Features of bedbugs
These are small yellow-brown insects that feed on blood. Their appearance in an apartment does not depend on its hygienic condition; bedbugs are only interested in food and shelter. Parasites are nocturnal. The bites remaining after them are located in a straight line, along the trajectory of the bug.
The bites are painless when applied, but then cause severe itching. There is a danger of allergic reactions and disease transmission. Therefore, the fight against parasites begins at the first signs of appearance. The insects' small size and habit of hiding during the daytime make the task of extermination more difficult.
Busting myths: that bedbugs are not afraid
Many people, when they are bitten by bedbugs, use a wide variety of methods that, in principle, do not affect anyone, including bedbugs.
Their use will bring nothing but additional costs, inconvenience and even health problems. These include the following activities.
- Despite frequent advertisements for ultrasonic devices, it has been proven that bedbugs are simply indifferent to them.
- Many grandmother's recipes, which include salt and soda dissolved in water, will also not bring the desired result.
- Magnetic resonance fields, to which particularly thoughtful creators of various devices switched, are completely useless. Whatever the advertisement that colorfully describes the effectiveness of the device, you should not believe it.
And, naturally, a wide variety of conspiracies and prayers will be ineffective and ineffective in the fight against bedbugs, which, despite modern times, many hope for, often out of despair.
How to protect an apartment
During the day, parasites hide in secluded places - in the seams of the mattress, behind baseboards, in cracks and other hiding places. Therefore, they are difficult to detect. Their presence is indicated by bites, excrement, shells after molting and blood spots on the bed.
Methods of control used:
- laying out herbs with a specific smell - wormwood, tansy, calamus;
- sub-zero temperature in the room - bedbugs die from frost;
- wet cleaning with the addition of sharp-smelling products to the water - ammonia, denatured alcohol, acetone;
- traps.
The listed methods are aimed at repelling parasites; with large populations they are ineffective. In case of serious infection, insecticides are used in the form of aerosols, dusts, and solutions. Their use requires serious preparation and careful subsequent cleaning. The treatment is carried out in protective clothing, in the absence of people and pets.
A guaranteed way to destroy bedbugs is to call a professional specialized service.
Exposure to sunlight and chemicals
Bed bugs are parasites that lead a nocturnal lifestyle; therefore, in sunlight, they begin to scatter to their nests, which are abundant in any apartment.
They bite, as a rule, from three to seven in the morning, and when sunlight appears, they prefer to sit out in dark places.
However, knowledge of this feature in many cases is not useful, since even when bedbugs discover their home, they quickly find a more convenient place to stay.
When bedbugs bite at night, and folk remedies based on herbs do not help at all, you need to leave ineffective methods alone and move on to serious chemicals. The most relevant home remedies are:
- denatured mixtures;
- ammonia;
- vinegar essence;
- acetone-containing liquids;
- transformer oil.
Any of the listed substances has a strong and pungent odor, but is not able to completely get rid of bedbugs.
This means that after some time, most likely, the parasites will return again and will poison people’s lives. In order to evaluate how effective the drug will be, it is necessary to prepare a highly concentrated solution based on any of the listed products and thoroughly spray the room and carry out wet cleaning.
Then ventilate the room and wait. The more active the “aroma” left behind is, the more likely it is to get rid of unexpected guests.
Folk remedies based on perfume compositions are no less effective for the fight.
For example, any cologne with a clear specific pungent odor or eau de toilette, which can be sprayed on bed linen and skin at night, creates a temporary barrier and repels harmful insects.
How to ensure restful sleep
If you have to spend the night in a room with bedbugs, use protective equipment. They help:
- Night pajamas made of thick fabric with cuffs. Bed bugs will not be able to bite through it, and the cuffs will not allow them to crawl under clothes.
- Traps. The legs of the bed are lowered into containers with a viscous substance that is irresistible to bedbugs. Wrapping the legs with adhesive tape works effectively. Sometimes they place the foot on a piece of tape so that the bugs stick without reaching the sleeping person.
- Cologne, perfume, essential oils with a strong odor. They are smeared on exposed areas of the body, sprayed on bed linen and on the carpet around the bed.
These methods will not kill bedbugs, but will prevent them from biting a sleeping person.
Symptoms of a bedbug bite
Blood-sucking insects can cause various complications. In each case, the symptoms are different, especially if bites from a child and an adult are compared. But there are a number of signs that are considered common and are most often found in victims (you can watch a video of what it looks like):
- red spots - appear in areas where the parasite has punctured the skin, the diameter varies from a few millimeters to 5-6 cm, sometimes more;
- itching is felt after 15-20 minutes, until then the substance that the parasite injects during the bite continues to act; for comparison, the larvae do not have this opportunity, because not all body functions are active yet;
- swelling – occurs in people with hypersensitivity, and the size of the lump can be significant;
- painful sensations due to swelling.
