What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are flat, oval-shaped, reddish-brown insects (resembling an apple seed) that can travel across cities and countries with people through the act of hitchhiking. The insects are ectoparasites, feeding on the blood of their hosts from the outside of their bodies. Bed bugs in Lake Orion, MI will feed on human and animal blood, but people are their preferred hosts.

Additional physical features of a bed bug include:

Are bed bugs dangerous?

A bed bug bite will affect every person differently; some will experience no reaction, while others will experience a red, raised, itchy rash. Those who experience a rash are prone to developing secondary infections at the bite site from excess itching.

In addition to physical reactions to bed bug bites, having these pests living in your home is stressful and can lead to a lack of quality sleep. Bed bugs are currently not a significant vector of disease, but their presence still requires swift action. Bed bugs are quick breeders and, without professional treatment, can develop substantial populations in a short period of time.

Why do I have a bed bug problem?

There are several ways that bed bugs can find a way into your home or business. The most likely reason is that they were introduced by people or on our belongings. Bed bugs are found wherever there are people. It is common to come into contact with them in a public place where they then climb onto you or your belongings, and then you accidentally introduce them into your home.

Bed bugs hitchhike into new locations on things like used clothing, furniture, mattresses, and rugs. If bed bugs live in a multi-unit building like an apartment building, they can also move from unit to unit through spaces behind walls or under floors and doors.

It is essential to note that a bed bug infestation can happen to anyone in any home. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and move from place to place with us, wherever we take them. Having a bed bug infestation is not a reflection of how clean you keep your home. Bed bugs care less about the cleanliness of their environment and more about the availability of food sources.

Where will I find bed bugs?

There are a wide variety of places where people commonly come into contact with bed bugs; examples include the following:

Bed bugs are nocturnal and rest during the day and emerge at night to feed, finding their way to sleeping human or animal hosts at night. They are attracted to our body heat and the carbon dioxide we produce as we breathe. Some of their favorite hideouts within our homes include the seams of mattresses and upholstered furniture, under rugs, behind wall hangings, and inside electrical outlets. Spaces behind door trim, cracks in walls, and underneath piles of clutter are other favorite hideouts.