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What Are Swallow Bugs?

YESpestpros • May 31, 2021

Many different insects can make you home their new home. One of these insects is the swallow bug.

What is a Swallow Bug?

Swallow bugs are often mistaken for bed bugs. They’re small and similar in appearance, and many people often feel they are suffering from a bed bug infestation when they spot them. 

However, swallow bugs get their names from the birds they infest. Swallow bugs are tiny parasites that make their home in swallow nests. They live off them by sucking the blood of them and their babies.

How Long Does a Swallow Bug Live?

A female swallow bug will lay up to 30 eggs at a time. An adult swallow bug will live for 2-3 years, although their life is entirely dependent on whether or not they have a host. Although they don’t multiply as fast as other bugs, they can live for many years if they constantly find a host to live off.

Where Will Swallow Bugs Live in Your Home?

Swallow bugs may not necessarily live in your home; however, if a swallow nest is nearby your home or apartment, the bugs can find their way inside. Once inside the house, they will hide inside cracks in the floor, mattresses, or even in closets and wardrobes.

Swallow bugs will bite humans when their primary source of nutrition, the swallow birds, is not around. 

How to Get Rid of Swallow Bugs in Your Home

Since swallow bugs only come around through swallow nests, you’ll need to go to the source. Once the swallow birds have left the nest, the nesting area should be treated by exterminators and removed. 

Swallow birds will often build a nest in the same location, so you’ll need to discourage the birds from returning. Although you can temporarily treat swallow bugs with bed bug spray, this isn’t a permanent solution. 

If you wish to treat your home from swallow bugs thoroughly, it’s recommended to contact a professional pest controller to ensure that they won’t return. 

Differences Between Swallow & Bed Bugs 

Although swallow bugs and bed bugs are often mistaken for each other, a closer look reveals that they have many differences. When viewed up close, swallow bugs have a visible antenna, while bed bugs do not. Bed bugs are larger than swallow bugs and a reddish color but swallow bugs are grayer in appearance. Another difference is that swallow bugs will have a fine layer of hair on their body, but bed bugs do not. 

Contact YESPest for Swallow Bug Removal 

Whether it’s a bed bug situation or maybe swallow bugs, you’ll need professional help to remove them. YES Pest Pros has been providing homeowners with pest control and extermination solutions for decades. 

To rid your home of swallow bugs, reach out to schedule your free consultation. Our expert exterminators can track the pests, remove them, and remove the swallow nests causing the infestation, ensuring that your home will be swallow bug-free. Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to get started.

The post What Are Swallow Bugs? appeared first on Yes Pest Control.

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