Where Can Bed Bugs Survive?

Bedbugs can live for up to a year without feeding, so it is important to find out where they are hiding in your home and take preventative measures to eradicate them. The first step is to clean and treat your furniture with a proper insecticide. Then, use duct tape to seal cracks or openings around the bed, so that the insects cannot hide. Also, make sure to remove clutter from the area surrounding the bed.

Bedbugs usually bite in the night, but they can also feed during the day. Their elongated beak pierces the skin and draws blood. This takes about three to ten minutes and the bedbugs then crawl away unnoticed. They may even feed on your bed while you are asleep.

Unlike other insects, bedbugs cannot build a nest. They hide in seams and joints in furniture, which makes them difficult to remove. They tend to cluster in habitual hiding areas. Dark stains on your mattress can be bedbug eggs and dried excreta. In addition, nymphs shed their tan-colored skins, and blood-engorged bedbugs can leave red smears.

While bedbugs prefer humans, they can also feed on other mammals and birds. Their lifespan is about 10 months.