In addition, children develop larger bite marks. Severe itching causes scratching. These areas provide a pathway for pathogens to enter. As a result, an inflammatory process develops and the temperature rises. But not all people show these symptoms. The described symptoms are found in only a third of the population.
For the most part, people do not notice bed bug bites (but only until there are too many parasites).
Itching from bedbug bites can begin a few minutes after the bite
Distinctive features of the bite. Photo
The main feature of linen parasites is their ability to leave not just single, but numerous bites. Their number varies within 6-8 pieces, but is not constant, but varies: sometimes insects leave 2-3 red spots, on the body of other people - several times more. This is explained by the difference in the needs of pests. Thus, larvae consume less blood than adults. In addition, a person’s accessibility plays a role.
If the bug has not received food for a long time, it may make more punctures.
The symptoms of bedbug bites remain: you can notice red spots and itching. The distance between the punctures is small. The bug, having satiated itself, makes the next bite nearby until it receives the required portion of blood. Moreover, the tracks are found on open areas of the body, in winter – these are the limbs, neck, and in summer, red spots may also appear on the body if a person sleeps without a T-shirt/pajamas.
Moreover, symptoms do not occur during the day, since bed parasites are active only after midnight.
Bed bug bite
Photo of a bug bite
Bug bite marks
How to protect your child
Children's thin skin is especially vulnerable to bedbugs. Bedbugs find capillaries by pulsating blood. Children's skin has blood vessels close to the surface, which is why it attracts bedbugs.
Bedbug bites are dangerous for children because... the child is unable to resist scratching, and the bites turn into ulcers. Introducing an infection into them can have dangerous consequences, because the immune system of babies is not yet formed. Bites are especially dangerous for children with allergies.
Another danger of bedbug bites for a small child is that the presence of bedbugs is not immediately detected. The baby cannot describe his sensations, and parents, and sometimes pediatricians, mistake scratched bites for diathesis or dermatitis.
If bedbugs appear in an apartment where small children live, it is necessary to carry out complete disinfection as soon as possible. If immediate destruction is not possible, or the presence of bedbugs is only suspected, parents should protect the baby as much as possible, preferably without the use of insecticides.
Protecting the children's room
What parents should do if there is a risk of bedbugs:
- look around the room for nests;
- seal the cracks, glue loose wallpaper, install a fine mesh for ventilation;
- remove excess furniture, remove carpets;
- thoroughly rinse and pour boiling water over the crib;
- steam the children's mattress;
- move the crib away from the walls;
- surround the crib with traps;
- change bed linen daily;
- do not allow bed linen to hang on the floor;
- put the child in thick pajamas with cuffs;
- put pieces of fabric in the crib with essential oils of orange, clove, lavender, eucalyptus applied to them, if the baby is not allergic to them;
- put fabric bracelets with the same impregnation on the child’s hands;
- periodically examine the sleeping child at night.
Strong-smelling herbs placed in the room, an aroma lamp with essential oils, or a spray of distilled water and essential oils sprayed before bed will help.
How to treat bites
Bedbug bites are uncomfortable due to the itching they cause. The damaged area is washed with soap, and then lotions are used to relieve itching. Use:
- vinegar;
- strong tea;
- potato juice, parsley;
- decoctions of calendula, chamomile;
- crushed plantain leaves, aloe;
- alcohol tinctures of propolis, eucalyptus;
- ointments “Fenistil-gel”, “Elidel”, “Bepanten”.
The bite site is treated 2-3 times a day. Applying ice or a cold compress helps reduce itching. If signs of an allergy appear, you should immediately take an antihistamine and consult a doctor.
Prevention of bedbugs
To prevent bedbugs from being close to each other, preventive measures are taken. These include:
- Repair. Cracks and cracks sealed with sealant, tight-fitting sockets, the absence of loose wallpaper and loose baseboards deprive bedbugs of secluded places for daytime rest, as well as possible routes for relocation from neighbors.
- Thorough inspection of things entering the house. Furniture bought secondhand deserves special attention - it is better to treat it with insecticides in advance.
- Frequently change bed linen and turn the mattress.
- Regular cleaning with lifting and shaking of carpets.
Removing bed bugs is a doable, but complicated procedure. Careful adherence to preventive measures will protect the house from parasites, preserving the residents' sleep and health.
Ways to protect yourself from bites
A proven repellent against bedbugs has not yet been invented, but there are still ways to protect yourself from parasites. To do this, they use strong odors that overpower the human body odor. However, such methods do not guarantee protection against bedbugs.
Essential oils and blends
Such oils repel bedbugs and also soften the skin when bitten; the most effective are wormwood and patchouli oils.
Cologne
Cologne emits a strong aroma that replaces body odor, which allows you to protect yourself from annoying parasites for a while.
