Where do bedbugs come from

[Bdbinky]

Like cereal and grain products that sit too long and insects occur does urine in bedding cause bedbugs

[Kit]

Nothing causes them exactly, they're just around and are attracted by the promise of food (in this case, body heat rather than urine. Being as urine is at body temperature, in theory they could be attracted by fresh pee, but only if they're already close enough to sense body heat - about 10cm away.) As to where they come from - originally from Asia, but have long been present throughout the world. They are now a problem in warm, high-turnover buildings eg hotels, rented houses etc. They hide in crevices, cracks by the skirting, joints in furniture, light switches etc, and come out when hungry (not often, one meal of blood will last them several months.) They usually bite the bits of the body that are out of bed.

[Kit]

And now I'm beginnng to feel all itchy.

[Hippy]

I've been trying to post an answer, but it won't work. Hmm. Lets try a little meaningless post.

[Hippy]

Yep. That works. So here goes again.

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is a wingless insect, oval in shape, 4-5mm long when fully grown, and are fast runners. They feed on human blood. They are rust brown in colour and change to a deeper red brown following a blood meal. See here.

[Hippy]

../continued

The five juvenile nymph stages are miniature versions of the adults in appearance. Each nymph stage requires at least one blood meal to molt to the next stage and it takes 5-10 minutes for a complete meal. The entire development to adult takes 6-8 weeks, and adults live on average for 6-12 months. After mating once, each female lays 2 or 3 eggs per day throughout her life span. The 1mm cream coloured eggs are cemented on rough surfaces of hiding places, and will hatch within 10 days at room temperature, longer when cooler.

Bed bugs shelter in a variety of dark locations, close to where people sleep. Typical places are under mattresses, floorboards, paintings and carpets, behind skirting, in various cracks and crevices of walls, within bed frames and other furniture, and behind loose wallpaper.

Bed bugs are one of the great travellers of the world and are readily transported via luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture. As such, they have a worldwide distribution.

If you suspect an infestation of bed bugs then there is no effective DIY solution and you must use a licensed pest controller. The pest expert will carefully inspect all possible hiding places within infested and adjoining rooms. Once they identify all likely hiding places, then they will use an approved insecticide, which will have some residual activity. The synthetic pyrethroids, notably permethrin, are the main chemicals of choice for control. You cannot buy these chemicals yourself. Good housekeeping practices and a reduction in possible harbourages such as cracks and crevices will discourage repeat infestations. As bed bugs are cryptic in their habits, complete control is often difficult to achieve with the first treatment. This is especially so with heavy infestations and a repeat treatment evaluation should be performed.

[Bdbinky]

Yes I feel itchy too, Thanks much for the input they are a mystery to me

[Bdbinky]

To Hippy, Thanks for the detailed pictures ugh!! very informative though. I suspect that I will really be careful when I travel.

[Richard Head]

I suspect the real question is "how do I stop pi**ing in my bed"? The bugs were porbably a decoy.