scared of one kind of insect, or another, or all of them.

To save you the embarrassment and awkward feeling, it is safe that you just take a look at pictures of bed bugs from available sources.

By just merely looking at bed bugs pictures, you can see that bed bugs are normally flatted when viewed from top to bottom. It is this physical attribute that enable them to penetrate to the most tiny crevices or holes around.

Pictures of bed bugs also show that the insect takes several colors. Most bed bugs appear deep brown. But there are some which also look white or creamy white. You may think, so bed bugs also have races, huh?

Look at pictures of bed bugs before and after they have consumed blood from their respective hosts. Compare. Take note that bed bugs change color after the have been nourished.

Most bed bugs appear deep red or somehow almost black after they have consumed blood.

That is because the blood will by them make up most of their body. Crashing bed bugs during these states of their lives will be somehow gross. Imagine squashing out blood from a balloon.

Somehow scientific view

Pictures of bed bugs in encyclopedias and text books also will give us a shot glimpse of their anatomy.

Looking at such pictures, take note that the bed bug has a very complex skin type that is usually covered by wax-like substance. This wax-like substance make up or provide protection to the bed bug.

That structure will protect or prevent bed bugs from getting wet or from drying out. Because bed bugs are so tiny and their internal system is not that developed, exposure to air and light will surely dry out or dehydrate them, without the protective structure.

Looking at such pictures will also help you understand hoe pesticides and insecticides work.

Pesticides and insecticides usually come in the form of sprays. Embarked in these sprays are very tiny and powderized form of glass and silica. These two materials are hard and will surely cut through any hard object in which they are forced to.

Powderized silica and glass will have to go with the spray. After the bed bugs are exposed to such spray, their protective layers or structure will then be ruined or destroyed. Powder glass and silica do that.

Imagine bed bugs physical and anatomical structure (look at the pictures more closely). After the protective layer is destroyed, that is when the chemical components of the sprays get to work.

When the protective layers of the bed bugs is ruined, harmful chemicals will get inside the skin and attack the internal system of the bed bug.

Chemicals found in spray normally act out to dehydrate or dry out insects like bed bugs.

Large bed bugs

But did you know that you have another resort or option if you want to take a close look at bed bugs?

Because most bed bugs in your room are too tiny, and pictures in textbooks can look and seem unrealistic, you can opt to capture an old, aging and mature bed bug.

Such bed bugs are usually more than a year old. These bed bugs are almost always dying or at the final stage of their life because bed bugs life span only last more than a year at most.

Very adult bed bugs usually can grow about one fourth of an itch. That is not that tiny anymore.

But doing so, looking face to face with bed bugs, can never be a worthwhile and fun experience. Just look at bed bugs pictures if you don not want those goose bumps or you do not want another throw-up session.

Pests have always been part of the major problems or concerns that affect the industries of agriculture and production.

Along with it, when pests proliferate, diseases follow, so health agencies and organizations come in.

Through the years, mankind has developed different and potent equipment and chemicals to control pests. History and current pest standing will then judge if those efforts have been effective, or if they have gone to the brink of futility.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are one among those pests that affect households. They may not affect plants, but did you know that bed bugs can prey on poultries and birds?

Yes, scientists believe that ancient bed bugs used to prey solely on birds. Maybe, centuries or millenniums ago, bed bugs did not like blood of people. All they sucked was birds and poultries blood.

But now, bed bugs thrive not just in bird nests but also in peoples nests. It is believed that in developed countries, five out of ten apartments have bed bugs in it. In the developing countries, the figure can be worse.

It can be because third world countries may not have enough budget to be allocated to the control of bed bugs. Or it can be that because governments in third countries do not spend much on education about the particular pest.

Bed bugs are small insects. They are among the millions or billions of insect species. They have proliferated through the years and can be widely spread in all countries across the globe.

Bed bugs are scientifically known as Cimex lectularius. They are wingless creatures. Imagine how it would be harder and more dangerous if bed bugs have wings. If that happened, then, bed bugs would surely be uncontrollable.

Bed bugs are very resilient insects. It is because bed bugs, in their entire lifespan can survive by having only one meal or feeding time.

It is like they are one time big time. Eat today, sleep tomorrow, see you next year. That is how they are.

Pest research found that bed bugs life span is only about more than a year. But female bed bugs can lay eggs three times during that span. Each egg-laying session by the female bed bug can be equivalent to 300 eggs.

The fact makes bed bugs one of the most rapidly spreading pests in the planet.

Pest control substances

In general, pest control substances or pesticides and insecticides used to control pests, including bed bugs can be categorized into three groups:

o Insect Growth Regulators. IGRs aim at affecting or hindering the development of larvae or eggs of bed bugs and pests. It can be noted that though, these insecticides to not effectively exterminate adult pests, they work to impair reproduction.

Thus, no new generation of a particular pest is expected to arise from the same site. IGS also make up for the slowest pest control group because results will not be evident until a few time.

