Okay, so I think we all agree on the fact that bed bugs are bad. They move into your home after a vacation and drink your blood. There’s really nothing that can be said more than that. These bugs are just horrific. But, did you know that they’re not alone? Nope, they have another partner in crime that looks almost like them in exactly every way. You’d need a microscope to tell the difference. That’s why today we’ll be discussing the Florida Bat Bugs.
I’ve spoken at length about animal removal, but the existence of this pest proves that it’s more than just a one-step process. For when you remove the bats that bring these little bed-bug lookalikes into your home, then you have to deal with the actual Florida bat bugs. And then when they’re gone, exclusion techniques and even tossing some of your furniture may be necessary steps to take.
Florida Bat Bugs: Overview
Now, when I say bat bug I need to you do something for me. I want you to try and picture this pest in your mind. But when you do, don’t think of some sort of cross between a bat and a mosquito. Oh no, this is basically…well, a bed bug! Bat bugs are a member of the Cimicidae family of insects. That means that they’re actually closely related to the common bed bug.
When it comes to actually describe this pest, it’s pretty easy. Thankfully, the common bed bug is known to most people – we just need to get everyone on the same page regarding its extermination. But ultimately, they look very similar to bed bugs. The Florida bat bug is an oval-shaped, brown-bodied insect. They’re all about three-eights of an inch in length, almost never growing larger than that. The two insects are very similar in size, shape, and color. Like I said above, you’d really need a microscope to tell bat bugs and bed bugs apart. But the main physical difference between this pest and bed bugs is the hairs on the bat bug are longer, once again something you’d not see with the naked eye.
But, just like the bed bug, these pests swell in size when they feed. Not only that, but they go from fat to gorged and fat within minutes.
How do you get these bugs?
When it comes to Florida bat bugs, you don’t get them in the same way that you get bed bugs. With bed bugs, it’s usually user error that leads to this pest in the household. You go out, have a fun vacation, stay in one or more hotels, and then come home. What’s that? Did you forget to wash your clothes? Did you leave your suitcase unattended in the room? Whelp, you’ve got bed bugs!
That’s not so much the case with bat bugs. Florida bat bugs in your home are usually a sign that bats either are in your attic…or they used to be! Bat bugs do not attach to their hosts like ticks. That means that if a bat bug is in an outside colony, it’s probably going to stay in that outside colony. But if the bats have roosted in your home, well there’s your problem. Even when the bats are gone the bugs tend to stick around for quite a bit longer. That’s how you can, through no real fault of your own, end up with this infestation in your bed.
Do bat bugs carry disease?
Bat bugs feed on blood from bats, but when they wander away from the bat roost area, they will feed on other warm-blooded animals, including people and your pets. If only they’d simply quietly die out when the bats left, but alas…
Thankfully, the answer here is no. Like bed bugs, bat bugs do not infect humans with bloodborne diseases when they bite. That doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear though. Their bites are uncomfortable and itch horribly. But they also carry pathogens on their bodies that can be spread by their activities. That means that while they may not give you malaria, they may leave some pretty nasty germs on your bed, couch, or other furniture pieces.
And bats do play an important part in our ecosystem. Especially down here in Florida. But that doesn’t mean you want them in your home. Or their feces, called guano, can spread histoplasmosis to humans. So if you see bat bugs in your home, there’s a good chance you’ll need help with both.
How to remove Bat Bugs?
If you think you spot a bat bug or even a bed bug and you’re unsure, you should call a pest control specialist immediately. Look for one that goes for natural and organic methods of pest control. Not to mention, find one that does humane catch and release. As I mentioned above, for the bats themselves you’ll want to get rid of them- not kill them. Not only are they too important for you to remove from the ecosystem, you just don’t want to deal with rotting corpses in your attic after poisoning them. Spraying without eliminating the bats will probably provide short-term, temporary benefits but is not likely to completely control the problem. So once again, a multifold task that’s going to need a pro, one that’s versed in safe and humane removal techniques, is really your only choice.
These free-living pests may not quite hang on like bed bugs. They’re not nearly as tenacious, but they’re still out of the realm of being dealt with by a simple layman. A pest control specialist who is trained to help manage this and other similar pests is really your only option. And when they are gone from your building, you’ll need to take steps to bat-proof your home to keep those wily mammals from simply moving back in when you stop treating. This is usually accomplished with exclusion techniques, such as “building them out.” But that’s just another term for sealing entrance cracks in holes around your home.
