Beyond the Bite: The Strange Biology of Bedbugs

A lot of people shiver or shudder at the mere mention of the word “bedbugs.” I’m sure many Nigerian homes have had their fair share of these tiny devils because, quite frankly, they seem to be practically everywhere.

Most times, we focus on how much we hate them and, of course, how to eliminate them. But I doubt that most people have actually taken the time to learn about these tiny creatures.

As a member of the scientific community, it is not unusual for us to read about different organisms. One day, my lecturer came to class and told us to read about bedbugs for a class presentation.

I picked up my phone and started reading, and I found some things that were so interesting that I thought, “Wait… people need to know this.”

Let’s start with one of the biggest misconceptions about bedbugs: they only live in dirty environments.

Not true.

You can have the cleanest space imaginable and still have bedbugs. Cleanliness does not make a place immune to an infestation. Bedbugs are primarily looking for a blood meal, and they use cues such as carbon dioxide from our breath, body heat and other signals from their hosts to locate us.

And then comes another shocking fact: bedbugs can survive for several months without feeding under suitable conditions.

Yes, months.

This is one reason why simply abandoning a room for a short period does not necessarily eliminate an infestation. They can remain hidden and wait for the host to return.

And for such tiny insects, they can cover a surprising amount of ground. Bedbugs have been reported to travel more than 100 feet in a single night, although they generally remain much closer to where people sleep.

Then there is their body structure.

Bedbugs are incredibly flat. This allows them to squeeze into tiny cracks and crevices that you might never imagine could accommodate an insect. They can hide in mattresses, furniture, cracks in walls and other small spaces, which is one of the reasons they can be so difficult to eliminate completely.

Now, here’s another interesting part.

When a bedbug bites, you may not notice it happening immediately. During feeding, the insect injects saliva containing substances that help prevent blood from clotting and make feeding easier. Some components of the saliva can also affect how our bodies respond to the bite, which is why the itching and skin reaction may not always appear immediately.

But now, we get to what I consider the most disturbing—and perhaps most fascinating—part.

Female bedbugs undergo something called traumatic insemination during reproduction.

In simple terms, rather than mating through a conventional reproductive opening, the male pierces the female’s abdomen with his reproductive organ and deposits sperm into her body. The sperm eventually makes its way to the reproductive system, where fertilisation can occur.

And yes, the name “traumatic insemination” is exactly as intense as it sounds.

There is absolutely no romance involved. Just pure biology doing what biology does. 

And to make matters worse, female bedbugs can produce hundreds of eggs over their lifetime, which is another reason an infestation can become difficult to control.

So the next time you see a bedbug and immediately reach for the insecticide, remember that you are looking at a surprisingly complex little organism.

Tiny? Yes.

Annoying? Absolutely.

But biologically fascinating? Unfortunately, very much so.

Stop waiting to feel Rich before You build Wealth

A common view of wealth creation is that you first become financially comfortable, and then you start building wealth.

For some people, that can mean waiting for the next promotion, a better-paying job, a more successful business or a time when the living costs take up less of their income. The problem is that “enough” can keep moving. As income increases, so do responsibilities, expectations and, often, lifestyle.

In an environment where households are managing significant expenses across food, housing, transportation, education and other essentials, building wealth requires a different mindset. It cannot simply be something we do when we have excess money. It has to become a financial habit built around the money we have today.

Wealth creation does not begin with having a lot of money. It begins with having a plan for the money you have. An important starting point is to build financial resilience. Before considering more complex investments, individuals should understand their cash flow, manage recurring expenses, reduce unnecessary spending and, where possible, establish an emergency reserve. For someone earning a salary, this may mean automatically separating part of their income when it arrives. For a freelancer or gig worker with irregular earnings, it may mean saving more during stronger months to provide a buffer during weaker ones.

The amount may initially appear small, but consistency matters. Saving ₦5,000 or ₦10,000 regularly may not feel like wealth creation today, but it can represent the beginning of a financial habit that can be sustained and increased as income grows.

Digital financial products can support this discipline by giving people different ways to organise their money around specific goals. FairMoney offers savings products, including FairSave, FairTarget and FairLock, which provide customers with different ways to organise their savings, subject to applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements. These products offer customers different ways to organise savings around general needs, specific goals or defined periods, subject to the applicable product terms and conditions.

