A bed bug is a small pest of oval shape and reddish brown color, which bites and hence, lives on the blood of humans and animals. These pests can reside everywhere, including furniture, textiles, upholstery and other places in an office, home, cinema, mall or any other place. Usually, these bugs are treated with pesticides, but they become resistant to chemicals after some time, so other methods like heat and steam treatments are used to get rid of them. These alternatives have gained popularity for the eradication of bugs, where pesticides are known to cause harm to humans, pets and nature, when used in excess. However, bed bugs need to be controlled in time, failing which can lead to an epidemic caused by their fast spread and these cause itchy and nasty bites on the skin.
Their bites generally remain unnoticed, except for severe ones and leave an itchy skin of red color that might become a reason for swelling in many cases. High amount of itching can lead to aggravated allergies and infections as well.
Recognizing bed bug bites
These bites are visible in the form of some non-pronounced swellings or welts that are reddish in color, swell initially and fade within a few days. Scratching over these can lead to blisters or other bacterial infections of the skin, so home remedies must be used for prevention and treatment of these bites.
The treatment depends entirely on the extent on the area affected and the level of the bite, where the saliva can cause a sensation of itching. Several different welt shapes and colors are reported by people, after being bitten by bed bugs, which are commonly confused with a bite from a mosquito. Although no major ailments or health threats have been reported from bed bug bites, yet it is essential to get them treated as soon as possible.
Avoiding bites
There are several ways available that can help you avoid being bitten by bed bugs, where the most effective method is to keep your sleeping as well as a living area airy and clean. These bugs are known to reside mostly in the warm, humid and dark areas that are not regularly cleaned. These bugs use linen, clothes, seats and many other materials as their transport medium, so are known to have the ability to travel wide and far. You might be carrying a bed bug in your sleeping bag or a suitcase unknowingly, after you have used it to at a hotel room that has been infected with these bugs and hence, take them to wherever you go.
A bed bug is known to have a life expectancy of over a year, when it is not able to feed on blood, thus, it becomes essential for you to suspect them and act accordingly as early as possible to get yourself rid from these bugs. You can apply anti-rash creams over the areas, where you find itchy bites, causing rashes on our skin. After getting treated for the bites, you must get your home cleaned properly with appropriate treatment, where a professional service can be of great help.