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Bed bugs (bedbug, bedbug) are parasites that feed on human blood. Usually, it is not known where they come from, but when they do appear they are very bothersome. Usually, the first sign of their presence is symptoms after a bedbug bite. Once we find their hiding place, we think about how to get rid of them. Read on to find out how to recognize bedbug bite marks and how to successfully fight bedbugs.

Bedbugs( bedbug ,bedbug bedbug) are parasites that feed on human blood. Usually, it is not known where bedbugs come from in the home (it is usually difficult to determine where we brought them from), but when they do appear they are very troublesome, andfighting bedbugsis not easy. Usually, the first sign of their presence are symptoms after being bitten by a bedbug.

Once we find their hideout, we wonder how to get rid of them. However, fighting bedbugs is not easy. Home remedies are usually ineffective and professional help is needed as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will have to throw away the furniture, renovate the apartment, and in extreme situations move.

Bed bugs - what do they look like?

Adult bed bugs are reddish brown, oval, wingless insects, about 5-7 mm long. Adults that have not fed for some time are pale yellow-brown in color, but turn darker, mahogany-brown when blood is fully drawn. They resemble the size, shape and color of an apple stone.

A bedbug has three pairs of thin but well-developed legs, equipped with claws that enable it to attach to its host efficiently while feeding. The head is short and broad, with a pair of large, compound eyes and a pair of highly visible 4-segment antennae.

Female bedbugs typically produce 2 to 3 eggs a day. They live for several months, so each female lays around 400-500 eggs during her lifetime. The eggs are cream-colored, slightly curved and approximately 1 mm long. Eggs are usually laid in slits within dark places. The duration of each developmental stage depends to a large extent on the availability of food, temperature and relative humidity.

Bed bugs - where do they come from?

The biggest myth is that bedbugs come from dirt. It's not true! Dirt does not attract bedbugs, but regular cleaning and removal of unnecessary items will help you spot them faster and get rid of them more effectively.

Possible sources of bedbugs:

  • hotels (even 5 stars), hostels, hostels, dormitories, offices, hospitals
  • used furniture (especially those taken from under the rubbish bin under the block)
  • transport of new and used furniture
  • public transport (trams, buses), trains and other means of public transport
  • cinema, theater, museums
  • guests who struggle with bedbugs in their apartment

Once inside the apartment, bedbugs can move from room to room or to enter another apartment through small cracks or openings in walls or ceilings or under doors.

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Bed bugs - where do you find bed bugs in your home?

If bedbugs are detected in a given apartment, there is a high probability that they also occur in other apartments in the building, especially in neighboring apartments. Therefore, you should inspect the flats on both sides of the infested flat, as well as the flats above and below it.

Bed bugs have a flat body shape and can practically hide in any crack and crevice, preferring dark, isolated and sheltered spaces. Bed bugs "like" wood, paper and fabric surfaces, so you should first look where these materials are found. Bed bugs are most commonly found in and around the bed. Bed bugs don't have wings, so they can't fly.

To find their hiding place, it may sometimes be necessary to remove the head of the bed, lift carpets, and disassemble items (e.g. electrical socket covers) to ensure access to all bedbug habitats.

Bed bugs in the house can be found:

  • in books, CDs
  • behind the wallpaper
  • in clothing
  • under rugs
  • behind the baseboards
  • in cavities in the wall
  • in bed - they appear on mattresses, slots in the bed frame and on the headboard
  • in other furniture, especially around the seams and zippers of chairs and sofas, in the joints of drawers
  • in picture frames
  • in wall mirrors
  • in shutters
  • in the folds of curtains and curtain rods
  • in the strip with electric wires
  • in electrical socket housings

Read also:

  • Head lice - how to get rid of head lice?
  • Natural remedies for ticks - how to protect yourself from ticks?
  • Pharaoh's ants and cockroaches - how to fight them?
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How do I check if there are bedbugs in my home?1,4

The presence of bedbugs in the home is evidenced by:

  • live or dead bed bugs, cuticle of larvae exuence, hatched or unhatched eggs
  • blood staining - this is blood digested and excreted by insects, which can initially be seen on bedding, but also along mattresses seams and other places where bedbugs will hide (however, note that larvae droppings may have a similar appearance cockroaches, however, blood spotting caused by bedbugs usually appears in clusters as the insect tends to clump)
  • a bland, sweet smell, reminiscent of coriander / almond, may be present with intense insect activity
  • skin bites

Bed bugs - symptoms of a bedbug bite

Bed bugs feed on human blood. The attack usually occurs at night, while the host is asleep. The bedbug locates its prey thanks to antennae sensitive to the smell or body heat of mammals.

Bite marks are rarely single, more often they appear in groups, e.g. three or more in a line.

Reactions to bedbug bites can vary. Some people show little or no reaction, while in others they can cause allergies or other severe symptoms and sleepless nights.

Characteristic features of bedbug bites:

  • the bites are not painful (a bedbug bites, injects an anesthetic substance into the human blood)
  • bite spots can vary in appearance, often taking the form of raised, red swellings similar to flea bite lesions, although lacking the central red area. There are also more severe allergic reactions in the form of extensive oval marks 5 cm in diameter or more with erythema all around. Acute immune reactions are rare
  • rarely singles, more often in groups, e.g. three or more per line
  • they are itchy
  • bedbugs parasite on exposed parts of the skin, punctures are most often found on the abdomen, but also on the neck, arms, shoulders, back and chest, very rarely on the legs and feet

Adult insect takes blood every few days, but in the absence of a host, it can survive for several months, and even longer if it hibernates.

