If you sleep in hotels often or have been hospitalized recently, you were likely exposed to bedbugs. People staying in shelters and outdoor camps are also likely to have been exposed to the insects. It is possible that you carried the bugs to your home either on your body, your clothes, or in your belongings. It is important to learn about bedbugs so you can get rid of them and prevent infestation.

About Bedbugs

Bedbugs (scientific name Cimex lectularius) are small, wingless, flat, and oval in shape. They are about one fifth of an inch in size and red brown in color. They are very hardy and can survive up to 18 months without feeding. Like mosquitoes, bedbugs bite humans and animals because they survive on blood, but they do not transmit disease.

The insects are called bedbugs because they tend to live in bed frames, mattresses, and bed sheets during the day. They can also be found hiding in crevices, bed curtain pleats, loose wallpaper, picture frames, and other furniture. The bugs are nocturnal and emerge during the night to feed. Female bedbugs can lay up to five eggs in a day, which are white and about a millimeter in size. They hide the eggs in crevices and other undisturbed places.

Bedbugs are common in housing with poor sanitation. They can also be found in overcrowded places like shelters and hostels. However, clean houses can have the bugs too, because people can carry them from other places.

A bedbug bite feels very similar to a mosquito bite. If you suspect bedbugs, the first step is to thoroughly inspect the bed, bedding, and other furniture. It is best to look for bugs at night and to use a flashlight. If you do not find any bugs the first time you check, keep looking.

Signs of a bedbug infestation include the following:

• Dark specks, which are their droppings, in the seams of the mattress.

• When the bugs mature into adults, they shed their skins, which appear as light-brown specks.

• Specks of blood if a well-fed bug was crushed.

• White or light-colored specks (bedbug eggs) which are more easily seen on darker fabrics

You will usually find bedbug bites in the morning since the bugs feed at night. The bites will cause itching, but should not cause pain, and there may be a tiny bit of bleeding. The marks are more predominant on the exposed parts of your body like the hands, legs, and face.

The bite itself is usually harmless and treatment is not normally needed. If the itching is intense enough to disturb your sleep, you can take an antihistamine for itch relief. Someone who is allergic to bedbug saliva may develop redness, swelling, intense itching, and a blister at the site of the bite. You may need steroids if you have these symptoms, and they do not get better. An infected bite will ooze fluid or be red due to inflammation. In this case, you may need antibiotics.

In order to get the bugs out of your home, vacuum thoroughly being especially careful to reach all crevices. Wash your bedding and clothing in hot water and put them in a clothes dryer on high for at least 20 minutes.

Because bedbugs can be very difficult to fully eliminate from the home, you may want to hire a professional pest care servicesto eliminate the bugs. These services use a combination of insecticides and devices that use steam, heat, or extreme cold to exterminate the bugs.

Preventing Bedbug Infestation

Preventing bedbug infestation is easier than eliminating the pests.

• Keep your household clean.

   

• Wash your bedding regularly.

   

• Eliminate clutter and avoid using old or used furniture.

   

• Keep your travel bags and luggage clean.

   

• Keep your pets clean.

To prevent bites, especially while traveling, sleep in clothing that covers most of your body. You can use a bug spray or in extreme cases, an insecticide treated net, which prevents the bugs from getting to you and kills the insects that hit the net.