What do bed bugs do?

Because bed bugs attract something of a stigma across the world, general knowledge about these little critters is low. An understanding of bed bugs, their appearance, habits, and lifecycle can be crucial in helping you to identify any possible signs of infestation should you be unlucky enough to come into contact with them.

The life of a bed bug

Though bed bugs are very small, they have a surprisingly long life cycle. Depending on how much blood they are able to consume, bed bugs can live up to a year. In the right conditions, they can even survive for four months without food!

Bed bugs are not often seen since they prefer to spend most of their lives hiding in crevices like cracks in the walls and flooring of your home, in your closet, as well as in mattresses and headboards (this is where they get their name from). However, during a short night-time window, bed bugs may become active. During this time, they leave their hiding spaces with two priorities in mind: to eat and to mate.

Bed bugs eat once or twice a week and spend the rest of their lives digesting their meals. Female bed bugs mature and lay their eggs at this time. In her lifetime, a single bed bug can lay over 100 eggs, meaning that a single bed bug is enough to cause an infestation if her eggs have been fertilized. These eggs will hatch in around a week, and the population of bed bugs in your home will thus increase very quickly.

How bed bugs can affect your life

Though itchy and annoying, bites from bed bugs are generally harmless. However, an infestation in your house will mean an increasing number of bites. It is a misconception that bed bugs will just live in your bedroom. Though it is convenient for them to live there since they can feast during their active hours while you are sleeping, bed bugs may live in furniture, cracks, and crevices in any room of your house.

A bed bug infestation can have a negative impact on your quality of life beyond just the irritation of bites. Just knowing that bed bugs exist in your home can cause significant distress, leading to embarrassment, poor mental health, and lost sleep—compounded, of course, by those bothersome bites.

The sweet, musky odor from a bed bug infestation can be a significant bother, while the evidence of bed bugs—including blood spots on your bed linens, dark patches on mattresses, and dust and shed exoskeletons in your home—may cause additional damage and distress. So, if you spot any of the signs of bed bugs, it is important to act fast before their numbers swell further.

Our natural, plant-based Bed Bug Patrol Killer Spray provides an all-natural solution to infestations of bed bugs, as well as fleas, spiders, and other common indoor bugs. Our 100% natural solution is made in the USA. It relies on the power of natural ingredients like citric acid, clove oil, and peppermint oil to naturally deter these bugs from living in your furnishings and upholstery. Just spray our solution on affected surfaces twice per day, and it will get to work on exterminating your bed bugs and preventing their return. To keep you safe from bed bugs on your travels, arm yourself with our Bed Bug Blasting Travel Spray, which comes in a handy, TSA-approved travel-size bottle for your convenience.