How To Get Rid of Bat Bugs For Good

You may be one of the people who can’t wait for winter to arrive. It’s understandable why most people love the cold. It must be because of the romantic, chilly winds and the inexplicable warmth from simply sitting next to a fireplace. However, unbeknown to many, winter is also when some of the most dreaded household pests thrive. Homeowners consider these unwelcome guests because they could damage properties and pose serious health risks. And although most people believe that pests are only attracted to filthy, unclean spaces, the truth is most cases of pest invasion have nothing to do with cleanliness. 

These home invaders love to infest homes for various reasons. While easy meals lure in some, other pests are attracted to cozy breeding grounds and convenient water sources. With this said, it’s important to schedule regular pest control. DIY pest control operations can save money, but this is only advisable if you’re dealing with less severe pest invasions. For more severe and more extensive pest problems, it’s still a best practice to call the experts. But, before you call the experts in, it’s essential to know what to watch out for. 

Bat bugs are one of the pests that overwinter just fine. They can survive the cold weather, so you must prepare for them. Here are some essential facts about bat bugs you need to know. In the latter part of this post, you can also read tips on managing bat bug infestations and keeping them from recurring successfully. 

What Are Bat Bugs?

Bat bugs belong to the Cimicidae insect family and are closely related to bed bugs. This is precisely why one is mistaken for the other. However, bat bugs’ food source is not human blood, unlike bed bugs. They only do so when they have to. As the name suggests, bat bugs feed on bat blood. They also use bats to reproduce. Without bats, they won’t thrive. 

Before bed bugs increased in number, bat bugs were the most common insect group representing the Cimicidae family. These bugs develop in roosting bat colonies, which you can often see behind building walls and attics. 

As they move their dwelling place into human living areas, that’s the time they incidentally bite on people. These migrations are common when bats are displaced or eliminated from a building. Without their hosts, these insects could no longer sustain themselves and reproduce. 

If you’re having problems with bat bug infestation and bat bug bites, you don’t necessarily have to use insecticides immediately. An infestation may be a sign that you need to check your property. However, it’s best to look for bat hideouts, including your chimney and attic. If those bats die, these bat bugs can move downstairs and live in your beds and mattresses. 

These insects cannot sustain and reproduce in the absence of the bat hosts. When this happens, these bat bugs are inclined to turn to pets and humans. While bed bugs love humans and prefer to remain dormant within beddings and mattresses, bat bugs only do so when forced. These two pests can leave tiny reddish bites that are intensely itchy. Though they can bite you, the good news is that neither of them can cause diseases in humans. 

What Attracts Bat Bugs to Your Home?

If you see bat bugs at home, this most likely means that there are bats that used to live in a wall void or attic. While these pests don’t attach to their bat hosts like ticks, they choose to stay in the roost of bat colonies where they can access their food source or blood meals. When these bat bugs leave their nesting sites for so long, they’ll travel deeper into the home in search of a new host. They can’t resist bat blood, but this doesn’t mean they can’t live without them. Once these bugs find entry points or access another room, they hide in fabric folds and dark crevices.  

It takes around four weeks for them to feed on other hosts like rodents, birds, and in some cases, humans. The moment they find a place where they find a suitable host, these bat bugs will establish themselves like bed bugs. Homeowners often see them hiding in box springs, mattresses, furniture, and bed frames. They will also spread within the new living space like bed bugs. This explains why you can also have bat bug bites. In the absence of their original host, these bat bugs feed on human or animal blood. 

How To Identify/Appearance

Bat bugs look almost the same as bed bugs in appearance. They have brown, oval-shaped bodies that measure about three-eights of an inch tall. Because of the similarity, bat bugs are hard to identify only with the naked eye. You’ll need to look at them closely to spot the difference most of the time. In this case, a magnifying glass can be pretty handy, and you can observe the bug and its fringe hair surrounding its eyes. Bat bugs have longer fringe hair than bed bugs. 

Then again, homeowners should be more concerned about the infestation location and where these adult bat bugs are coming from. If you see moving bugs, or bugs coming through the vents, exhaust fans, and windows, they’re most likely oval-shaped bat bugs. 

Bat Bug vs. Bed Bug

Bed bugs are another unappealing pest to watch out for, especially in winter. Bed bugs don’t only invade your personal space, but they are also smelly and unhygienic. They can enter your home through clothing, boxes, bedding, furniture, or luggage. 

In that case, the most logical approach to keep them at bay is to check the luggage, bedding, or furniture carefully before bringing them inside your home. Regarding the bedding, it’s a great idea to use a mattress cover to encase the box springs and the mattress. Spend more time vacuuming these items, too. Also, wash your bedding and dry them regularly on high heat. If you’re travelling, wash your clothes and dry them on high heat at home upon arrival. 

While both bat and bed bugs are winter pests and come from the same family, they look different. Bed bugs were already present in prehistoric times. You can see them in caves, and historical writings prove that these pests bite human beings. Since these two pests are highly identical, how can you tell them apart? 

The first way is through what they eat. Bed bugs feed on human blood, and bat bugs feed on bat blood. They both measure about a pin’s size, making them virtually indistinguishable. You’ll need to look at them under a magnifying glass. Knowing that they’re present in your home isn’t rocket science. If bats infest your home, you can be almost certain of bat bug infestations. 

