Important Bed Bugs Symptoms and Treatment You Need to Know

We all know what bed bugs are. From the name you can easily guess that they are mostly found in your bed mattress. These are small parasites; they live on blood of humans, mammals and birds. Itchiness is one of the prominent bed bug symptoms and treatment may not be necessary unless the bump becomes an open infected wound caused by scratching. Are the bed bugs easy to locate? Sometimes you do not think of bed bugs as the culprits. The mark is similar to other insect bites, reddish and itchy. But if you think that you have acquired the bite during your sleep this should incite curiosity on your part. You will have to look into the mattress, pillows, bed sheets, headboards, bed frames and box spring. They can also be found in furniture situated in areas where people use to sleep or sit. You will not immediately recognize bed bug symptoms and treatment of bites may not really be necessary. The evidence of the bite which is itchy welts manifest after a few days after being bitten. The bites are a nuisance but are not alarming for possible diseases. Bed bugs do not transmit diseases, but infestation of the pests needs to be controlled as soon as possible. The pests can easily multiply.

Bed bug symptoms are felt and seen. Once the presence is ascertained, you can immediately step up to end the infestation. If there is huge infestation or plenty of bugs, you may easily find these pests as they are large in number. But if not, what you see are signs or slight bed bug symptoms and treatment is not called for. The symptoms are reddish bumps that are itchy. There are a number of signs that bed bugs are present. The bugs are releasing sweet musky odor that is typical of them. The smell is a kind of chemical released by the bug to communicate with other bugs. Another evident symptom of bed bug infestation is red or brown stains on the sheets, mattress pads, pillows or other sleeping paraphernalia. You will also find exoskeletons of dead bugs, eggs and feces. You have evidence of the presence because of these bed bug symptoms and treatment for their elimination may be your immediate course of action.

If there is no serious reaction to the bites or infection due to resulting wounds, there is no need for medical treatment. As soon as you discover that you were bitten by a bed bug, you just have to wash the red mark with soap and water. This will reduce itchiness and may prevent any infection. If the bite persists to itch, you can apply a thin layer of mild corticosteroid cream. This topical cream is available over-the-counter or without prescription from a drug store or pharmacy. The bed bug symptoms and treatment will last for a few days to a week.

Normally, the itchy welts will disappear in a few days. If you cannot stop from scratching, the itchy bumps can develop into open wounds. Scratching incessantly, the wound can become infected. You may need medical attention if the bites are too numerous or when they develop into blisters. You may be prescribed with antiseptic to prevent infection. The blisters can erupt and turn into infected wounds that ooze puss. If you have too sensitive skin, allergic skin reaction may develop hives or swollen skin. Going to the doctor due to severe allergic reaction, you may be given a shot of antihistamine or high dose corticosteroid. If the bite is infected, you will be prescribed with antibiotics. Bed bug bites can be intensely itchy and scratching them, you may suffer skin infection so you need to seek medical attention. There are rare instances of severe reaction characterized by breathing difficulty, irregular or forceful heartbeat, fever, swelling or anemia. These are complicated bed bug symptoms and treatment is very urgent.

Use rubbing alcohol and a brush to kill and get rid of the bed bugs yourself. You apply the alcohol to the brush, and scrub away all the visible bed bug eggs. The alcohol will kill the new and old eggs that are visible. As the alcohol seeps into the mattress it will effectively kill bed bug eggs embedded in the fibers of your mattress.

You may also use ammonia, alcohol and moth balls by mixing them together. When you mix them together in a spray bottle they create a special solvent which will aid you being able to get rid of bed bugs yourself. Once these items are mixed, if the bed bugs are in your bed or any furniture item, take all coverings off. You spray down your bed with the mixed substances in the bottle (including corners, and the underside of the bed).

While undertaking the task of getting rid of bed bugs, you want to make sure you take the proper precautions. A box of disposable gloves and a mask are essential items before you should attempt to get rid of bed bugs yourself. When doing this process, make sure to wear a mask. Ammonia is a very strong chemical. If you inhale too much ammonia, you can get ammonia poisoning.

Separate the items that may be exposed to bed bugs (clothes, sheets, etc.) and wash them in extreme hot water. Bed bugs perish in hot environments. They love body temperature. That is why they are mostly found in beds and sofas, because they are attracted to your body heat.

By exhaustively steaming your clothes, comforters, and sheets, you can get rid of bed bugs yourself. Also make sure to steam any stuffed animals. All these items have areas where these bed bugs can hide. They may like body heat, but any heat more than that kills them or does not attract them.

Another way to get rid of bed bugs yourself is vacuuming all mattresses, walls and carpets. Make sure all corners of the mattress are vacuumed for bed bugs since they may be hidden in the seams and edges.

Steaming your carpets after vacuuming can also be used as a way to get rid of bed bugs yourself. Care must be taken to get the corners and edges of walls. Properly seal any cracks in your floors and walls. If you live in an apartment, bed bugs can move from one apartment to the next through seals and cracks.

To completely ensure that you did get rid of bed bugs yourself, empty your dressers, inspect your sofas, cushions, pillows, and chair arms to closely check for bed bugs or its’ eggs.

