Bedbugs : How to get rid of ? Prevention And Treatment

Reddish-brown, wingless, and small, bedbugs are insects that feed exclusively on human blood. Bites from bedbugs typically go away on their own in a week or two. Although bedbugs are not known to transmit disease, some people may experience an allergic reaction or a severe cutaneous reaction.

The size of a bedbug is comparable to an apple seed. They spend the day hiding in the crevices and cracks of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames, and other furniture, but at night they emerge to feast on their preferred host—people. If you frequently spend the night in establishments like hotels, hospitals, or homeless shelters, you are more likely to encounter bedbugs.

It is advised to hire a professional exterminator if your home has bedbugs.

Causes

Infestations of bedbugs could be related to the following factors:

• Frequent travel and a greater number of trips
• Modifications to pest control methods
• Resistance to insecticides

Bedbug infestations frequently occur near or around sleeping areas. They are present in

• Clothing
• Luggage
• Bedding
• Boxes
• Mattresses and box springs
• Headboards
• Items close to beds

They can be discovered in the following locations:

• Under flaking wallpaper and cracked paint
• Baseboards and under carpeting
• Seams in upholstered furniture
• Under electrical outlet or light switch covers

By travelling with goods including clothing, luggage, furniture, boxes, and mattresses, bedbugs can transfer from one location to another.

In hotels or apartment complexes, bedbugs may easily spread across rooms and floors.

Bedbugs do not even care if their surroundings are clean or dirty. All they need is a welcoming host and lots of hiding places.

How to check if you have Bedbugs?

Consult your healthcare provider for medical attention if bedbug bites cause allergic reactions or severe skin reactions.

Also, look for these possible signs:

Dark flecks. These specks are bedbug faeces and are frequently seen along mattress seams.

Skin moulds. Before becoming adults, bedbugs go through five moults. These are pale yellow empty skins.

Reddish or rusty stains. Where bedbugs were squashed, you might notice little stains of blood on your bed sheets.

How to get rid of Bedbugs?

You should get in touch with a pest treatment company if you suspect you have bedbugs.

Due to the difficulty of finding bedbugs and potential resistance to some insecticides, bedbugs can be exceedingly challenging to eradicate on your own.

There are certain things you can do on your own, but they probably will not completely get rid of bedbugs.

These are: 

• Bedding and clothing that has been impacted should be washed on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dried for at least 30 minutes on a hot setting.
• Put the afflicted bedding and clothing in a plastic bag and freeze it for three to four days.
• Regular cleaning and vacuuming. Both clean and unclean areas can harbour bedbugs, although routine cleaning will assist.

Risk Factors

If you frequently visit areas like apartment complexes, dorm rooms, homeless shelters, hotels, cruise ships, trains, buses, and refugee camps, you run the risk of getting bedbug bites.

Symptoms

Bedbug bites can cause rashes and symptoms that are similar to other insect bites. Bites from bedbugs are:

• Spots that are red and frequently have a darker area in the middle
• Itchy
• Arranged roughly in a line or in a group
• Visible on the face, neck, arms, and hands
• Bedbug bites can cause an allergic reaction in some people, which can include intense itching, blisters, or hives.

Prevention

Wear full clothing. Bedbugs seldom tunnel under clothing. Therefore, wearing pyjamas that cover as much skin as possible may help you prevent getting bitten.

Look at overused stuff. Before bringing old bedding, mattresses, and upholstered furniture into your house, inspect them.

Take hotel safety measures. Place your luggage on tables or dressers rather than the floor, and inspect the mattress seams for bedbug excrement.

Treatments

Bites from bedbugs typically do not require medical attention because they heal on their own in a week or two. You could use the following to reduce symptoms:

• Hydrocortisone-containing topical cream (Cortaid) 
• Oral antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

Protecting your home environment

Bedbugs may survive for months without food and can conceal themselves efficiently, they can be challenging to eradicate. You would need to work with a professional exterminator, who will probably mix insecticides and organic remedies.

You can also eliminate bedbugs from your house by

Vacuuming. Although a thorough vacuuming of crevices can get rid of bedbugs, it probably will not. Each time you use the vacuum, empty it.

Laundering. Bedbugs can be killed by washing clothing in water that is at least 120 F (48.9 C). The same goes for drying them for 20 minutes on high.

Putting things inside a closed vehicle. Infested goods should be bagged up and left in a car with the windows rolled up for a day if you live in a hot climate. Ideally, the temperature will be at least 120 F. (48.9 C).

Inquire with a pharmacist about the following issues:

• Bedbug bites can be soothed with a mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone cream.
• If the bites are extremely itchy and you can not sleep, antihistamines may help.

Try to avoid the following:

• Do not surround your bed with clutter.
• Never bring used furniture indoors without first giving it a thorough inspection.
• If you have just come from a place where you know there were bedbugs, do not bring your luggage or clothing inside without carefully inspecting it first.

Complications of Bedbugs

Please get medical help if you experience any of the following symptoms:

•  Bedbug bites are still extremely painful, bloated, or itchy, 
• The pain or swelling around the bites is expanding.
• This indicates that you have an infection that requires antibiotic treatment.

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