Bed Bug

Category:

Actual Size: Less than 6 mm 

Characteristics: Oval, flat, and mahogany brown to red-brown.

Legs: 6

Antennae: Yes

Wings: No

Habitat: Single-family homes, apartments, hotels, hospitals, schools and college campuses, office buildings, retail stores, movie theaters, and even public transportation.

Habits: 

  • Bites are painless and often go undetected.
  • Feeds exclusively on the blood of humans and mammals.
  • Will hide in cracks and crevices and typically lives from four to six months.

Bed Bugs in Wisconsin

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed off of blood from their hosts, which are primarily human. Found throughout Wisconsin, bed bugs are nocturnal and secretive insects. Although humans serve as their primary host, bed bugs also feed on mammals and birds.  These blood-sucking pests prefer to remain well hidden in cracks and crevices where they are not likely to be disturbed. Bed bugs typically feed at night while their host lay fast asleep, although they will feed during the day if their host is sleeping. The bite from a bed bug is essentially painless, so they are rarely detected at the time of feeding activity.

Bed Bug Habitat

As their name implies, bed bugs are frequently found in mattresses, box springs, and headboards. Bed bugs gain access to people through used furniture and bedding, luggage, or other objects that move from place to place. They are also found in power outlets, wall voids, upholstered furniture, pet beds, baseboards, and more. Bed bugs can be found in homes, hotels, apartment buildings, schools, medical facilities, and other areas frequented by the public. These pests do not have to feed every night and bed bugs can go several days between feedings.

Bed Bug Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Bed bugs do not spread disease and are not considered dangerous; however, an allergic reaction to several bites may need medical attention. The first sign of a bed bug infestation is typical bites on the skin or the appearance of small brownish dots on sheets or mattresses. Bed bug bites may be undetected on people who have been bitten. Welt-like swelling in a straight line on the skin is a sign of bed bugs. Bed bug control is not a DIY job and if you think you may have an infestation, contact a professional bed bug exterminator