![]() White eggs, the egg cases and moulted skin shells may also be found near these places, as well as living bed bugs.īed bugs use pheromones to communicate. This odour sometimes described as “buggy” is similar to the odour when a stink bug is squashed. There may also be an offensive sweet sticky odour when bed bugs are numerous. Heavily used hiding places are evident by black or brown spots of dried blood excrement or “spotting”. The small size of the young nymphal stage makes them difficult to observe on any surface. Because of their colour, adult bed bugs can easily be spotted with the naked eye on white sheets and bedding, but very difficult to see on brown wooden floors and other dark surfaces. Later, as the infestation spreads, the bugs move to any tiny crevices, which may be in bed heads, skirting boards, cracks in plaster and bedroom furniture. In early infestations, bed bugs are usually found around the seams, beading and folds of mattresses, sleeping bags and sheets. Many hostels worldwide have now banned the use of travelers’ own sleeping linen in shared accommodation as a safety precaution against this pest. This can allow for a new infestation to occur inside the home. Once acquired at high turnover accommodation, the hitchhiking bed bugs may then be transported and brought back to the homes of guests in their luggage. Other contributing factors include the increase in world travel with bed bugs being spread in luggage, shoes and clothing. The main reason for the increase is thought to be due to insecticide resistance modern bed bugs are highly resilient to many of the commonly used insecticides. Recently they have become widespread with infestations increasing substantially in Victoria, and most parts of the world, over the last ten years. Bed bugs are common all over the world and have been found in Australia in small numbers. In recent times there has been an increase in the number of bed bug infestations. It normally takes about 21 days (at 22☌) for the nymphs to reach the adult stage but may take significantly longer if no food is available or in cooler conditions. Younger nymphal stages have a white appearance when unfed and become darker with increasing feeds. Nymphs are often more numerous than adults in sites of infestation.Ī bed bug goes through five moults (shedding of their skin) before they reach maturity. Newly hatched nymphs look very similar to adults but are smaller, translucent and white in colour. Eggs usually hatch within 5-10 days under warm conditions, but can lie dormant for longer periods if the conditions are not ideal. In Australian conditions, adult bed bugs can live for up to 6 months, dependant on feeding patterns.įemale bed bugs lay two or three white eggs per day and up to 3500 during the course of their lifespan. Bed bugs may also quietly rest themselves under the cover of various materials and lie completely still for long periods, making detection difficult.Īlthough they are unable to fly, bedbugs are fast movers and are quick to escape once they are exposed to light. Bed bugs may take up to 10 minutes to feed. Because of this, the person may continue to bleed from the bite site leaving tell-tale spots of blood on the sheets. The anticoagulant stops the blood from clotting, making it easier for the bed bug to withdraw the blood. The anaesthetic can make the bite painless, which means that a sleeping victim may be unaware of the bite. ![]() One of these tubes is used to withdraw blood from the sleeping victim, while the other injects anticoagulants and anaesthetic into the host. They are equipped with two hollow tubes to pierce the skin and aid in feeding. Bed bugs will feed every five to ten days but may survive for several months without a blood feed. Warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide (which humans breathe out) attracts these insects. The tropical species are usually found mainly north of the NSW/QLD border and the common species to the south, with some overlap between states.īed bugs are mainly nocturnal, resting during the day and completing most of their feeding at night. The first section of the thorax on the common bed bug is expanded laterally and the extreme margins are more flattened than that of the tropical bed bug. ![]() While similar looking, they can be identified by looking at the first section of the thorax, or the part between the head and abdomen. This species prefers high humidity and temperature. hemipterus or Tropical Bed Bug is usually confined to tropical regions. There are two main species of bed bugs found in Australia.Ĭimex Lectularius or Common Bed Bug is the species being best adapted to temperate climates and having the most widespread distribution across the globe.Ĭ. ![]()
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