Bed Bugs- Causes, Risk Factors, Treatments, and More

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small wingless insects that are reddish-brown in colour. These bed bugs hide in furniture, beds, walls and cracks, and they come out at night.

These creatures will not be able to fly or jump, but they can crawl easily between the spaces and hide.

The female bugs are capable of laying a hundred eggs in their lifetime. The bed bugs shed their skin five times before they become mature. These bugs will require meals of blood before shedding their skin.

Bed bugs will not transmit any disease. However, they can cause damage to the skin when they bite.

How do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs are usually small, and sometimes, their appearance can be deceiving. So, identification can be a little tough in the initial stages. There are many types of bed bugs, so identification is important for the correct treatment of the specific bugs.

An adult bed bug can grow up to the size of 5-7 mm with a long, brown and oval-shaped flat body. The bed bugs will have antennae and wings that will not help them to fly.

They will also produce a bad odour, musty-sweetish, that is generated by the glands present on the lower side of the body. The young bed bugs will be small and translucent with whitish-yellow colour.

Where do bed bugs hide?

Bed bugs can be commonly seen in beds, mattresses, box springs and cracks in the bed frame. They tend to hide in the couches, folds of curtains and between cushions.

Bed bugs are hard to find. If you have any reddish stains or blood stains on the mattresses or bed sheets, it can indicate that you are bitten by a bed bug.

You can also look for bed bugs’ eggs. These eggs can be very small and white in colour. You can look for white spots on the mattresses and bed sheets. The bed bugs also shed their skins which will be pale yellow in colour.

If the bed bugs are not treated, they can be seen in drawer joints, electrical appliances, under wallpaper and hangings and in the head screw.

Bed bugs usually have a width of a credit card. So, if any space can hold a credit card, it can also harbour beg bugs. It is advised to check the gaps in your house if you suspect bed bugs.

Do bed bugs bite?

Bed bugs cause bites that can appear as red spots on the skin. These bites can be itchy and can be zigzag in pattern.  

The bed bug bites appear as clusters. These clusters usually contain about 5-8 bites in a zigzag pattern.

Causes of bed bugs

Bed bugs can enter our homes in different ways.

Come from an infested area

Bed bugs can enter our homes when infected products enter our homes.

Used furniture

Used furniture always carries these bed bugs. Furnitures have small gaps, and these gaps can harbour many small bed bugs. These can become breeding places for bed bugs. So, when you purchase any used furnitures, always be watchful about it.

Luggage and bag packs

When we visit other places, we carry our luggage and bag packs. These luggage and bag packs we carry to hotel rooms can navigate the beg bugs directly to our homes.  

Items placed on soft surfaces

Bed bugs can attach themselves to soft surfaces like soft clothes and purses. When one bed bug gets attached to the soft surfaces, it can indicate other bed bugs by producing a chemical named histamine.  

This chemical will attract other bed bugs, and a cluster of bed bugs can navigate your home directly.

Symptoms of bed bugs

You can detect the presence of bed bugs with certain characteristics.

Blood stains  

Blood stains on your bed sheets and mattresses can indicate that bed bugs are present in your home.  

Bed bugs can hide themselves in mattress and bed gaps. These bed bugs come out at night, and they bite the people who sleep on the mattress.

When you wake up in the morning, you can notice certain blood spots on your mattresses and bedsheets.

Dark spots

Most bed bugs hide near a gap. So, when you notice any dark spots near a gap, you can be very sure that there is the presence of bed bugs.

Odour

Bed bugs have a musty odour, and if you can get that odour, this can indicate that bed bugs are present in your bed, hotel room and cruise-ship cabin.

Risk factors of bed bugs

Risk factors of bed bugs increase when you live in places where people often visit and leave. For example, dorm rooms, shelters, hotel rooms, trains, buses and refugee camps can harbour a lot of bed bugs.

So, when you visit such places, be watchful and check for any dark spots. When you return home, make sure you wash your bags and dry them under sunlight. Bed bugs are sensitive to heat, so sunlight kills bed bugs.  

Treatment of bed bugs

There are many treatment options available for bed bugs.

Treatment on babies

When there are bed bug bites on your babies, try to control the itching with the topical application of corticosteroid. These creams may reduce inflammation and prevents infection.

If the infection still persists, consult your doctor and get proper medication. Sometimes, oral medications may be required to treat infections.  

Identification

Identify the areas where the bed bugs have been infested. Bed bugs are sensitive to heat, so you can use a hair dryer to remove the bed bugs.

If there are more bed bugs, try to call a pesticide agency and remove them immediately.

Elimination

Remove the infested bed sheet or mattress. Try to replace them immediately.  

Prevention of bed bugs  

Bed bugs can be prevented from entering our homes. Wash your mattress and bedsheets often to kill the presence of any foreign bodies like bacteria and other microorganisms.

Bed bugs can often hide in laundry bags and unwashed travel bags. So, make sure you wash them properly.

How to avoid bringing bed bugs home?

After travelling to other places, wash your bag packs and dry them under sunlight. This can kill any bed bugs that have been navigated from the hotel room.

Before unpacking your bag pack, try to identify any dark spots near the mattress or cot area. If you can see any dark spots, it can indicate that there are bed bugs and keep your bags away from them.

Conclusion

Bed bugs can infest our homes, and if we do not notice the infestation, we can get bitten. If you can see such bites, try to wash them with soap and water. If there is itching, try the topical application of creams.  

This will reduce the redness and itching. Bed bugs do not usually require any medical treatment. However, they can affect the sleep cycle. They can cause major itching and lead to disrupted sleep. So, keep your mattress and bed sheet clean to avoid any infestation of bed bugs.  

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