Are bed bugs dangerous: big problems due to small bites
Bed bugs can be found in almost every home. For a comfortable stay indoors, they need a warm microclimate and a constant source of food, which is the blood of animals and people. Neighborhood with such parasites not only causes discomfort, but can also cause serious harm to health. The numerous bites they leave can provoke a severe allergic reaction. Knowing how dangerous bed bugs are and how to protect yourself from them, it is easy to protect yourself and loved ones.
Content
- The main reasons for the appearance of bedbugs in the apartment
- What do bed bugs look like
- How to spot bed bugs and what their bites look like
- Why are bed bugs dangerous to humans?
- Bed bugs can be the cause of what dangerous human diseases
- What are the dangers of bedbug bites for children and pregnant women
- How to get rid of the effects of a home bug bite
- Ways to deal with bedbugs in the apartment
- How to prevent the appearance of bedbugs in the house: preventive measures
The main reasons for the appearance of bedbugs in the apartment
Ectoparasites can settle in the house in the following cases:
- pests were there before the new settlers moved into housing;
- sanitary and hygienic rules are not observed in the house;
- bed bugs were brought into the apartment by accident.
If we talk about accidentally bringing bedbugs into the house, then a variety of situations can become a precedent for this. Most often, parasites get into housing as follows:
- with new clothes or furniture bought in a store;
- with pet hair after a walk;
- with suitcases after returning from a trip;
- with things that have been in public locker rooms or on the seats of transport.
Some types of ectoparasites can independently move from one apartment to another through a ventilation shaft or a crack in the walls.
What do bed bugs look like
The appearance of parasites depends on their sex, stage of development and degree of saturation with blood. Characteristic features of bed bugs:
- the size of the larvae is 1,5-2 mm, unlike adult bugs, they have a lighter body color;
- the size of a hungry adult parasite is 1-3 mm, as it becomes saturated with blood, it increases to 7 mm;
- males have an elongated body, females are rounded;
- the back is painted brown, red or copper (depending on the degree of saturation with blood);
- a well-fed pest acquires a crimson hue (blood is visible through a translucent body);
- the bug has 6 legs;
- the head is round in shape, antennae are located on it.
The parasite reproduces by eggs that look like rice grains no more than 1 mm long. Larvae in appearance differ little from adults, only in size. Fully grow in 30-40 days.
How to distinguish them from other insects in the house
The specific appearance makes it easy to recognize the bug among other insects. From the side, it resembles a small beetle. From cockroaches and ants, the pest differs in slowness and a rounded body shape with a pointed end. It is difficult to confuse a bug with a wood lice or a centipede, because. they have much smaller legs.
How to spot bed bugs and what their bites look like
The best time to spot bed bugs is at night. At nightfall, the parasites come out of their hiding places in search of food. During the day, they prefer to hide in places inaccessible to the human eye. If you suddenly turn on the light at night, then for some time the pests will still be visible.
| Where to look for bedbugs | It is worth carefully inspecting bedding and furniture. Parasites can hide in the seams of the mattress, in the joints between the seat and the back of the chairs, on the back of the furniture. Often, pests choose pillows with removable covers as their “home”. |
| How to identify excrement | When there are a lot of pests, they are easy to detect by the results of their vital activity. If you do not look closely, then at first glance their excrement resembles mold. Over time, ectoparasites lay white, elongated larvae. |
| Remains of life | Adults molt every week, shedding almost transparent chitin, painted in a light gray tone. If there are a lot of bedbugs, then you can find them in the daytime. |
| Specific smell | The presence of parasites in the apartment is indicated by a specific sweet smell, which is most clearly felt when you enter from the street. |
| What does a bite look like | The bite of an ectoparasite is similar to a mosquito, but touching the reddened area, a person experiences severe pain. The boundaries of the rashes are clearly defined. The bite is a slight swelling with a firm induration in the center and redness. |
| Features of localization of bites | Another sign that indicates the presence of parasites in the house is the location of the bites on the skin along the line. Parasites make from three to five punctures at a distance of 3 cm from each other. As a result, specific abrasions appear. |
Why are bed bugs dangerous to humans?
Being in the house, parasites cause serious harm to humans. The threat to humans and animals is as follows:
- bite marks are very itchy, which increases the likelihood of infection entering the combed wounds;
- being in the same room with parasites is a lot of stress, because. they interfere with normal rest and sleep, which negatively affects the well-being and mood of people;
- due to bedbug bites, the risk of infection with more than 40 serious pathologies increases;
- after an insect attack, an allergic reaction is often manifested in the form of a rash, burning sensation, etc.
In addition, bedbugs create unsanitary conditions in the house, because. leave a brownish residue behind. The apartment is constantly dirty, things and furniture are difficult to clean, which creates an additional stress factor.
