Bed Bugs

What Are Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are tiny insects who survive by feeding on blood of humans beings or animals. Their havens are your furniture, bed, clothing, carpet and other belongings like these. They are the most active during the night time. They feed on people and animals while they are asleep.

An average bedbug could be from 1 to 7 millimetres long. Flat, reddish-brown in colour and oval-shaped, they don’t have wings, and thus, depend on the animals or human being to carry them to different places.

Although rarely dangerous, bedbug bites can be really itchy, especially for children. In certain cases, the bites become infected or leads to allergic reactions.

If one suspects that there are bedbugs living in one’s home or other property, it’s imperative that they get rid of them. Local bed bug Inspections Brisbane done by some renowned companies quiet effectively treat these kinds of infestations.

Bed Bug Bites: Appearance And Character

There are not much noticeable symptoms from bedbug bites. However, when there are symptoms, the bites tend to be like these:

  • Swollen as well as red
  • They have a dark spot right at the centre of each bite
  • They are arranged in clusters or lines
  • They have generally multiple bites, all grouped together
  • They are itchy

Any part of your body is vulnerable to bed bugs. However they will generally bite those areas of skin which are exposed when one sleeps like the face, arms, hands and neck. In many instances the bites might even develop into a blister that is fluid-filled.

Symptoms

Often the bed bug bites become conspicuously red and swollen. Several bites may appear in a line or cluster at the same time in a small or moderately small area of one’s body. The bites are mostly itchy. They might cause a burning sensation.

In case one has bedbugs living in one’s home, they might not feed every single night. Rather, they can go for several days without eating. It might take even some weeks to understand that these bites are part of a very larger pattern. Scratching Scratching these bug bites can result into bleeding or can become infected.

Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs

If bedbugs are suspected to be in one’s home, then one must look for various signs of them in the bed and other areas. They often hide in inconspicuous places like:

  • Box springs
  • Mattresses
  • Headboards
  • Bed frames
  • Cracks or seams of furniture
  • Pillows and bedding
  • Carpeting around baseboards
  • Clothes
  • Curtains

The bugs themselves can be seen sometimes.  Drops of blood or even tiny black dots of bug droppings in the bed can be spotted. In case one finds bedbugs, one must call a pest control company for bed bug Inspections Brisbane.

Methods To Contain And Eliminate The Infestation

The bed bug heat treatment Brisbane is one of the most effective ways to get rid of them. Some of the ways to do it are mentioned below:

  • Vacuuming as well as steam-cleaning the mattresses, floors, appliances and furniture.
  • Laundering the drapes, clothing and linens by using the hottest settings of one’s dryer and washing machine.
  • Sealing the items which cannot be laundered inside plastic bags and also storing them for many days at 0°F or -17°C or for few months at warmer temperatures.
  • Heating items which might be safely heated to 115°F or 46°C
  • Filling the gaps around the baseboards as well as cracks in furniture with the help of caulking.
  • Various insecticides are also easily available in the market to kill bedbugs.

A good pest control company might have access to many good quality insecticides and equipment which might be very difficult for common people to own, rent or even buy.

Treatment For Bed Bug Bites

Ideally it takes one to two weeks for bedbug bites to get better. There are many ways to relieve these symptoms:

  • Applying any good quality anti-itch cream or even calamine lotion on bites
  • Taking an oral antihistamine which will reduce of sensation of itching as well as burning
  • Using an over-the-counter pain reliever in order to heal the pain and swelling
  • In certain cases, bedbug bites can result into various allergic reactions. If one manifests signs or symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, one should call the hospital as soon as possible.
  • Many times, these bedbug bites can result into an infection, cellulitis. In order to minimize the risk of infection, one should be washing the bites with a soap and water and avoid scratching them.