Suppose you get rid of the bats. In that case, you still can’t be 100 percent sure that you’ve also gotten rid of the bat bugs. They can join their bed bug relatives in taking turns sipping your blood. However, if you are keen on distinguishing one from the other, consider the following: 

• Bodies: You know you’re dealing with bat bugs if you see them with longer hairs found on their thorax. Both have a reddish to the darkish brown oval-shaped body, but bat bugs are more significant at one-fourth of an inch. 
• Body sections: Both bugs have bodies that include their head, chest, or thorax, and abdomen. They also have compound eyes on each side that are sensitive to motion and light. They also have four segments of antennae that they use to detect danger and identify possible hosts. Their difference is where they pierce their proboscis — a retractable tube in their mouth that can uncoil and penetrate the skin of their hosts. While bed bugs pierce through human skin, bat bugs use their proboscis to pierce through bat skin. 
• Behaviours: Both bugs are non-social. They are more introverted than termites and ants. They only gather in remote areas and remain hidden there, just like vampires. They’re also nocturnal, so you can only expect to see them during nighttime. 

Life Cycle and Habits/Diet/Habitat

Bat bugs hate the light, so you can expect them to sprint when you discover their habitat. They are natural prey for predators like spiders, cockroaches, and ants. The only means for them to escape death is to outrun their predators. 

Life Cycle

Bat bugs are always in haste when it comes to reproducing. The female bat bugs lay their eggs in fabrics, crevices, and cracks. It’s also normal for them to deposit at least 50 tiny eggs every time. Within 14 days, these eggs will hatch into nymphs or immature bugs. When this happens, the larvae will be on their own. Meaning they will be responsible for their food. 

The nymphs will grow by shedding their exoskeletons ten times. They will already be fully mature in as little as one month, ready to reproduce more bat bugs. They also live somewhere between six months to one year. A female bat bug can give birth to over 500 eggs per year. This is why infestations can also quickly happen, even if bats are no longer in your home. 

Diet

This bloodsucking pest depends significantly on its host to survive. They usually stick to bats but can also feast on mammals and humans. Their nature made them last for millions of years. Even if they only feed on blood, they can go on living without feeding on it for a while. They can live for a year in hiding without a food source. 

Habitats

Bat bugs hate extreme heat. This is why they look for a dark, cool place to hide and nest. A small crack or crevice serves as an open invitation for them. They also love to hang around with their host in hollow trees, abandoned buildings, and musty caves. If bats dwell in your attic, you can also expect bat bugs there. 

What Damage They Do

The good news is bat bugs don’t cause structural damage. They also don’t infest on trash or human food. Because they have no pincers or teeth, they are also incapable of tearing holes in cloth, wood, and other objects. If you’re dealing with bat bugs, you must also deal with bats. The latter always harbour harmful pathogens in their feces and on their bodies. These are detrimental to pets and humans. 

Another damage that you should watch out for is bloodstains on your pillows and linens. Some of them are fecal matter these bat bugs leave. They can also leave these fecal matters and their eggs in crevices within your home. Bat bug bites are also itchy like mites welts. Soon after they bite and suck your human blood, you’ll see small, reddish welts that could be uncomfortable. In worst cases, these bites can lead to secondary infection. 

Aside from all these damages, a bat bug problem and bat bug infestation can be psychologically damaging. Some people think these bloodsucking creatures are like fleas that only infest a dirty home. While this is untrue since they invade the cleanest mansions, it can still negatively affect one’s perceptions.

If you experience bat bug infestations at your home, don’t fret. It’s not the end of the world, and you can do something about it. You can also call in the experts from PestGuide to help you manage these tiny yet annoyingly pesky pests at home. 

Signs of Bat Bugs Infestation in Your Home

If you’re looking for the most common signs of bat bugs or bat bug infestation in your home, that would be the irritating and itchy bites from this pest. If you already suspect that bats are invading your space, you can almost indeed assume that they are in the company of these parasitic insects. 

As bats roost in higher areas, bat bugs also hide in those places. They will only come down once they’re done feeding on their host. Unlike bed bugs, you can’t expect them to remain near beds. This is the reason why it’s challenging to spot an infestation. 

For this reason, it’s better to call the experts from PestGuide to survey the place and see where these hideous pests are lurking. The pros know exactly where to find these parasites, so freeing your home from infestations will be easier. 

How To Eliminate Bat Bugs Infestations

Identifying where bat bugs are thriving is the key to eliminating them. You also need to deprive bats of access to your building. Once you have successfully removed signs of bat roosts, you need to check the cracks and crevices in your home. You can also opt for spot treatments using dust formulations or residual insecticides. Through this, you can keep the insecticide from drifting to non-target spots. Focus your efforts on bat roosting or harborage places like the attics. 

You also need to pay special attention to such areas as the chimneys, mattresses, plumbing chases, vents, and light fixtures. These are areas that are susceptible to bat bug infestation. The suggested insecticide or treatment is critical in pest control and managing bat bug problems. 

In case of doubt, you can always call in the exterminators from PestGuide, experts in bat bug infestation management. We also know when best to use insecticides and sprays like deltamethrin. Our exterminator service is one that you can rely on.