But IGRs are certainly an effective way to control pests. It has the most unique strategy among all pest control insecticides and pesticides.

o Contact pesticides. This group of pest control substances kill pests instantly. The group can be considered the fastest way to kill insects. Within seconds, or minutes, or instantly, the target pests or insects will be exterminated.

Contact insecticides can be the fastest, where results can be seen and evaluated instantly, but among the pest control substance groups, they are the least effective

It is because contact insecticides have that repellant property that insects and pests can easily identify.

Thus, insects and pests will repell from or avoid the surfaces that contain the pesticides residues.

o Insecticidal dusts. This is the group is in between. They are also fast, but not as fast at contact insecticides in controlling pests, but they are a sure bet, like the IGRs.

Insecticidal dusts work by attacking the protective layer covering the pests skin. They destroy the pests skin so the chemicals can get into their systems and poison them.

The group is the most harsh and sure way of controlling pests.

Pest control is not an easy task but it is an activity you must do, anyways. Just be good and do your homework before starting the mission.

The new generation households of today are usually oblivious of another neighbor living within their midst. Usually, they have never seen a bed bug before. Pest control professionals does not even include the remedies for controlling bed bugs.

They are not even aware that there are native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs, though those remedies are already incorporated to the latest remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

History Of Bed Bug Infestations

Before the World War II, bed bug infestations were very common in the Americas. Native indians even have native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs. With the improvement in hygiene, the native indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were no longer that needed.

In fact, the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs have been incorporated later on to existing remedies to get rid of the bed bugs. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were basically useful and helpful to households with infestation of the bed bugs.

Eventually, during the 1940s and 1950s, the use of DDT was already widespread. The bed bugs have seem to vanish and the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were no longer needed.

In other regions of the world where the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are not known, bed bugs remained and proliferated. These other regions of the world includes Asia, Central and South America, Africa and Europe. They have no idea of the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs. They also have no habit of using DDT pesticides.

In the following years, however, the bed bugs suddenly made a comeback in the U.S. The bed bugs are increasingly being experienced in several homes, hotels, apartments, motels, shelters, dormitories, and several modes of transport. They wished they knew the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs that were so effective before the war.

The international immigration and travel have undoubtedly been cited as having been contributed to the sudden resurgence of bed bugs in the country. Though, there are several changes in the modern pest control practice, the bed bug pesticides seem to be not so effective. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are more effective and helpful.

The recurrence of bed bugs infestation are suspected to be caused by poor hygiene and less effective DDT pesticides. The bed bugs are also seem to be growing immune to these pesticides as time went by. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs used before the war were far more efficient than the present pesticides.

Description and Habits of Bed Bugs

It seems that the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are far more helpful in finishing the bed bugs infestation. Maybe this is because Indians have observed carefully the habits of the bed bugs.

Bed bugs are very small, brownish, and flattened insects that feed singularly on the blood of any animal. Cimex lectularius is the scientific name for the common bed bug and is the species that is most adapted to be able to live with the humans. The bed bugs has done so since the ancient times.

Though there exist native indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs, the United States is not the only country that has been infested with them. These insects are mentioned in old texts during the age of medieval Europe and also in classical writings of the Greeks. The classical writings of the Greek were dated as far back to the era of Aristotle.

So it was unimaginable that there only exist native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs and not European Knight remedies to get rid of bed bugs or even Greek warrior remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

A reason could be that the bed bug infestation in other countries may be immune to the native Indian remedies or that simply because there are other bed bug species that prefers to draw blood from several wild hosts which include the bats and wild birds.

An integrated pest management strategy is required when exterminating or getting rid of bed bugs.

Available in the market are several pesticides to control bed bugs. The list of pesticides for the purpose can be a long one, and you may easily access them or buy them in the market.

But professional help from pest control operators are necessary because small failures and mistakes in applying pesticides to control bedbugs may cause more serious problems.

Pesticides formulations

The most common pesticides and insecticides, from the long list of available ones in the market, for controlling bedbugs usually are classified as:

Contact insecticides. These substances have their own long list. Most bed bugs pesticides contain a number of contact insecticides that have the ability to kill bed bugs instantly when they come or get into direct contact with surfaces with the pesticide or its residues.

Contact insecticides are normally made up of pyrethoids, which are formulated synthetically or from natural extracts from chrysanthemum flowers. These substances tend to emit smell that instantly knocks out bed bugs.

However, bed bugs may develop repelling properties or characteristics against the substance. Hence, using contact insecticides may not mean killing bed bugs, but preventing them from getting into surfaces applied with the pesticide.

Insect growth regulators or IGR. These insecticide is also common among the long list of pesticides for controlling bed bugs. The pesticide does not directly target adult or crawling bed bugs. The pesticides attack on bedbugs is based on the principle that the youngsters are more vulnerable.

IGRs affect and directly exterminate eggs or bed bugs that have just hatched. The eggs and the young bed bugss development are hindered and stalled, thus, no new generation of bed bugs will follow the current one.

IGR application is not a quick way to control bed bugs. From among the other pesticides in the currently existing list, IGR is the slowest, or the insecticide that will have results in the longest time.

