Bed bugs come from the Cimicidae insect family. This group of insects is known for the fact that they feed solely on blood so they can reproduce and develop into mature specimens. Cimex lectularius or bed bugs are a species that feeds exclusively on humans which is why it is beneficial for humans to know more about them.  

Bed bugs are a serious threat and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once you learn more about them, we hope you will start taking this threat more seriously and know what to do in case you have an infestation on your hands:

Bed Bug Lifestyle

These nocturnal insects lead a pretty quiet life, which is why people don’t realize that they have them for weeks and sometimes even months. This is because they only come out at night and hide in small cracks of the bed structure, including box springs, mattresses, headboards, bed frames, and so on.

They can also disperse from the bed and find a new living space around it in the wall cavities, picture frames, underneath floorboards, in furniture, and so on. These insects can get into any crack and occupy it as their living space.

In these secluded and tiny cracks, they make their home during the day and emerge during the night to feed off their sleeping hosts. These bites usually can’t be felt and that’s why they are able to go undetected for a long duration of time.

What Do the Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs are extremely small insects that have an oval-shaped body, two antennae, and 6 legs. Their colors can be very different depending on different factors, like how long it’s been since they last fed and how old they are.

Young bed bugs, also called nymphs, are almost colorless and see-through. The younger a bed bug is, the less color it has.

As the bugs grow older, they gain more and more color. Their color is usually brownish and the older the bug is, the stronger the colors will be. Additionally, when a bed bug has recently fed, it will also change color because of the blood in its system.

A mature bed bug can grow up to ¼ of an inch, while nymphs are usually anywhere from 1 mm to 4 mm.

Lifecycle

Bed bugs have 5 stages of development during their life. To switch from one stage to another, a bed bug needs to have a blood meal. This means that it takes a bed bug 5 blood meals to go from a small nymph to complete maturity. With adequate conditions, a bed bug can go from an egg to a perfectly mature stage in a month or two.

Still, if they live in a cool environment and don’t have constant access to blood meals, their development will be hindered. Adult specimens can live from 6 months and up to a full year. In optimal conditions, a bed bug can produce around three new generations during a single year. A female bed bug can lay up to 5 eggs every day, meaning that one will lay over 500 eggs during a lifetime.

To advance to a new stage of development, a bed bug needs to molt. To do this, a bug requires a blood meal. In case the bed bug doesn’t have access to a host to feed, it can live for several months before dying.

How Bed Bugs Feed

Bed bugs find their hosts by following the carbon dioxide that they emit. As they are nocturnal creatures, they come out at night and look for skin that is exposed during sleep to feed on the area. Still, if they have the option, they will also get blood meals even during the day. This is typical in heavy infestations.

Even though bed bugs primarily target humans as their hosts they will feed on other species as well if they’re warm-blooded. The feeding process usually lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. Due to their size and capabilities, a typical bed bug will only be able t bite up to three times before filling with blood and needing to digest before seeking out another blood meal.

If you recognize bed bugs in your home or you’ve picked them up somewhere while traveling, you should act quickly to stop the infestation. If you’ve been infested at a hotel or apartment, you might even have a legal case against the hotel or landlord. Contact Bed Bug Injury Law for a consultation about the legal process!

Bed bugs and insects, in general, are an Airbnb host’s worst nightmare, but their guests are those who suffer the most consequences. These little pests find their way into the tiniest nooks and crannies, and they’re incredibly difficult to spot. You may not even notice they’re in your room until you wake up with dozens of bite marks that are very itchy and painful and may even cause an allergic reaction.

This is why you need to thoroughly inspect your booked Airbnb home as soon as you arrive. Check everywhere for little dark spots that may indicate that there’s a bed bug infestation that requires immediate attention.

Whether you instantly notice the signs, or you find out after a night’s sleep that your Airbnb is infested with bed bugs or other insects, you should know that you can request an insect refund. Here are all the steps you need to take if this ever happens to you.

Contact Your Airbnb Host

The first step you should take is to contact your host via the Airbnb app or website. Even if you have their phone number, it’s better to communicate via official Airbnb platforms, so that the hospitality service has a clear insight into the problem and the way the host is trying (if at all) to resolve it.

However, even if the host wasn’t previously aware of the bed bug infestation at their place, and they genuinely want to help, there isn’t much that they can do to immediately solve the issue. Getting rid of bed bugs requires a lot of time, so the best thing you could do is book another accommodation.

But before you do, ask your host for a refund. You  may be eligible for an insect refund, so don’t hesitate to ask for it. Have in mind that if you do receive a refund, it may not be a full refund if you have already spent a few days at the place. You would only get a refund for the number of remaining nights on your reservation.

Get in Touch with Airbnb Customer Service

Even if your host agrees to refund your booking, you should still contact the Airbnb customer service. That way, you can make sure that the host truly takes proper steps for getting rid of bed bugs. Otherwise, someone else will book the place and experience the same trouble, and the pesky little creatures will only continue to spread.

If you notice the problem during your check-in, make sure you contact Airbnb immediately. If you find this out later during your stay, get in touch with customer service right away.

To submit a claim for your refund, Airbnb will ask for photographs of either bed bugs, or stains that indicate a bed bug infestation. They will also ask for any other proof, such as bed bug bite marks, so be sure to document those as well.

Besides giving you a refund, Airbnb should also find you another accommodation. However, there have been many cases where they not only refused to provide a refund but also prevented guests from rebooking until they provided proof that they got rid of the bed bugs.

This may happen simply to prevent guests from spreading bed bugs.

Find a Professional Lawyer

If your rightful refund is refused, don’t give up. You shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of your host’s negligence. You paid for the place, so you should absolutely be refunded if you found it in bad shape, with pests that could potentially harm your health.

You should find a professional lawyer to help you out. A lawyer will know exactly what to do if your requested refund is refused, so be sure to find a reliable one with experience in dealing with bed bug cases, particularly in collecting an Airbnb insect refund.

Bed Bug Injury Law may be able to help in cases where a refund is refused, so don’t hesitate to get in touch to see if you have a case. Contact us today for a free consultation and tell us all about your experience. After thoroughly discussing your situation with you, we will determine whether or not you have a case!

It’s common agreement that bed bugs are extremely difficult to exterminate without professional help. In a lot of cases, this is true. Regardless, do-it-yourself bed bug treatments can be effective if you’re dealing with an early phase of infestation. Although, there are extremely effective ways to eradicate bed bugs with professional help.

[Read more…]

Getting bitten by any insect is a potential cause for concern, especially so when the victim can’t tell the culprit. If the bite marks are red and itchy, the usual suspects are bed bugs and spiders. In most cases, neither of them are dangerous but some individuals suffer great harm. As such, it is important you learn to notice the difference.

[Read more…]