Bedbugs are insects that thrive on human blood and they are small and oval shaped structure. The average size of an adult bedbug will be approximately the apple seed’s structure. They feed on human blood and their body becomes full with blood to change to red color. Bedbugs can walk quickly on the floors and walls. Female adults are capable of laying hundreds of eggs.
Bedbugs remain in the larval stage called nymphs and start shedding their skin every season until they become mature. For every process of shedding the skin they need human blood or animal blood. Bedbugs are real nuisance for humans but they will not spread diseases.
Bedbugs normally bite only the exposed human skin while they are sleeping for feeding on blood. Bedbug infestation was earlier managed by using pesticide called DDT which is now banned due to its high toxicity. Bedbugs often bite us on hotels, hospitals and even on shelter houses.
How do they enter your home?
Bedbugs will find its way into your home through clothing or luggage after you are back from vacation. They even cling to your couches or other easy items once they enter your house. They are very small structures and can easily hide in tiny spaces. They live in groups in unnoticed hiding places. Firstly they spend time on your bed or mattresses or sometimes on frames of your cot, so that they have easy access to your blood during night. But in due course, they scatter around your bedroom moving to any protected space. They lay eggs grow and multiply and enter other rooms of the apartment easily.
Having a bedbug in your home is surely a symptom of unhygienic atmosphere and you have to eradicate it using pest control services.
How do they feed?
Bedbugs remain active only at night and sleep all through the daytime. They bite people while they are asleep. It first pierces the exposed skin area like legs or arms and suck blood through their beaks. They literally feed on every human from 3-10 minutes time and get filled with blood and escape from the place silently.
These are different from that of flea bites which bite only on the ankles. Bedbug can attack you on any area of exposed skin and causes a red spot in the bitten area.
Symptoms of Infestation :
Initially there will not be any pain when bedbug bites you. But after some time it causes intense itching marked by reddish spot or welts in the area. You need to identify the bedbugs first to confirm that the itching is caused by them.
If you notice sudden itching on any area while you are asleep it can be due to bedbug infestation. You have more chance to get infested with bedbug when you have traveled recently.
Some of the other signs of bedbug infestation are blood stains on mattress, pillow-covers and sheets. Presence of excretion of bedbug on your clothes, sheets and mattress which would be dark or rusty in color indicates bedbug infestation. You can spot egg shells or other fecal matter of bedbugs on several places of your bedroom. It can produce a stinking odor which is secretion of bedbugs.
Causes :
For people who frequently travel to unhygienic places or stay in poorly maintained hotels there is increased chance for getting infected from bedbugs. Maintaining the house in dirty condition can cause bedbug development. If you have changed your pesticide recently or stopped using pesticide for some weeks or months, it will give room for bedbug infestation on your house.
Keeping your house unclean and moist will increase the chance for bedbugs to hide safely and multiply. Public homes, apartments, hotels, refugee camps, dormitories and shelter homes are some of the common places where they reside.
Diagnoses :
Once you have been bitten by bedbugs you should search your room thoroughly for finding the insect. If you find dark specks on the mattress or sheets it can be the excretion of bedbugs. You can confirm its presence if you could find empty skins or bedbug molts in your room, since they shed their skin many times before they become mature. And blood stains on the sheet can be clear sign of bedbug bite.
Treatment :
Preventing the bedbugs can be easy rather than treating for its bite. You need to keep your house clean and dirt-free. Once in a while wash the mattress or sheets in hot water and dry them in sunlight. If you have any non-washable items like shoes, toys etc. you can run them in dryer for few minutes to eliminate bedbugs. Make use of stiff brush for scrubbing the mattress for killing bedbugs. Vacuum clean the bedroom and all other rooms if you suspect bedbug presence.
You can cover the unused mattress with zip-lock cover to prevent bedbugs from entering into it. Bedbugs are capable of surviving without any blood for a year or even more. Do not leave any tiny place on your house and simply seal them to prevent its entry. Repair wall cracks with plaster or glue to cover all small holes. Remove any clutter things from your bedroom.
If your sheet is infested with bedbug then you should consider buying a new one. But make sure that you are removing bedbugs completely from your home before changing the mattress. Hire an efficient pest control servicemen in your area who can exterminate bedbugs.
For treating itching you can use any skin ointment that contains hydrocortisone. In case of intense itching you can take oral antihistamines like Benadryl. You can consult your doctor if you have developed a skin infection.
Pictures of Bed Bug Infestation :
Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Bed Bug Infestation
Prevention :
Cover your skin as much as you can to prevent getting infested from bedbugs since they cannot sting you beneath the clothes. Avoid buying used mattress or furniture since they may carry bedbugs. Wash all the clothing you have taken for vacation and that includes all luggage items also. Use insect repellant on your house or hire a professional pest control agency to keep your home safe.