For centuries, bedbugs have a public health pest to human beings not only in Singapore but also the world over as well. From their names, bed bugs are normally found in beds (on the blankets and the mattresses) but they can as well be found in hotels, couches, airplanes, cracks and crevices. Generally, they reside where people are since they feed mostly on human blood.
As you sleep, they deliciously feast on you by sucking your blood. In the morning, the effect of these bites will be red welts on the skin that itch.
Bed bugs do not exist in many species as other insects. There are two types of species of bedbugs that are a pest menace to human beings. These are Hemiptera and Cimicidae. The species Cimicidae enjoys a distribution of a cosmopolitan nature globally. The other species, however, has a limited distribution.
In Singapore, there is only one type of bed bug as far as a 2008 survey conducted by School of Biological Sciences of Universiti Sains Malaysia is concerned. This type is the tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus (Fabricius).
Fabricius is a type of bed bug that is mostly found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the earth. This type of bedbug commonly infests residential places, hotels and places of public accommodation such as lodgings. As a matter of fact, individuals who periodically spend their times (nights) in these public places are the biggest carriers of bedbugs (Fabricius) from one place to another through their luggage or clothing. When Fabricius infest a place, they majorly reside in a specific location within the infested premise.
The most preferred place is the bedding. This type of bed bug will hide along the seams of the mattresses or in the fold of bed sheets or blankets. The other place greatly favored by these unpleasant guests at our homes is the headboard followed by cracks and crevices that normally surround the baseboards. These tropical bed bugs, Fabricius, also reside on walls (even behind wallpapers) and on the floors. However, these two locations are used in case the infestation by the bed bugs is heavy.
Tropical bed bugs, just like the other type of bed bug species, hide during the hours of daylight. They emerge at night to eat. Blood meals are their main source of food. They feast on human blood mostly but can also suck blood from other warm-blooded animals as well. Blood meals are also very essential in the process of nymphal metamorphosis of bedbugs. The nymphs require a blood meal in order to clot to the next stage.
In as much as bed bugs do not spread diseases, they can be a great source of discomfort due to the resulting itchy feeling on the skin and other allergic reactions. To deal with this kind of infestation by the tropical bed bugs, it is advisable to contact professionals to aid in removing these pests. In Singapore, there are a number of registered bodies that can professionally handle this bed bug menace at a fee. You will then rest assured of comfort at night for you and for your family.