Bedbugs feed on human blood. The color of bedbugs is reddish brown, oval and flat like the size of the seeds of an apple. During day time, bedbugs hide in the cracks and crevices of the beds, headboards, box springs and frames of beds.
When it comes to bedbug bites, it is important that you know how to manage them. All you have to do is to enroll in a first aid course today.
Symptoms of bedbug bites
Bedbug bites are red, sometimes with a dark red spot found in the middle that causes itchiness and appear as a cluster or as a rough line. Usually their bites are located in the neck, face, arms and hands.
Some people do not have reactions to bites of bedbug while others can experience an allergic reaction such as severe itching, hives and blisters.
Causes of bedbug
Bedbug infestation can be caused by an increase in international travel. The bedbugs are unaffected by certain kinds of insecticide and changes being practiced for pest control.
Bedbugs do not stay on the human host after eating a meal and they take shelter in luggage or clothes that are left on the floor. If traveling and bedbugs gets into the luggage, there is a possibility that they can be brought home.
There some varieties of bedbugs that feeds on birds or bats, and they live in the attics of houses and when the birds or bats disappear, they feed on the humans.
Bedbugs are common in crowded lodgings that has high turnover of occupancy, such as dormitories, hotels, military barracks, refugee camps, apartment complexes, and some homeless shelters.
Treatment and home remedies
- Treat itchy red spots with a skin cream that contains hydrocortisone
- Take oral antihistamine
- Vacuum all cracks and crevices to remove bedbugs in the area.
- Wash clothes and other items in hot water at least 120 F (49 C) in order to kill the bedbugs.
- Place all wet items or dry items in a dryer and set at medium to high heat for about 20 minutes in order to kill bedbugs and their eggs.
- Freezing the bedbugs for several days can also help.
Some people use a portable device that raises the temperature of a room to a lethal temperature where all the stages of bedbugs can be killed at 122 F (50 C).
Preventing bedbug bites
- Wear a pajama that covers all skin as possible.
- Place mosquito nets on sleeping areas to prevent bedbug bites during sleep.
Preventing infestations
- When buying second-hand items like mattresses or upholstered furniture, examine carefully for presence of bedbugs before bringing it into the house.
- When staying in a hotel, check the mattress seams for bedbug dirt and place the luggage on top of the tables or dressers instead of placing it on the floor.
- Eliminate any bird and bat environments that can serve as refuge for bedbugs.