How do Bed Bug Infestations Spread?
Bed bugs can live in a variety of places, but have you ever wondered how they can spread? At Scout Pest Control, it’s our responsibility to educate our clients on the different pests they may encounter. Today, we will be looking further into bed bug infestations. How do they spread so easily?
How do bed bugs spread?
Bed bugs can live in a variety of places. While they are not particular on which house they shelter in, they are particular on where they hide out at during the day. During the night-time, leaving the light on won’t stop the small blood-sucking vampires from looking for you. Just like humans, if they are hungry, they will make their way to get something to eat. After feeding, they may hide out in your bed, underneath your sheets, or in your pillows. But what if they hide in your clothing? Most people have no idea they are carrying bed bugs within their clothing, and when you finally notice them, it might already be too late.
Bed bug infestations can occur when a bed bug infested piece of clothing or item (e.g. shirt) is packed into, for example, a luggage bag. Of course there’s going to be other items and clothing in the bag, so you won’t know where they are. Bed bugs specialize in being sneaky. They aren’t active during the day, and they move around when the host won’t notice them. Bed bugs spread easily because we, as humans, don’t notice them that easily. When we do, it’s already too late. There might be thousands in your bed or pillows alone by the time you do notice them.
How do bed bugs reproduce?
The mating process of a female bed bug dramatically reduces the lifespan of the bed bug, so the female bed bug may move away from the host site for a while. Bed bugs can carry sperm and produce eggs for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Bed bugs alone can live up to 12 to 18 months. The female bed bug is capable of laying up to 12 eggs per day, but they most often lay between 5-7 eggs per week. During her lifetime, she will lay between 200-500 eggs. An interesting fact: a single pregnant female bed bug can pave the way for up to 5,000 bed bugs within six months alone! It takes about 6 to 17 days for bed bug eggs to hatch, and it takes about 3 weeks for the offspring to go through early development and reach adulthood.
Call Scout Pest Control today!
Now that you know how they reproduce, it can be concluded that bed bugs can spread through crawling from host to host, latching onto items, and through reproducing. Infestations can occur rapidly, quicker than one might expect. Don’t hesitate to call us. Scout Pest Control will help you in any situation. We specialize in bed bug infestations, bed bug eliminations, rodent exclusions, and insect eliminations. Scout Pest Control will provide you the pest control you need at a great price!
