Bed bugs have earned their name from feeding on humans while they are sleeping in their beds. However, they have also been referred to as red coats, mahogany flats and wall-lice. These pesky creatures have been around for thousands of years and are found in all 50 states in America and throughout the world. They first landed in the United States with the help of early colonists and thrived and multiplied for many decades. With the help of new pest management products during the 1950’s, bed bugs were drastically reduced to very small numbers.
Business owners and residential homeowners began seeing a resurgence of bed bugs during the 1980-1990s. This population explosion of bed bugs was attributed to increased international travel, changes in pest management products and a lack of awareness with the public regarding prevention methods.
The bed bug is also a highly successful reproducer, further aiding in their rapid spreading abilities. Bed bugs reproduce by traumatic insemination. This system of reproduction is also referred to as hypodermic insemination. The male is equipped with hypodermic genitalia and can pierce the females anywhere on their abdomen and deposit sperm. The sperm then makes its way through the body to the ovaries and fertilizes.
The female then begins laying her eggs and will deposit about 500 eggs during her lifetime. These fertile eggs only take two weeks to hatch. The nymphs then travel through five molting stages, reaching full maturity in approximately five weeks. Those bugs are now capable of reproducing, thus the cycle begins all over again.
The Effect Bed Bugs Have on Commercial Facilities
As you can see, a commercial facility can go from no bed bugs to a full-blown infestation almost overnight. This population explosion of bed bugs becomes a serious threat to business owners. Hotels and motels, hospitals, nursing homes, apartment complexes, dormitories and schools that become infested with bed bugs cause serious problems for the business owner. Brands can become damaged, resulting in a lack of willingness for customers to frequent the establishment. Serious infestation requires drastic measures of extermination causing exorbitant expenses and loss of production.
Business owners and managers of commercial facilities must take full responsibility in implementation of prevention measures to control bed bugs and other pests. Additionally, developing a regular, ongoing relationship with a local Copesan pest partner is vitally important. Copesan pest service providers are dedicated to delivering pest management solutions to commercial clients throughout the United States, assuring national companies of highly efficient pest protection specific to each location.