Do bed bugs bite pets?
Bed bugs can bite a pet, but they do it very rarely, only in cases where there is no opportunity to “reinforce themselves” with human blood. If people constantly spend the night in the room and a dog (cat) lives right there, then the parasites will bite only a person. This is explained by the fact that the smell of people is stronger and they emit more infrared radiation than animals.
Pets are less attractive to bloodsuckers due to the presence of thick wool.
To bite a dog or cat, the bug needs to get through the hair "thickets" and bite through the tough skin. Even if individual parasites attack the animal, the bites will be few and rare.
Bed bugs can be the cause of what dangerous human diseases
Bedbugs are not carriers of dangerous diseases, but can provoke the development of transmissible pathologies.
Negative impact on the human psyche and sleep disturbance
Allergic reactions
What are the dangers of bedbug bites for children and pregnant women
Being in the house of a large number of insects can provoke the development of various phobias, from which children most often suffer.
The thought that there is a blood-sucking insect somewhere nearby causes psychological problems and causes sleep disturbance.
If the situation remains unchanged for a long time, then chronic fatigue and signs of prolonged stress appear.
There are several reasons why bedbugs cause more harm to children than adults:
- the child has more delicate and thin skin, which is easy to bite through;
- the immune system of children is not fully formed, which leads to an increased risk of infection with infectious pathologies;
- an adult pest drinks an average of 3 g of blood, if there are a lot of bugs, then blood loss will be significant, which can lead to the development of anemia.
Parasite bites are also dangerous for pregnant women. Due to sleepless nights, they weaken their immunity. Irritability also appears due to the discomfort caused by the bites. There is a high risk of infection with transmissible ailments, which are later transmitted to the baby.
How to get rid of the effects of a home bug bite
After a bug bite, first of all, you need to treat the damaged area. You can do this at home. The bite site is washed with cold water, treated with alcohol or medicinal tincture. With the development of the inflammatory process, it is worth applying ice or a chilled object wrapped in a cloth to the skin. Twice a day, the bite site is treated with aloe juice.
If symptoms of an allergic reaction appear, then you need to take antihistamines, for example, Loratadin or Diazolin. The local manifestation of allergies will help eliminate the drug "Triacutan", which is applied to abrasions.
In addition to treating the skin, it is important to restore the nervous system and sleep well. For this, it is recommended to drink tea with thyme and chamomile. Drugs such as Novopassit will help reduce irritability.
To strengthen the immune system, it is worth taking vitamins, introducing vegetables and fruits into the daily diet, walking more often in the fresh air, playing sports and minimizing stressful situations.
Ways to deal with bedbugs in the apartment
To destroy blood-sucking pests, folk recipes or chemicals are most often used. You can permanently get rid of insects only if you can find all the places where they hide. The most popular folk measures to combat bedbugs are as follows.
| Denatured | The specific smell of the substance repels pests. If you apply it in places where bedbugs accumulate, they will die. |
| Turpentine | By itself, it will not be able to cope with insects. It is recommended to use it in combination with other methods. |
| Douste | Most often it is mixed with vinegar or turpentine. The first does not kill bedbugs, but effectively copes with their repellent. |
| Plants | Birch leaves and wormwood do not destroy pests, but restrain their reproduction. |
Among the most effective chemical insecticides, the following agents are distinguished.
The most effective way to deal with bed bugs is pest control. The treatment of the apartment is carried out with cold and hot fog. It should be carried out by specialized services that know all the habitats of pests and observe safety precautions when cleaning housing.
How to prevent the appearance of bedbugs in the house: preventive measures
Finding bed bugs is very difficult, so you need to keep track of all the changes taking place in the house in order to prevent the appearance of pests. Simple rules will help protect your home from bloodsuckers:
- Replace simple sockets with new models equipped with a resealable plug cover. bedbugs can crawl from neighbors through holes in them.
- Wallpaper joints are an ideal habitat for parasites. It is recommended to review them regularly and, if necessary, glue them.
- Eliminate all defects in which bugs can settle: cracks, bumps, cracks.
- Regularly carry out preventive treatment by treating the rooms with a special preparation, for example, RAPTOR. However, you cannot use such products for bed linen; it is better to give it to dry cleaning.
- If there are suspicions about the appearance of bedbugs in the apartment, then in winter the bedding can be taken out in the cold for several hours.
- Carefully check all items: things, bags, shoes, etc. Furniture, even bought in a store, must be carefully examined, because. Bed bugs can hide in it.
- If you have visited places where there are parasites, then at home you need to spray your clothes with insecticides, and then wash them at a high temperature.
The sooner you start fighting blood-sucking insects, the less time and effort you will have to spend on their destruction. In addition, the risk of infection with dangerous pathologies will be minimized.
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