Eek! Imagine stumbling upon baby bed bugs in your home – it’s enough to make your skin crawl! But brace yourself because that could just be the start of a much bigger problem. Those little critters could be a telltale sign of a full-blown bed bug invasion lurking in the shadows. Yikes!
And even if there’s no significant infestation, you can’t ignore them as they grow pretty fast and become adult bed bugs. So, before they become a huge problem, you need to root them out as soon as possible.
Before we discuss the tools and strategies to eliminate them, we must inform you how they look and their characteristics.
What Do Baby Bed Bugs Look Like?
These creepy crawlers start as small as 1.5mm but grow in stages. And with each stage, they grow by 0.5mm and, before long, turn into a full-grown adult to make your house their living space.
The color of baby bed bugs is white/yellowish; sometimes, they can be translucent as a ghost, making it tough to spot them. And it’s almost impossible to spot the eggs with the naked eye as they are 1mm in size only.
They have an oval-shaped, apple-seed appearance and look like adult bed bugs, though far smaller in size.
That said, you may find them in groups. But that’s worrying as well, as there can be more.
That’s why it’s so hard to eliminate them because if some of them manage to escape the extermination, they will return.
Watch this video to see a baby bed bug in action:
Pictures of Baby Bed Bugs
Bed bug with nymphs and eggs – Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
Photo Credit: Dreamstime.
Can Baby Bed Bugs Bite?
Don’t be fooled by their miniature size, as they can be as dangerous as their adult versions.
These little insects need to feed on blood like adults, who also rely on blood to survive.
In fact, they need it more as they have to grow and need lots of blood for that. With time, they go through several developmental stages. For this reason, they bite more than adults. So, if you see red or purple marks on your skin, it’s likely that a bed bug has bitten you.
What Problems Can Bed Bugs Cause?
Imagine baby bed bugs as the weeds in your garden – they may start off as a few small sprouts, but if you don’t take care of them quickly, they can quickly spread and take over. Just like with weeds, ignoring these tiny pests can lead to an overgrowth that’s tough to control. These baby bed bugs will soon become adults and make life an agony for you.
Their bites can make your skin itch, forcing you to scratch constantly without any break. In addition, they are known to cause severe allergic reactions in some people, which might even require admission to the hospital.
The problems don’t stop there, though. They have an incredible ability to multiply and spread. That makes it far harder to eradicate them. And once the infestation becomes vast, they keep coming back despite several attempts to eliminate them.
It feels like fighting fire with a water pistol, it might help, but the flames will still be there. So, taking immediate action when you notice a baby bug is critical.
How to Get Rid of Baby Bed Bugs
From organic to professional help, we’ve listed the most effective methods of getting rid of bed bugs. Go through each one, and implement the bed bug control strategy that is best suited for your household.
Vacuum Cleaner
If baby bed bugs can be translucent as ghosts, a vacuum cleaner can be your ghostbuster. Though you might not see them with the naked eye, you can trap them and their eggs with the vacuum. When you empty the vacuum cleaner, seal the bag tightly and throw it in the trash.
Dryer
Heat treatment is one of the most effective ways to get rid of bed bugs. They are unable to handle more than 120 degrees F. So, throw your bed sheets, curtains, clothes, and anything that can be dried into the dryer.
But you have to be smart with the size as it can’t be too big, as the heat must reach every nook and corner of it. For big stuff like blankets, you’ll need to dry them twice and flip them over for the second time.
Steam Mop
You might be thinking, why buy a steam mop when you can use your regular one? Well, it’s like asking why to buy a plane when you have a car. A steam mop can do whatever standard mops can do, but far better and more effectively.
A steam mop is like a flamethrower for bed bugs, as it can kill the bugs and their eggs.
Also, you can’t throw your furniture into the dryer, but you can surely use the steam mop as your switch army knife to kill the bugs. You can use it on bed frames, sofas, cars, baseboards, and anywhere else you need to. And getting rid of bugs on these things is essential for complete eradication.
Sprays
You can use non-toxic bed bug spray to kill the bugs if you don’t have a steam mop. But how can it kill the bugs if it’s not toxic? These sprays’ natural ingredients kill bed bugs that are safe for humans and pets.
And they’re also quite good at their job, so you can be assured that the bugs will be killed. In short, it’s kryptonite for the bugs, only it smells nice and won’t give you any diseases.
Bed Bug Interceptor Cups
These plastic cups are installed under each leg of the bed frame.
Since the baby bugs need to crawl to get into your bed, they will need to use the bed frame legs for climbing. These clever bed cups will capture them before they can climb onto your bed.
