What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small, oval, reddish-brown, blood-sucking, wingless parasitic insects. They typically feed on the blood of humans and animals and can even survive several months without blood. Bed bugs hide in the daytime in clothing, luggage bedding, boxes, and box springs and come at night to feed their hosts. They can even travel between floors and rooms in hotels or apartment buildings. They cannot jump or fly, but they are known to crawl quickly. Bed bugs can be annoying, but they are not known to transmit disease. However, they may cause an allergic or severe skin reaction in some cases. Bedbug bites mostly clear up without treatment in one or two weeks.
Where Are Bed Bugs Commonly Found?
Bed bugs are commonly found around or near where people sleep, including clothes, luggage, bedding, boxes, a seam of mattresses, box springs, headboards, or objects near beds.
These insects are also found behind wallpaper, cracks or crevices, under light switch plates, and other clutter or objects around a bed.
When Do Bed Bug Bites?
Bedbugs are mainly active at night and usually bite people when they are asleep. They pierce the skin and feed blood through their elongated beak. The bugs feed for three to ten minutes to become swollen and then crawl away unnoticed. Most bedbug bites are painless initially but later cause itching and turn into itchy welts. Bedbug bites can occur on any area of skin exposed while sleeping. Bed bugs are not dangerous. However, an allergic reaction to various bites may need medical attention.
Who Is at More Risk for Getting Bed Bugs?
Anyone can get bed bugs when visiting an infected area. However, people who travel frequently and stay in places where others have previously slept, such as hotels, dormitories, cruise ships, trains, and buses, have a higher risk of bed bug infestation.
What Are the Main Signs and Symptoms of Bed Bug Infestation?
Bed bug bite symptoms are similar to other insect bites and rashes. The common bed bug infestation symptoms include:
-
Tell-tale bite marks on the areas, such as the face, neck, arms, and hands. Sometimes these bite marks may take 14 days to develop.
-
Small, flat, or raised inflamed spots, with a darker spot in the center.
-
Itchiness.
-
Bed bug bites may occur in a line or a cluster in a zig-zag pattern.
-
Some people may not react to bedbug bites, while others can experience an allergic reaction resulting in severe itching, blisters, or hives.
The signs of bed bugs infestation are listed below:
-
Bloodstains on the sheets or pillowcases.
-
Dark or rusty spots due to the blood-filled fecal material they excrete on the beddings.
-
An offensive, musty odor.
If someone suspects a bedbug bite, immediately inspect the home for insects and thoroughly examine crevices in walls, mattresses, and furniture. Look for the bed bug infestation signs.
How Are Bed Bug Bites Treated?
Bedbug bites usually do not need treatment. They generally go away on their own within one or two weeks. However, the following medications may help ease symptoms:
-
An over-the-counter or prescription steroid cream reduces inflammation and itching.
-
An oral antihistamine, such as Diphenhydramine, relieves itching and burning.
-
An over-the-counter pain reliever helps reduce swelling and pain.
At-Home Care
In addition to the medications, several home remedies can help treat bed bug infestations at home, including:
-
Thoroughly vacuum the bed and surrounding area regularly. Empty the vacuum bag after each use.
-
Vacuum crevices frequently.
-
Wash bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water (at least 120 F (48.9 C) to kill bed bugs.
-
Sometimes, one may have to throw out heavily infested items such as mattresses or couches. Make it obvious the item is unusable so no one else picks it up and gets bed bugs.
-
Before vacuuming, scrub mattress seams to remove bed bugs with a stiff brush.
-
Fill the wall cracks in plaster and stick down the peeling wallpaper to avoid places where bed bugs can come into the home.
-
Remove clutter around the bed.
-
Chemical treatments may help get rid of bedbugs. However, as treating the bed and bedroom with insecticides can be harmful, using products safely used in bedrooms is essential.
How Are Bed Bugs Prevented?
The most effective way to prevent bed bugs is regular inspection for the signs of bed bug infestation. In addition, the following strategies can help prevent bed bugs:
-
Bed bugs do not tend to burrow under clothes. So, wear long sleeves or long pants as much as possible to cover the skin.
-
While staying in a hotel, place the luggage on tables or dressers instead of on the floor or bed to reduce the risk of bringing bedbugs home in a suitcase. In addition, decontaminate luggage, clothes, and belongings upon returning home, using brushing, vacuuming, heating, or washing.
-
Remove clutter, especially in the bedroom.
-
Locate the bed at least 6 inches away from the walls.
-
Vacuum molding, windows, and floors every day. Vacuum sides and seams of mattresses, box springs, and furniture. Empty the vacuum or the bag immediately and dispose of it outside in a sealed container or bag.
-
Wash sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and bed skirts and put them in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes.
-
Use mattress and box spring covers to protect the bed against bed bug infestation.
-
Seal wall cracks, crevices, and any openings from where bed bugs come into the home.
Conclusion
Bed bugs are small, oval, wingless parasitic insects that feed on animal or human blood. They can be annoying, but they are not dangerous and do not transmit disease. However, for some people, bed bugs may cause an allergic reaction or a severe skin reaction. Bedbug bites do not require treatment and mostly clear up in one or two weeks. Medications and home remedies are also effective in controlling the problem. Several strategies also help avoid bringing bed bugs home.