But IGRs are truly effective. No doubt about that that. All you have to do is wait. Slowly, but surely, that is.

Insecticidal dusts. Insecticidal dusts are those in the list that are directly applied or spayed to bed bugs. The insecticide is made up or conveyed into dusts, which are directly aimed at crawling bed bugs.

Insecticidal dusts, on the other hand, is the most potent compared to other pesticides in the list. The substance works by ruining bed bugs outer waxy coats, causing the bed bugs to dry out easily.

These pesticides usually are made up of fine granules of silica powder or ground glass to ensure efficiency. The fact makes it very harmful to humans, too.

Insecticidal dusts are often applied to crevices or cracks in the floor or wall that are suspiciously infested with bed bugs.

List of pesticides that control bed bugs

The list of pesticides to control bed bugs is ever growing. Every year a handful of additional insecticides make the list longer. This acknowledges how people are concerned with the increasing annoyance and discomfort from having bed bugs at home.

The most common pesticides available in the market are: Pyrethrins, Tempo, Allethrin, Delta Dust Flee/ Dragnet, Malathion, Drione Dust and Suspend SC. The list is very incomplete, but the above mentioned are the most common and easily purchasable in the market today.

The short listed pesticides are commonly sprayed into areas suspected of being habitat for bed bugs.

As mentioned in the pesticides categories, these sprays are aimed at knocking out bed bugs directly by attacking their physical vulnerabilities.

Professional help from seasoned pest control operators, however, is needed in applying or using the pesticides. The insecticides may also cause a long list of harmful effects to humans that may inhale the spray or may have skin contacts with the pesticide residues.

In case, any allergic reaction or physical counter-reaction is experienced due to the pesticides, consult or immediately seek advise of your physician or family doctor.

Prevention is still on top of the list

Yes, of course. An ounce of prevention is way better than pounds of cure. The statement applies to the control of bed bugs infestation. Hygiene and regular room checks by pest control personnel can do wonders in your fight against bed bugs.

Education and knowledge about what to do and how to deal with bedbugs will definitely get into the top of our list inn fighting bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs are everywhere, although they have been nearly exterminated during the 1950’s and 1960’s because of the widespread use of DDT. Bed bugs are coming back and it seems nothing can stop them since the banning of DDT.

You may say that you regularly clean your household and there is no way that bed bugs could possibly invade your home. Wrong. Having bed bugs at home does not mean that your home is filthy. Both clean and unclean house can be infested with bed bugs. So, how would you know if you have bed bugs?

Many people do not know if they have bed bugs. They don’t even know what bed bugs look like. Unlike cockroaches that flies and walks shamelessly, bed bugs are ’shy’ insects. They crawl out from their hiding only when you are asleep at night. Bed bugs will crawl back from its home once you move from your position.

Before you stress yourself in knowing how to kill bed bugs by yourself, try to answer first the basic question of how to know if you have bed bugs. After that, it’s killing time.

– How to know if you have bed bugs – Fact 1:

Know thy bug.

Would you know if it is a bed bug if you see one? Of course, the answer is no. Few people these days have seen a crawling bed bug unless he is living in a bed bug infested house. Even in hotels and motels, the bed bugs haven, you won’t see one crawling at your bed towards your shoulders. As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are shy. And it won’t go after you to withdraw blood from your skin even if it is hungry if you are moving.

** Description of bed bugs

Bed bugs can be seen by the naked eye. Forget what your grandfather had told you that they are so small that no person can actually see them. The only reason why only a few people can see bed bugs is that bed bugs are nocturnal insects and can rarely be seen walking in daylight. They are as small as appleseeds (which means they can be seen), reddish brown in color, oval shaped, flat and wingless. The distinctive characteristic of bed bugs is its oval-flat shape. Most bugs are rounded at the top.

– How to know if you have bed bugs – Fact 2:

Know how they behave.

Bed bugs are nocturnals. They feed during the night, and are most active when dawn breaks.

Bed bugs have this offensive, sweet-like, musty scent. You can smell this odor in a room or area that has bed bugs infestation. This is one of the best answers to question how to know if you have bed bugs.

Bed bugs want to be near to their hosts. So, to know if you have bed bugs, check out the area where people usually stays. The bedroom, living room, and sometimes the dining room are the usual hiding places of bed bugs.

– How to know if you have bed bugs – Fact 3:

Catch them if you can.

** So the first thing to do if you suspected that the place have bed bugs, check the undercover of your mattress and edge lining under your bed. You would know that you have bed bugs if you will see reddish brown stains on these area and some shed insect skins. The reddish brown stain is bed bugs dried excrement.

If a female bed bug had lain eggs, you will see some white nymphs there. There is no need to ask how to know if you have bed bugs if you see excrement stains and shed skins.

** To know if you have bed bugs and you want to catch them, try to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to be still, though it is okay to breathe.

If you have bed bugs infestation you will see one or two bed bugs crawling towards you.

Try to move a bit, and you will see that a bed bug will back away. After that, keep still. It will move back to you.

Then try to move again without killing it. It will go back to its hiding place.

There, you got your bed bug.