Bed Bug Control Nassau County, New York

Bed bugs, also known as chinches, red coats, and mahogany flats, are nocturnal insects of the order Hemiptera and genus Cimex that feed on blood and occur in all regions of the world. Bed bugs have been known parasites of humans for thousands of years and are descendants of cave-dwelling bugs that initially fed on the blood of bats. They spend most of their time hiding in cracks and crevices where they won't be seen or disturbed. Bed bugs generally feed every three to seven days and can find a host via their ability to detect carbon dioxide and body heat. Once a bed bug locates a host, it probes the skin with its mouthparts to find a capillary space to inject anticoagulants in its saliva, allowing the blood to flow rapidly into its body. The bed bug will feed for five to ten minutes before returning to a hidden location like a mattress seam, crack, or crevice, typically where other bed bugs are congregating. Although bed bugs prefer feeding on humans, they will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and rodents. Bites from bed bugs can result in several health issues, including allergic reactions, skin rashes, and psychological effects. Bed bugs can be transported in luggage, clothing, bedding, and furniture. A bedbug's tiny size and hiding ability make it somewhat difficult to detect visually. Trained bed bug detection dogs can confirm the presence of a bed bug infestation in Nassau County, Long Island homes, and businesses.

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Bed bugs are a rusty brown color.

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Bed bug bodies are divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

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Bed bugs have an exoskeleton composed of chitin that supports and protects the insect's body. They shed or molt their exoskeleton as they grow.

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Bed bugs use their antennae to find a host. Each antenna is made up of four segments and is about half the length of the insect's body.

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Bed bugs have a clypeus which it uses to pierce the skin of their host.

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Bed bugs possess a proboscis which is a small tube that they use to draw blood from their hosts.

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Bed bugs have a pronotum which is the insect's neck. The pronotum is a concave-shaped structure that envelopes the bed bug's head in a wing-like manner.

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Bed bugs have compound eyes on the sides of their heads, which are composed of units called ommatidia.

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Bed bugs are equipped with six legs, and each leg is tipped with a claw that can be used to climb with and hang onto a host.

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Bed bugs possess wing pads, but their wings don't fully develop, and they cannot fly.

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Bed bugs have an abdomen that is composed of eleven segments. The shape of the abdomen indicates the sex of the insect. Male bed bugs have a pointed tip at the caudal end of their abdomen, and females will have a rounded tip.

Bed bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis, where the immature form or nymph resembles the adult, only smaller and not sexually mature. Female adult bed bugs can lay up to five eggs per day and about five hundred eggs in their lifetime. Adult female bed bugs require blood for the development of eggs. Eggs are white and oval shaped and are 1/16 of an inch long, and usually laid in beg bug nests in cracks and crevices in beds, walls, floors, and furniture. At room temperature, nymphs emerge from eggs within five to ten days. There are five larval stages, each requiring a blood meal prior to molting into the next life cycle stage. The five developmental stages, called instars, are completed in about a month under favorable conditions of humidity, temperature, and availability of hosts for blood meals. One blood meal is required between instars, but nymphs can live for several months without feeding, and adults can survive more than a year without a blood meal. Bed bug larvae range in size from 1/16 (first instar) to 1/6 of an inch long (fifth instar) and are yellow-white in color. Adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4" long, reddish-brown, flattened, oval, and wingless.

Common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are the species found on Long Island and are the most common type of bed bug found in North America.

Tropical bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) are primarily found in the tropics of the Old and New Worlds. They are the most widely distributed species of bed bugs in Africa and larger parts of Asia and India.

Leptocimex boueti is presently found in West Africa only.

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The best way to prevent bed bug infestations is by doing regular inspections for signs of bed bugs. Bed bug inspections involve searching for signs of an infestation in the seams of mattresses or upholstered furniture. You will look for bed bug feces, shed skins, larvae, as well as active bed bugs.

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Never purchase used mattresses, which may be infested with bedbugs.

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Do not bring second-hand furniture directly into your home because it may harbor bed bugs and or bed bug eggs. Used furniture should be put into storage for a minimum of one year before introducing into your residence.

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When traveling, avoid placing luggage on the hotel bed or floor where bed bugs may be hiding. Instead, elevate your luggage on a stand, table, or other hard surfaces.

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When returning home from a vacation, do not bring your suitcases directly into your home. You should launder and dry the clothes in your bags before taking them into your residence.

Controlling bed bugs is a multi-step process. Getting rid of a bed bug infestation at a Long Island home or business can be a complicated process, even for the most experienced bed bug exterminator. Although many products are available to consumers that claim to get rid of bed bugs, research shows that the common bed bug has developed resistance to many bed bug control products. In the absence of the proper training, equipment, and restricted use pesticides, eradicating an infestation of bed bugs from your Nassau County, Long Island residence, or place of business is an endeavor that will fail. Therefore, you should contact the Long Island bed bug control professionals at Nassau County Pest Control. Our Long Island bed bug exterminating experts have an extensive knowledge of bed bug control methods and many years of experience combating bed bug infestations.