Many homes are infested with these wingless insects that have been a cause for stress and insomnia to some people. Bed bugs suck blood from the skin and the resulting itch can last for several hours, other times it could last for several days.

The scientific name of these bed bugs is Cimex lectularius.

The color of bed bugs

Hatchlings are almost transparent and slowly turns to burnt orange upon maturity. Every time it undergoes moulting, its color turns darker.

The shape of bed bugs

Viewed from the top, these insects take the form of an oval shape. When viewed from the side, these bed bugs are very flat making it very convenient for them to hide in small cracks and crevices.

The size of bed bugs

Some people think that these bugs are so small that they are hard to see. Adults can reach up to 1/4 of an inch, that's very visible.

The bite of bed bugs

Bed bugs pierce the skin with two hollow tubes. One tube injects its saliva the purpose of which is to anesthesize the bite area and prevent the blood from clotting. The other one obviously sucks blood.

When does the itching start?

No itching can be felt when a bed bug bites you. The moment the sensation of itching is felt, the bed bug is long gone.

How long does the itching last from a bed bug bite?

The itching can last from several hours to a few days. The bitten area produces a welt and no red spot in the center is visible unlike the one produced by a flee bite. The welt does not disappear can last for a few weeks unlike a mosquito bite.

The bite area can lead to infections from constant scratching because of the itch and may leave scars. Bed bugs however are not known to carry disease.

How can you control bed bug infestation?

If you itch in the middle of the night or at dawn, the time when bed bugs are most active, there are probably bed bugs in your house.

The first thing you have to do is find a live crawling one. Bed bugs live and nest in dark areas where humans usually sleep or sit such as beds or sofas. Check your bed mattress, box springs and bed frames.

If you find a live bed bug, have an entomologist identify it to be sure it's a bed bug. Don't rush to applying insecticide because survivors can develop immunity to the specific insecticide you are using and can pass the immunity to its offspring, making future extermination difficult.

Contact your pest control agent and discuss a plan on how to exterminate the infestation. For the extermination to be effective, you have to do your share such as scrubbing or applying a vacuum cleaner to the otherwise inaccessible areas of the bed.

Bed bugs may not only be found in bed mattresses but also in cracks in the walls, areas in the roof where birds may nest(birds and poultry are also hosts for bed bugs), areas in the wall where pipes or wires pass...all these must be taken in consideration when you plan to exterminate bed bugs from your house.

Itching can really disturb our needed sleep. Our body does most of its repair(physical, mental, emotional) during a sleep in the night. Sleep disturbances such as those caused by bed bug stings can deprive us of a healthful sleep which can lead to insomnia, stress or anxiety. To get rid of this 'itch' disturbance is a real necessity for a healthful life.