Important

The only oneThe way to make sure that the bites are from bedbugs is to find the insect, because the symptoms of a bedbug bite look the same as any other skin problem or the bites of other insects. Similar changes can occur after being bitten by ticks, mites, lice and fleas.

In addition, environmental factors or other medical conditions can also cause bite-like symptoms, which, combined with a delay in the response to a bedbug bite, can lead to false conclusions. In addition, some people do not have any skin reaction after being bitten by a bedbug.1,4

It is best to look for physical signs of bedbugs, such as live or dead bedbugs, eggs or eggshells, or small dark or brown spots on mattresses or other places where bedbugs nest.

Bed bugs - do bed bugs transmit disease?

Do bedbugs transmit disease? As with other blood-feeding insects, there is a theoretical possibility of transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) when in contact with bedbugs - but scientists note that further research is needed to determine whether the virus isolated from bedbugs is contagious .²

Canadian researchers3discovered that bedbugs may be carriers of enterococci, as well as the MRSA superbug, which is resistant to all available antibiotics. However, researchers are not sure whether it was the bedbugs that transferred the bacteria to the sick or vice versa.

There is currently no evidence that bedbugs transmit any disease. However, their presence can cause anxiety and fear in people. They can disturb sleep and even lead to insomnia.

Bed bugs - how to get rid of them? Fighting bedbugs

First, remember that home remedies for combating bedbugs (some recommend, for example, diatomaceous earth) are usually not effective. You need to ask a specialist for help.

It is not always necessary to get rid of bedding, clothes and other materials that may be spilled. Unless the bedbug specialist decides otherwise. If you have to throw away such items, they should be disposed of in sealed plastic bags to prevent further spread of the worms.

Wash bedding and other infested materials in hot water (60 degrees C), then use hot tumble drying to kill all forms of bedbugs. Washing at 60 ° C kills all stages.

After washing and drying all items, put them in clean, sealed bags to prevent re-splashes. Todestroy bedbugs on small objects, put them in a bag and put them in a freezer working at about -20 degrees C per min. 10 hours.

Bedbugs can also be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum the floor, cracks and gaps in the wall / floor, wall and floor joints, along carpet edges, bed frames, mattress seams and the entire base, furniture, and other potential habitats.

Vacuuming cracks and crevices before applying insecticide, not only removes insects but also dirt, which will allow the chemicals to penetrate better and improve their effect. After vacuuming is finished, the contents of the vacuum cleaner must be tightly closed in a plastic bag and disposed of. - based on our source.

Bed bugs are very sensitive to heat and die quickly when exposed to temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. Water vapor is particularly effective as it kills bedbugs at all stages, including the eggs (which most insecticides).

Bed bugs - how to get rid of them? Professional measures

  • ULV fogging - consists in spreading the working liquid (biocidal concentrate with an appropriate concentration with water) using a cold fog generator (high-quality ULV fogger), thanks to which drops are created 5 times smaller (approx. 40 microns) than in the case of spraying detailed (approx. 200 microns), which give the effect of a fog floating in the air, but also thanks to this, water molecules along with effective biocidal preparations penetrate every smallest gap
  • pressure spraying - the method consists in spreading the working liquid (biocidal concentrate with an appropriate concentration with water) in places and on the surfaces of the insect with the use of high-quality manual pressure sprayers
  • freezing the apartment with liquid nitrogen - dry ice (temperature below -68 ° C) can be very dangerous for a person, in addition, the end of the treatment is done with chemistry by general spraying)
  • heating the apartment - heating the apartment to 60 ° C against bedbugs, often by high temperature, melts many RTV / household appliances made of plastic, plastic (i.e. vacuum cleaners, irons, TVs, monitors, laptops, mixers, kettles, remote controls, consoles)

Ideally, the room should be left empty until the absence of bedbugs is found at the follow-up visit (sometimes up to a month is required).

Bombs and other fogging agents are NOT 100 percent. effective against bedbugs and also very harmful (potentially carcinogenic). The hot temperature is one of the bestmethods of removing bedbugs, because it kills all forms of insects - from eggs to mature individuals.

Bed bugs - how to prevent bedbugs in your home?

Bed bugs are everywhere, so you should always watch your surroundings carefully:

  • Before making a purchase, always check furniture and bedding (especially used bedding) for signs of bedbugs
  • you should never bring items thrown out by someone else into your apartment as they may harbor bedbugs
  • in the United States there are services such as: bedbugregistry.com and www.bedbugreports.com, where you can check if other travelers have noticed problems with these nuisance insects in the hotel to which we are going. There are no such services in Poland so far, so after returning home from a trip, you should always carefully check your luggage before bringing it to the apartment
  • it is worth reducing the number of objects cluttering up the apartment, especially in bedrooms
  • wash and dry frequently
  • Regularly check beds and furniture for signs of bedbugs.

Category:

Parasitic diseases