Bed Bugs

About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood, primarily while their hosts sleep. Bed bug infestations have surged across Orange County in recent years, affecting homes, apartments, hotels, and even public transportation. These reddish-brown insects are expert hitchhikers, spreading through luggage, used furniture, and clothing. They hide in mattress seams, headboards, baseboards, and electrical outlets during the day and emerge at night to feed. Bed bug bites cause itchy red welts in clusters or lines, and heavy infestations produce a distinctive sweet, musty odor. Professional heat or chemical treatments are necessary for complete elimination.

How to Identify Bed Bugs

• Flat, oval, reddish-brown body about the size of an apple seed (1/4 inch)
• Swollen and elongated after feeding, becoming more reddish in color
• Leave small dark fecal spots on sheets, mattresses, and pillowcases
• Shed skins (exuviae) found near hiding spots as nymphs grow
• Bites appear as itchy red welts in clusters or linear patterns on skin

Lifecycle

Female bed bugs lay 1 to 5 eggs per day and up to 500 in their lifetime. Eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days, producing tiny nymphs that must feed on blood before each of five molts. The full development cycle takes 5 to 8 weeks depending on temperature. Adults can survive several months without feeding, making them persistent and difficult to starve out.

Health & Property Risks

• Bites cause itchy welts, skin rashes, and secondary infections from scratching
• Heavy infestations cause sleep deprivation, anxiety, and psychological distress
• Extremely difficult to eliminate without professional treatment methods
• Spread easily through travel, shared laundry, and secondhand furniture