Ohio Bed Bug

Ohio Bed Bugs Ohio, a country home of 11 most populated cities such as Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo. These are not only great cities to live in but also famous for their culture, art and promising education systems. However, many Ohio cities have faced a bedbug problem in the recent years. Bed bugs are tiny blood-sucking insects found in bedrooms, bedrooms, hotels and offices across Ohio. Ohio cities are highly infested with these insects that not only irritate the homeowner but also pose health hazards to the family. Bed bug infestations are becoming more and more common. These pesky pests can make a wonderful home for themselves in your cushy hotel surroundings. You knew this was going to pop-up some time or another, and you knew that it would eventually happen to you.

Ohio Bed Bug

Bed bugs are fairly cosmopolitan. Cimex lectularius is most frequently found in the northern temperate climates of North America, Europe, and Central Asia, although it occurs sporadically in southern temperate regions. The tropical bed bug, C. hemipterus, is adapted for semitropical to tropical climates and is widespread in the warmer areas of Africa, Asia, and the tropics of North America and South America. In the United States, C. hemipterus occurs in Florida.

Identification

Adult bed bugs (Figure 1) are brown to reddish-brown, oval-shaped, flattened, and 3/16 to 1/5 inch long (~5 mm). Their flat shape enables them to easily hide in cracks and crevices. Their bodies become more elongate, swollen, and dark red after a blood meal. Bed bugs have a beaklike piercing-sucking mouthpart system. The adults have small, stubby, nonfunctional wing pads. Newly hatched nymphs are nearly colorless, becoming brownish as they mature. Nymphs have the general appearance of adults. Eggs are white and about 1/32 inch (~1 mm) long.

Bed bugs superficially resemble a number of closely related hemimetabolous insects (family Cimicidae), such as bat bugs (Cimex adjunctus), chimney swift bugs (Cimexopsis spp.), and swallow bugs (Oeciacus spp.). A microscope is needed to examine the insect for distinguishing characteristics, which often requires the skills of an entomologist.

Life Cycle

Bed bugs are parasites that preferentially feed on humans. Female bed bugs lay from one to 12 eggs per day, and the eggs are deposited on rough surfaces or in cracks and crevices. The eggs are coated with a sticky substance, so they adhere to the substrate. Eggs hatch in six to 17 days, and nymphs can immediately begin to feed. A female bed bug can lay 200-500 eggs in her lifetime. The nymphs require a blood meal in order to molt and reach maturity after five molts (Figure 2). Developmental time (egg to adult) is affected by temperature and takes about 21 days at 86 °F to 120 days at 65 °F. The nymphal period is greatly prolonged when food is scarce. Results from starvation studies with environmental conditions similar to those found in a house demonstrate that late-instar nymphs and adults can live without food for 4-6 months. The adult’s lifespan may encompass 12-18 months and three or more generations can occur each year. If humans aren’t available as a host, bed bugs instead will feed on warm-blooded animals, including birds, rodents, bats, and pets.

A bed bug is a wingless, blood-sucking insect that feeds on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. They are typically about 3/16 inch long. Bed bugs are active at night and hide in cracks and crevices during the day. They can travel over 100 feet in a night.

They can be found in many places, including homes, schools, offices, hotels and airplanes. Bed bugs do not transmit diseases to humans but can cause itching and redness at the bite site. Because they live in close proximity to humans they are considered a nuisance pest.

List of Ohio Bed Bug