Bed bugs are parasites easily picked up on trains, planes and in hotels, spreading into one’s home. Generally, it takes at least seven weeks for a bed bug to grow from an egg to an adult. If many adult bugs are present one can reasonably assume that the infestation has been there for more than seven weeks. Smelling a certain odour emanating from the bedroom could mean you’re at risk. David Cain of extermination company Bed Bugs Limited said: “The problem of bed bugs has been spreading globally since the late 1990s, and there is literally no country on the face of the planet that hasn’t had a bed bug problem.” What are the possible smells and sounds warning you may have an infestation on your hands?
Smells are often one of the first signs of an infestation.
Bedbugs have a sweet, musty scent, mice and rats have a smell like musty urine/ammonia.
If you notice any of these smells, you should check your home immediately for other signs.
The odour of bed bugs is described as musty and sweet and is comparable to the smell of cilantro.
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Other people think they smell sweet like berries.
People regularly disagree because the scent is subjective.
Bugs that give off odour have to cluster in large numbers for you to be able to smell them.
You can expect to see other signs of infestation before you notice that they smell.
Bed bugs are one of many bugs that give off odour, said Bedbug Insider.
The site added: “However, you might disagree with others as to what they smell like.
“People compare the smell to all sorts of different things, like mothballs, rotten wood and damp, and even raspberries.
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“The more severe the infestation, the stronger the smell will be and if you live with an infestation, you might get used to the smell.
“But, if you’re not used to it, and you go somewhere there are bed bugs, the smell will be immediately obvious.
“Even though you can smell them, sniffing them out isn’t the best way to spot an infestation.
“If you can smell the infestation, it’s large enough to spot by lifting your mattress.”
“But, if you’re not used to it, and you go somewhere there are bed bugs, the smell will be immediately obvious.
“Even though you can smell them, sniffing them out isn’t the best way to spot an infestation.
“If you can smell the infestation, it’s large enough to spot by lifting your mattress.”
Why bedbugs give off an odour
Bed bugs give off hormones like histamine to mark their harbourages.
This helps them to find their way back home after they feed and without these markers, they would struggle to find their way and would end up lost.
They also give off a separate scent when they’re frightened.
When a person lifts the mattress, for example, the bed bugs underneath have to run and hide.
So, when they come into contact with light, and the surface they’re on is moved around, they release a chemical signal.
It’s this chemical signal which is the most distinctive smell they produce.
Why bedbugs give off an odour
Bed bugs give off hormones like histamine to mark their harbourages.
This helps them to find their way back home after they feed and without these markers, they would struggle to find their way and would end up lost.
They also give off a separate scent when they’re frightened.
When a person lifts the mattress, for example, the bed bugs underneath have to run and hide.
So, when they come into contact with light, and the surface they’re on is moved around, they release a chemical signal.
It’s this chemical signal which is the most distinctive smell they produce.
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