Bed bugs for many of us are just little monsters from stories that grandmothers told us. Hardly anyone is aware of the fact that they can easily settle in our apartments, and force them to move out is no longer a simple matter. Bed bugs cause huge problems and the very thought that a worm thrives on our body, feeds on blood, sheds armor on bedding, is simply rejecting. Let’s check how to detect their presence and how to get rid of them!
What does the bug look like?
To successfully eradicate bed bugs at home, you need to be able to recognize them at all and distinguish them from other unwanted guests.
Bed bugs are tiny, flat insects, brown-red. They have clearly marked tentacles around the head. The fed bug takes on a fusiform shape. These insects are hard and resistant to crushing.
Where do they come from
The biggest myth is that bed bugs come from dirt. It’s not true! Dirt does not attract bed bugs, but regular cleaning and removal of unnecessary items will help them to be noticed faster and get rid of them more effectively.
Possible sources of bed bugs:
- hotels (even 5-star), hostels, hostels, dorms, offices, hospitals
- used furniture (especially those taken from the trash under the block)
- transport of new and used furniture
- public transport (trams, buses), trains and other means of public transport
- cinema, theater, museums
Once bed bugs are in the apartment, they can move between rooms or get to another apartment through small cracks or holes in the walls or on the ceilings or under the door.
Bed bug bites – red marks
How do they parasitize bed bugs? They drink blood until they feel full. When puncturing the skin, they simultaneously inject an anesthetic substance – their bites are initially almost imperceptible.
When you unknowingly crush a bug in your sleep, a trace of blood will appear on the bedding. It is usually in this way that you learn that these pests have settled in the apartment.
Bite bug consequences
Although bed bugs are suspected of transmitting about 40 pathogens, studies have not yet confirmed the direct association of the parasite bite with the development of any infection. Biting by a bug is generally not dangerous.
In predisposed persons or with numerous bites, urticaria, fever, weakness and breakdown may appear, although they are rare. It also happens that scrambled efflorescences undergo secondary bacterial superinfection.
Doctors also observe psychological trauma in people bitten by insects. Sometimes they lead to delusions about the constant presence of parasites on the body and associated sleep disorders. Sometimes, the improper use of chemicals and other technologies to combat bed bugs can potentially have harmful effects on human health.
Bed bite how to treat
If bed bug bites have been few, the changes may go away on their own within 1-2 weeks. To relieve the more severe symptoms, topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines are used, which can reduce the accompanying itching or prescription ointment based on zinc and lime water.
