NJ Residents Are Itching From Bed Bug Bites Part I Of II

The old saying “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”, used to only be thought of as a cute nighttime saying that was told to kids as they were being tucked into bed at night.  Sadly, these nocturnal nibblers have made a huge comeback into present day life and some New Jersey residents are now experiencing fierce bites on a daily basis.

Before a full sized bed bug has eaten, it is a small flat brownish colored insect that is about the size of an apple seed.  These oval shaped bugs are sometimes mistaken for ticks or baby cockroaches.  The nymphs (young bed bugs) resemble the adults but are lighter in color and are much smaller too.

A bed bug prefers to do its dirty deed during the wee hours of the morning when humans are in a deep sleep.  Like tiny little vampires, bed bugs will insert two spikes into your skin when it’s dinner time.  First the bed bug will inject its saliva, which contains an anesthetic so you won’t feel their bite, and then an anti-coagulant so your blood will flow freely. Nice!

Each bed bug takes between five and ten minutes to receive a full blood meal.  Sometimes a bed bug will start and stop its feeding several times during this time period, often because we humans move and disrupt their feeding ritual.  Once a bed bug is done feasting on your blood, these creepy bugs will scurry away to their safe hiding place so that they can digest their “food”…ie…your blood.  Along the path to their hiding spot, you can often see a trail of excrement (digested blood) left behind in their tracks.  Yuck!

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.