- Adult bed bugs can survive 6-12 months without a blood meal and require only 3-5 minutes to complete their feeding.
- They are not indicators of unsanitary conditions. These insects will infest the most extravagant hotels or the most humble of homes if they can get inside.
- They do not transmit any diseases as far as we know.
- They will travel long distances to get a blood meal. Some estimates are as far as 100 feet back and forth from their harborage sites. However, bed bugs usually stay much closer to their hosts.
- They do not stay or attach themselves to a host to get a blood meal. After feeding, they will run off the host and scurry back to their hiding places.
- They will often congregate in harborages.
Where can you get bed bugs? Some favorite places that you can pick up these pests are; gym lockers, buses, taxicabs, trains, planes, cruise ships, and movie theaters. Basically, you can get bed bugs from any public place people gather and spend some time.
What can you do to help prevent bringing these pests into my home? Awareness is the first defense! When returning home from a trip, whether domestic or foreign, examine your luggage, purses and carry-on items for bed bugs. Be sure to examine any gifts you may have brought home. Wash or dry clean all clothing items.
What can you do to help prevent bringing these pests into my home? Awareness is the first defense! When returning home from a trip, whether domestic or foreign, examine your luggage, purses and carry-on items for bed bugs. Be sure to examine any gifts you may have brought home. Wash or dry clean all clothing items.

Here are some Bed Bug Facts:
- Bed bugs are blood sucking insects that feed on warm-blooded animals, usually humans. They are brown in color and quickly change to dark red after having a blood meal.
- They are considered nocturnal and usually feed at night on sleeping hosts. However, bed bugs will feed during the daytime if they are hungry and given the opportunity.
- They find a host by detecting the carbon dioxide and warmth given off by the host.
- They have special mouth parts to be able to pierce the skin and draw up blood. The mouth parts consist of two tubes; one tube injects an anesthetic along with anti-clotting saliva and the other tube is used to draw up the blood into the body.
- It is the saliva that causes the swelling and itch of the bite.
- Female bed bugs can deposit up to 5 eggs a day and 500 during their lifetime. Eggs hatch in 7-20 days depending on temperature.
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