Are Bed Bugs Always in Bed?
Bed bugs are best at hiding, and they can easily travel to a new place by latching onto items. They like to live under the sheets and box springs, but they can also hide behind baseboards, electrical switch plates, picture frames, and wallpaper. To look for bedbugs, you will need to take the covers off the bed and examine the mattress closely.
Bedbugs feed on blood from humans by inserting a sharp proboscis into the skin. They feed on this blood for about 10 minutes, and their body becomes engorged with blood. The engorgement process can last for several days. The resulting infestation is usually not visible for a few weeks, but it is possible for an infestation to be detected early.
While bedbugs can also cause bite marks, the most common warning sign is an unpleasant smell. The musty smell they produce is due to the odor glands on their bodies. They also tend to cluster in areas near food. This is why they are most active at night, where they can take advantage of the dark to find a place to hide.
Bed bugs are common indoor insects. They can also hitchhike from clothes and luggage. They live in large colonies and lay eggs rapidly, so a single female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs during her lifetime.