10 Unusual Facts About Bed Bugs From Our Experts

While bed bugs are extremely irritating, these pests are actually fascinating. Here are some unusual facts about bed bugs that you might find interesting.

These facts about bed bugs will astound you

1. Bed bugs live a long time

Most insects have extremely short lifespans. Your average insect lives only a few months, and some live only a few weeks. Compared to those insects, bed bugs have relatively long lives. Yes, according to scientists, these pests can survive for up to a year, and can occasionally live a lot longer than that thanks to the evolution of bed bugs.

2. Bed bugs look a lot different than people think they do

Here’s one of the strangest facts about bed bugs. You see, the majority of people have no idea what bed bugs actually look like. It might sound strange, but the closest thing you can compare these pests to are apple seeds. Yes, bed bugs are a lot smaller than you thought they were.

3. Some people are allergic to bed bugs

Like cockroaches, many people are actually allergic to bed bugs. In this case, the allergen is contained in the bed bugs salvia. But how do you know if you’re allergic to these pests? The answer is simple: you’ll have extra big bites.

4. Bed bugs don’t spread diseases

One of the weirdest facts about bed bugs is that they don’t spread diseases. Yes, bed bugs are not known to carry any illnesses or viruses. Given the prevalence of these pests, this is probably a good thing.

5. Bed bugs can live for ages without food

Another reason why these pests are so hard to get rid of is because they rarely need to eat. Believe it or not, bed bugs can live for up to 400 days without food.

6. Bed bugs are attracted by carbon dioxide

How do bed bugs know when it’s time to feed? What we mean is, how do they know when humans are sleeping. The answer is simple. These pests are attracted by the carbon dioxide which humans exhale while lying in bed.

7. Bed bugs anesthetise their prey

Why don’t you wake up when bed bugs are feeding on you? The reason why is because their salvia has anaesthetic properties. Not only that, this anaesthetic actually promotes blood flow, allowing bed bugs to feed faster.

8. Bed bugs reproduce extremely quickly

It’s estimated that a female bed bugs can lay about 200 eggs during her lifespan. This time period lasts about 3-4 months, which means that bed bugs can reproduce exponentially and multiply quickly.

9. Bed bug eggs are almost invisible

Did you know their eggs about only about 1mm big? This means they are basically invisible to the naked eye.

10. Bed bugs are becoming impossible to kill

Our final entry on this list of facts about bed bugs is a little worrying. Why? Because bed bugs, like cockroaches, are developing an immunity to pesticide. This means they may soon be impossible to eradicate with these methods. Luckily, alternative methods like heat treatments have now been invented to combat this issue.