And these are made with a textured surface so these bugs can’t crawl out of the cup. So, it’s like a maximum security prison for them.
Calling a Pest Control Company
Professional pest control companies can cost you a good amount of bucks, but these commercial exterminators can quickly and effectively eliminate a bedbug infestation.
If you hire a commercial heating service, they will work on your home to ensure they kill every bug. They will keep the rooms at 140 degrees F for 2-3 hours, enough heat to kill all the bugs.
Though it’s more expensive, it’s shown to be the best solution for bed bug treatment.
What to Do If They Bite You
Bites by baby bugs can leave you with itchy skin and swollen red dots. They usually go away on their own within 6-7 days. But sometimes, the itchiness can be very irritating.
Putting something cold on the bitten area can help with the itching and pain. Be careful not to scratch a bed bug bite, as it will worsen them. If you’re still struggling, NHS recommends you ask a pharmacist for help, as they may recommend a cream to ease the itching.
How to Prevent Baby Bed Bugs
Bed bug prevention may not be easy, but there are still some precautions that you can take to avoid this issue. So, here are some tips that you can follow to prevent bed bugs:
- Vacuuming your home and furniture regularly so there can be no infestation.
- Ensure to inspect your headboards, baseboard, box spring, the seams of your mattress, your bedding for blood spots, and your luggage if you go on a trip.
- Make sure your house is organized and there’s no hiding place for bedbugs.
- When buying used furniture, checking for bugs before you get them inside your home is essential.
- Wash your linens and bed sheets regularly in hot water at least once a week.
- If there are holes in walls, seal them up so the bugs can’t hide there.
- Mattress cover encasements can be used to prevent bugs.
- Upon returning from vacation, dump all your clothes in the washing machine and dry them at the maximum temperature possible. Otherwise, you might infest your home with the bugs you might have carried from the vacation destination.
What Do Baby Bed Bugs Bites Look Like?
On white skin, bed bug bites look like angry little red marks, making them very easy to spot.
However, the bug bites look slightly different on black and brown skin and may appear more like purple marks, making it more difficult to distinguish them on darker skin.
How to Check for Baby Bugs
The fact that these pests are tiny makes them hard to spot. And their white color makes spotting more difficult, if not nearly impossible.
The most significant sign of a bedbug infestation is the skin they shed during their transformation for the next growth stage.
So, if you see bug skin on your bed or your baby’s crib, know that your house invasion by the bed bugs has already started, and you need to take rapid action.
Can Baby Bed Bugs Reproduce?
No, baby bedbugs can not lay eggs.
First, they need to feed on human or animal blood to go through the growth stages till it becomes an adult.
Once it becomes an adult, it can reproduce quickly and make a huge problem for you. So, it’s better if they are eliminated at the earliest stage.
The Life Cycle of Baby Bed Bugs
As we mentioned before, the ‘nymphs,’ or baby form of the bugs, are initially white and remain so until they feed on the blood for the first time. Since they are white, you can see the blood inside them.
As they develop towards the adult version, they shed their skin at each stage, just like we leave the old clothes as we grow out of them. And with each stage, the skin keeps getting darker.
They need around one and a half months to become full-grown adults. However, the process may take longer sometimes due to a lack of hosts. They need blood from hosts to grow; if they can’t find one quickly, the growth process will be significantly slower and may need 16 weeks.
However, adult bugs try to reproduce where it is easy to find people for blood.
Well, they will need to go through 5 stages till they become an adult and start producing eggs. A female bed bug is known to lay 200-500 eggs throughout its lifetime, which is quite substantial.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between baby fleas and baby bed bugs?
Though pretty similar in size, fleas are reddish brown, and baby bed bugs are white. Also, you’ll find baby bed bugs primarily in mattresses, cots, or furniture, while fleas are more likely to be attached to your pet or an animal.
Can baby bed bugs live in your hair?
As annoying as they are, luckily, they don’t possess the ability to cling to your hair. So, your strands are safe from the infestation of bed bugs.
How long can baby bed bugs live without food?
The food of baby bugs is blood and they can live 2-4 weeks without feeding on blood.
Conclusion
Like a small leak in your roof, baby bed bugs might seem like a minor nuisance at first, but they could indicate a much larger and more serious issue. Ignoring these pesky critters could lead to a full-blown bed bug infestation that could wreak havoc on your home and well-being. Don’t wait for things to spiral out of control! Take swift and decisive action to eliminate those baby bed bugs before they become a major headache and wreak havoc in your home!
More Pest Guides from Planet Natural:
6 Early Signs of Bed Bugs (Top Indicators of an Infestation)
Copyright © 2004-2023