The thought of bedbugs is creepy enough to make you itch. The big lumps on the skin from the bite and red rashes are very painful indeed. And even in some, it can lead to serious skin allergies, and the infection needs to be treated by a medical team.
Bed bugs were once a common pest in the past century. And over the period of time, these bugs have gone through a dramatic and a worldwide resurgence becoming resistant to the insecticides. Since they are one of the best travelers, their incidence can occur anytime.
How They Survive?
The very small and about the size of an apple seed insect, feed and survives in the human and animal blood. These oval and brownish insects, though cannot fly but can move very quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings.
The female bedbugs, which can lay about a hundred eggs each time make the process quite fast. And so under the favorable condition, these bugs easily develop fully and again in three months attaining the capacity of laying eggs.
The Shelter
Though bedbugs are common in beds, they have a wide range of place where they can multiply and live peacefully. They usually colonize in the group in box springs, bed frames, and headboards from where they can have easy access to bite people at night.
They are also common in curtains, sofas and even clothing stands where they are at an easy access to the humans.
Identify The Infection
The rash may be even confusing with a mosquito bite, but unlike a mosquito bite, the rash will develop further over the period of time, resulting in a severe rash. So, it is necessary to be able to differentiate between a bedbug bite and a mosquito bite.
- The bedbug bite after a certain period worsens and may develop a lump and burning sensation in the area of infection. Unlike a mosquito bite, the bedbug bite may even spread out and not limited to the particular area of attack.
- Look for the predominant signs of the presence of any brownish bug, or any stain of fresh or dried blood in the bed or mattresses and even you can look out for light brown molted skin of the nymph.
- Don’t get fooled by the name itself and look for some other places where the humans have access to. Since they feed on blood, they travel from one place to another and hide there to attack humans at night.
- Reconsider this fact that bedbug just happens in a poor house; they can travel through luggage’s even through the airways and chances of a bedbug infection in your home cannot be just null and void.
The Signs
Apart from the normal signs of itching, there are few other signs that may help you detect the presence of bedbugs around your house.
- Presence of blood stains on the sheets and pillow.
- Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrements on mattress, sheets, bedclothes and even walls.
- Fecal spots, eggshells and also shed skins are also an indicative means.
- The Musty odor that is usually because of the bedbug’s scent glands.
Prevention Tips
- Bedbug Steamer: Take your time and thoroughly steam the mattress, box springs and other furniture where you might suspect its presence. Steaming is a good alternate option where the use of pesticides may be limited due to the different health concern.
- Bedbug Kit: Using the designated product, thoroughly treat all the cracks, crevices, folds, voids and fabrics. Using a single product may not be sufficient at times, so a combination can be immensely helpful.
- Bedbug Aerosol Spray: Use this on the dry area and also apply it to all the corners of your house to disinfect it completely. The upholstered furniture, baseboards, bed and even the picture frames should be treated with the straw applicator with the aerosol spray.
- Clutter Away: It is very essential to get rid of the clutters around the bed. This helps in creating an easy passage for the bedbugs.
- Stiff Brush: With its help, scrub mattress seems to remove the eggs and then vacuum it in high power.
In the case of severe infestation, it is wise to change the mattress or the bed. But again, before doing so, make sure to remove the bedbugs from the entire house to prevent its recurrence.