The broader lesson is more important than any individual product. Money intended for tomorrow should not always sit in the same place as money available for today's spending. But saving is only one part of the equation. The next is understanding credit.

Credit can play an important role in helping individuals manage legitimate financial needs. Used responsibly, it can help individuals manage legitimate short-term cash-flow needs or access funds for purposes that fit within their repayment capacity. But borrowing should never be treated as an extension of income. This distinction is particularly important as digital access to credit becomes easier.

Before taking a loan, consumers should consider the purpose of the borrowing, whether it is appropriate for their circumstances, the total cost of the borrowing and whether the repayment schedule fits comfortably within their expected income. FairMoney provides credit products to eligible customers, alongside savings and banking services. The important consideration for consumers is not simply whether credit is available, but whether a particular facility is appropriate for their circumstances and whether they can repay it responsibly.

This is where financial literacy becomes critical. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s consumer protection framework emphasises the importance of consumers understanding financial products and their obligations, particularly regarding repayment. . The framework also recognises consumer’s right to receive complete, relevant and truthful information about financial products and their terms.

Responsible borrowing therefore means borrowing for a defined purpose, taking only what is necessary and ensuring repayment does not undermine essential expenses or existing financial commitments. It also means resisting the temptation to use one loan to fund another unless there is a clear and sustainable repayment strategy.

The same discipline should apply to lifestyle. A potential barrier to wealth creation is lifestyle inflation. An increase in income can quickly translate into more expensive meals, more frequent trips, higher subscriptions, upgraded devices and other expenses that gradually absorb the additional income.

There is nothing wrong with improving your quality of life. The challenge is allowing every increase in income to become an increase in spending. A better approach is to divide income growth between today and tomorrow. Enjoy some of the increase, but direct part of it towards savings, financial goals, productive assets or other appropriate long-term plans.

Ultimately, wealth is less about appearing financially successful and more about creating financial options. People building an emergency fund, saving consistently, understanding credit and controlling lifestyle inflation may not look wealthy today. But they are building something important: financial resilience.

We should therefore stop waiting for the moment when we finally “feel rich.” That moment may never arrive. The better question is, “What can I do with the money I have today to make my financial position stronger tomorrow?”

For many people, building wealth is unlikely to happen through one dramatic financial decision. It will come from hundreds of small, informed decisions repeated over time — saving when possible, spending intentionally, borrowing responsibly and gradually putting money to productive use. You do not need to feel rich to start building wealth. You need to start building the habits that make wealth possible.

Gloria Onosode is Director, Enterprise Sales, FairMoney Business

Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway not abandoned, Project remains intact, says Minister

The Federal Government says construction of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is progressing as planned, dismissing reports that the project had been abandoned for the East-West Road.

David Umahi, Minister of Works, stated this while briefing Journalists on Monday at the State House in Abuja.

Umahi said construction is ongoing along various sections of the highway, adding that the project remained intact and was being implemented as designed.

“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is moving and moving even faster than envisaged. Don’t forget that Section One, covering 147.47 kilometres, is being fully constructed in Lagos,” he said.

The minister said Section Two, covering 55 kilometres, was expected to be ready by mid-November.

He said work is ongoing on Sections Three A and Three B, covering about 75 kilometres in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, with progress exceeding 40 per cent.

Umahi added that construction is ongoing on Sections Four A and Four B, covering 65 kilometres across Ogun and Ondo states.

He said work had also commenced on Section Five, covering 62.5 kilometres in Akwa Ibom, with more than 20 per cent progress recorded within less than three months.

The minister explained that the ministry is seeking President Bola Tinubu’s approval to incorporate about 400 kilometres of the East-West Road into the ongoing infrastructure development programme.

He said the proposed intervention would cover sections linking Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

Umahi said the East-West Road required attention because some sections had suffered damage from flooding, citing affected portions in Delta and Edo.

He stressed that the proposed work on the East-West Road would complement, rather than replace, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

“Nobody has abandoned the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. We have designers and surveyors working along the route, including in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers,” he said.

Umahi said the Federal Government is undertaking surveys along the route to ensure the project’s continued development and integration with other infrastructure projects in the Niger Delta.

He added that the highway remained part of the Federal Government’s legacy infrastructure projects and that its alignment would not be altered.

“The 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed. Nobody has the power to change it because it is already designed and ongoing,” he said.

Credit NAN: Texts excluding Headline