A bed bug bite affects each person differently. Bite responses can range from an absence of any physical signs of the bite, to a small bite mark, to a serious allergic reaction. Bed bugs are not considered to be dangerous; however, an allergic reaction to several bites may need medical attention.
Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are notoriously difficult to eradicate once they infest a space. Understanding how you can get bed bugs is crucial for prevention and control.
Common Ways Bed Bugs Enter Your Home:
- Travel: Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and can travel from place to place on luggage, clothing, and other personal belongings. Staying in an infested hotel room or using public transportation can introduce bed bugs to your home.
- Used Furniture: Bringing in second-hand furniture, especially mattresses and sofas, can be a source of bed bugs. Always inspect and treat used items before bringing them inside.
- Close Proximity Living: Bed bugs can move between apartments and hotel rooms through small cracks and crevices. If your neighbor has bed bugs, they can easily spread to your unit.
- Public Spaces: Bed bugs can be found in public spaces such as movie theaters, libraries, and office buildings. They can latch onto your clothing or bags and be carried home.
What are the signs and symptoms of a bed bug infestation?
One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by the tell-tale bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping. However, these bite marks may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people so it is important to look for other clues when determining if bed bugs have infested an area. These signs include: the bed bugs’ exoskeletons after molting, bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty–colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the mattress or nearby furniture, and a sweet musty odor.
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Beg bug infestations have become a common problem. Although often previously associated with overcrowding and dilapidated housing environments, Bed bugs have returned and can be found in the cleanest living accommodations including fine hotels and large apartment buildings.
The reasons they have returned is not fully understood, but is believed to be partially due to an increase in travel among people, which includes easy movement of luggage or other items that may have become infested.
Due to changes in regulations, pesticides that previously were used to control these offending insects are no longer being used, which may also be a contributing factor to their resurgence.