Here are some facts about bed bug bites and their treatment and prevention.
BED BUG BITES – Bed bugs are insects that feed on human or animal blood and here are some things to know about this.
Cimex lectularius or bed bugs are tiny pests that live by sucking blood from humans and animals. These pests bite their human hosts while they are asleep as they are active at night. They look flat, brown, or reddish-brown and have six legs. Adult ones can grow the size of an apple seed approximately 5-7 mm and a female can lay 200 to 500 eggs in its lifetime.
They are pretty much everywhere – from five-star hotels to homes and apartments, dormitories, and shelters. You can find them in places like seams of your mattress, box spring, bed frame and headboard, seams of cushions of bedroom chairs or couches, joints of drawers of bedroom furniture, in cracks, crevices or folds, corners of walls, and edges of loose wallpaper.
If you suspect an infestation in your area, you must look for these indications:
- sweet, musty odor
- reddish or rust-colored stains on bed sheets
- exoskeletons after their molting
- live bed bugs in bedsheets and mattresses
Take note that they move slower compared to the other types of bugs.
According to a post from the Centers For Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), they don’t spread disease. Now, what should you do if you have been bitten by them?
When you are bitten, you may suffer from itchy and irritating marks that are reddish and slightly swollen. You may also experience insomnia, anxiety, and skin problems due to excessive scratching.
What can you do to prevent and treat these?
- Do not scratch the area.
- Apply antiseptic creams or lotions.
- Take antihistamine.
- Spray insecticide.
- Regularly check if there’s any sign of infestation.
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