Bed bugs love to come out at night, so if you feel a bite, be sure to have a flash light at hand. When you point the area where you were bit, the bed bug usually tries to crawl away because of the light. Look in the direction of where it is crawling back, but before he fully gets away, make sure you kill it.

If when you are inspecting your furniture and you still see more bed bugs, you are either not doing the process properly or you may need to throw away the furniture infested with the bed bugs immediately.

Based on this process, you will be able to get rid of bed bugs yourself. Yes, it may take time, but it works. The thing about bed bugs, is when one area is being cleaned out, they move to other spots, so be sure to spray places that aren’t even infested with the bed bugs.

You may be a bit skeptical about using the ammonia, but if you do use the process including the ammonia, be sure to stay out of the area of which you use the ammonia for about an hour. That way you cannot inhale it. You may even leave your house for a couple of hours. Remember, the ammonia is mixed with alcohol and moth balls and it isn’t just being sprayed without anything. That may decrease the risk of getting ammonia poisoning.

Note that this process can take some days and will not completely get rid of the bed bugs in one day. Because this is a DIY method and a natural process you must be patient but by following these tips, you will benefit in the end in your decision to get rid of bed bugs yourself.

• Someone’s bed & home is infested and will be expensive to fix

• It is contagious.

Those who assume these ideas may turn their nose up at a person who is exposed to bed bugs. In fact, most of these assumptions are myths. When hearing the word “Bed Bugs”, do not automatically assume those misconceptions.

Bed Bugs can come from many places. One assumption as to where do bed bugs come from can be an infested bag or affected clothing being placed on top of a bed. Bed Bugs and lice are similar in that they easily spread from one place to another. Consider traveling as one cause. Bed bugs clasp onto items where they cannot be seen (i.e., inside a person’s luggage or clothes). Believe it or not, airplanes and trains are also places where bed bugs come from. We can also assume storage boxes and packages are sources for where bed bugs come from. However, we must take into account bed bugs latch on to anything they can get their hind legs on and because they are so small and unseen, they can virtually come from anywhere. Wooden and antique furniture can be places where bed bugs do come from, so it is best to inspect all second hand furniture you may decide on acquiring for your home. For about a year, bed bugs can live hidden without food.

Another way to understand the question, “where do bed bugs come from?” is to take into account the simple act of a friend or neighbor, unknowingly of course, can bring the parasite into your home. By sitting on your couch or bed, this person can possibly bring the bed bug onto your furniture. Small openings and cracks in your floors are other places that bed bugs enter the home. If you live in an apartment building, there is a great possibility that the parasite can crawl through small cracks and enter the apartment. They may spread to another part of the building if insecticide was sprayed, making the bed bugs seek out another area. Bed bugs can also crawl through vents and get through old building walls. If you have recently had a neighbor or friend over, before jumping to conclusions, consider another place as to where do bed bugs come from.

Bed bugs can come from places considered by many to be clean and bug-free. The laundry mat is another place where these parasites can cling to other places. Because they can survive in different temperatures, ranging from forty degrees to eighty degrees, cleaning your infested sheets would not get rid of them easily. Bed bugs can spread through the washing machines and even the folding areas where they can attach themselves to your belongings.

How to get rid of bed bugs

You may have noticed the bites in the middle of the night, the fecal matter left behind on mattresses or bed sheets, and you need to know how to get rid of bed bugs. There are several different alternatives that can be done to get rid of bed bugs, and its effectiveness also depends on what you do after the elimination process has begun in your home. If you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs in your home effectively, you can also call or contact the Center for Disease and Control or the health department in your area.

The first step for choosing how to get rid of bed bugs in your home is to contact a professional from a pest control company in your area. Pest control professionals will know exactly what to do in order to alleviate the bed bug infestation problem in your home. Be sure to choose only a professional that has personal experience treating bed bug problems in the area, as not all pest control companies are equipped to handle the problem efficiently.

When the pest control professional has finished his inspection and management of the bed bug problem in your home, there are still steps you can take to ensure you no longer have a problem with bed bugs in your home. By following these steps on how to get rid of bed bugs in your home, you will need to trap bed bugs, clean and disinfect and seal cracks and crevices around your home to make elimination successful after a professional has assessed the problem.

Bed bugs need to be dug out of cracks and crevices around your home using a putty knife along window sills and floorboards. There may be some still alive, so it is best to remove these bugs using a vacuum that requires a bag, so they can be disposed of properly. If you have bed bugs on your mattresses or furniture a blow dryer is helpful for eliminating bugs in these areas. Just hold the blow dryer in place for 30 seconds and this will eliminate bugs in hard-to-clean areas.

Having a clean and disinfected home is very effective when learning how to get rid of bed bugs, and there are many things you can do to eliminate places where bed bugs may congregate. Remove clutter and nonessential items from your home until there is no longer an infestation present. Remove bed bug stains with soapy hot water. All washable linens that came in contact with bed bugs should be washed in hot water and dried at least 20 minutes in the dryer. Find a cover for mattresses that is appropriate for dust mites and bed bugs and do not remove them.

Learning how to get rid of bed bugs properly is a daunting and tiring task. When disposing of your items be sure to label all bags with a warning of bed bugs. It isn’t necessary to get rid of the items in the home if you effectively take the above steps seriously and ask professionals about how to get rid of bed bugs in your home.