Why Do Bed Bugs Leave Blood Stains on Bedding?
Bed bugs are notorious parasites that you may end up picking up during travels - while on trains, planes, or even a hotel. According to observations that numerous exterminators carried out across OKC, they found that most varieties of bed bugs take 7 weeks to mature from an egg into a fully formed adult. When bed bugs bite, they puncture the skin with an elongated beak-like structure (proboscis.) They feed on blood for about 3 - 10 minutes and then crawl away.
Why Do Bed Bugs Cause Blood Stains?
Bed bugs inject an anticoagulation chemical into the bloodstream. As a result, the bite continues to bleed for some time, which in turn causes tiny flecks of blood on the bedsheets and pillows.
The proboscis (aka the beak-like structure that sucks up blood) can drip after a good feeding. As the bug scuttles away to its hideout, the dripping blood may leave marks on the bed.
Sometimes, you may squash the bed bug unknowingly by rolling over at night. When squashed, a bed bug that has recently fed will leave behind blotches of bright red coloration. One that hasn’t will leave a yellow-brown smear of the crushed bug organs.
Fecal Spots on Sheets and Pillows
Spots from the fecal matter of bed bugs are distinctively different from that of blood. Even though the bug poop consists of digested blood, it isn’t red. It is much darker, borderline brown, or black. The spots are round and flat and look like ink splotches on the sheet. Fresh feces smear dark red and can undergo removal with heavy scrubbing and potent detergent. But as the spots grow older, it gets progressively harder to get rid of them, and you might have to call an insect exterminator service to help you out.
How Long Does Blood Stay in a Bed Bug’s Body?
Bedbugs that remain unfed are small and flat. But as they consume a nice, big meal of blood they engorge, they start swelling up in size. The belly stretches to fit as much blood as possible. If you squash a recently-fed bed bug, it will stain a significant area with blood. As more time passes and the bug digests its meal, it’ll leave less blood behind.
Bed bugs begin the digestion procedure straight away, meaning they don’t stay engorged for long. An adult bug takes 2 to 5 days to digest its meal, depending on the amount of blood it has consumed. Younger bugs are smaller in size and thus are only capable of consuming a lower quantity of blood, meaning it also digests their meal faster.
What Color is Bed Bug’s Blood?
Bed bugs are insects belonging to the Cimicidae family. These insects don’t have any need for circulatory systems like blood, at least in the same way humans do. Bed bugs do not have any blood of their own. Instead, they have a fluid “hemolymph.” This hemolymph’s functions include transporting nutrients from one part of the body to another and forming clots when the insect undergoes injury. It is blue-green (upon oxygenation) due to the presence of a chemical compound: hemocyanin. It is copper-based (thus the blue-green hue); it is just a dull grey when oxygenation doesn’t occur.
What Should You Do If Your Home Gets Bed Bug Infestation?
Don’t beat yourself up if it takes you a while to notice the signs of bed bug infestation in your home. Especially if the infestation is sizably small. A smaller infestation means it hasn’t worsened to the point of no return, plus it is also harder to spot them for the unsuspecting homeowner.
Once you suss out the infestation, don’t panic. Tackle the problem immediately by hiring an insect exterminator in OKC. Mother Nature's Pest & Lawn Services has been protecting homes from these unwanted visitors since 1979. Who can be better than our highly skilled and well-trained exterminators to get rid of a raging bed bug infestation? Visit our website today!