The Top 5 Facts About Bed Bugs

They’re everyone’s least-favourite house guests—and no, we’re not talking about in-laws. We’re talking about bed bugs: the tiny, sneaky pests that can take over your home and start their own extended family in the comfort of your bedding and furniture. Did we mention that bed bugs bite, too?

Bed bugs are increasingly common in residential settings, but that doesn’t make them any more comfortable to deal with. These crawling critters are out for blood (literally), and they’ll stop at nothing to get it from you. And let’s be real—no one wants to wake up with a bunch of painful bite marks.

When dealing with bed bugs, it helps to be informed so you know what to expect and do. That’s why we’ve combed over Orkin Canada’s massive bed bug knowledge database and picked out five key facts every homeowner should learn about these nighttime nuisances.

Here are the Top 5 Things You Need to Know About Bed Bugs 

1. What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs have a flat, broad, oval-shaped body and dark brown colouring. Adult bed bugs are very small (4-5 mm long), but still visible to the naked eye—so you can put the microscopes away.

2. How do bed bugs move?

Bed bugs do not fly, they crawl. These pests are speedsters. Bed bugs have been recorded travelling at a speed of about a metre a minute. For a human, of course, that’s nothing. But at a bed bug’s size, it’s a full-on sprint. In fact, it’s the equivalent of a person running the length of a football field four and a half times in 60 seconds.

3. When do bed bugs feed on? 

Bed bugs are nocturnal pests, meaning they are active at night and will feed at night. Typically, they are most active between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. But they’re also not too picky about timing ,and will seek a food source during the day if they get hungry.

4. Do bed bugs carry and transmit diseases?

Though  some research has shown that bed bugs can carry pathogens physically on their bodies, there is no evidence to suggest or show that they can transmit the pathogens to humans or spread around on surfaces in homes or structures.  

5. How quickly do bed bugs reproduce?

Bed bug populations can double about once every 28 days. That means if you have 500 bed bugs today, you could end up with 1,000 in just over a month’s time. Yikes. Learn more about a bed bug’s life cycle. 

Now that you know the most “interesting” facts about bed bugs, it’s time to take steps to keep them from taking over your living space. The risk is real, but it can be greatly reduced with professional assistance. Call your Orkin Canada branch today to get professional bed bug pest control for your home and keep yourself, your family and your guests out of harm’s way.

For quick reference, download The 5 Most Interesting Facts About Bed Bugs