Bed Bug Bites: Identification & Consequences
What Bed Bug Bites Look Like -- And What They Mean For Your Health
Bed bug bites appear on skin in clusters or rows of two to three swollen, red welts.
These welts can last for as little as a few hours, or can take days to fade, depending on the individual's sensitivity. Approximately 30% of humans will show no allergic reaction to the bites.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have no natural habitat in the wild -- their natural habitat is human dwellings.
What we're dealing with here is a species that has evolved with one specific purpose: to prey on humans. This makes then one tough pest to kill!
How To Recognize Bud Bug Bites
Bed bugs are attracted to human beings through the heat and carbon dioxide that sleeping people generate. After finding a host, they will pierce the host's exposed skin, injecting an anticoagulant fluid that helps it obtain blood.
Bed bug bites themselves are relatively painless, but the salivary fluid they inject can lead to itchy, swollen red welts on many who are bitten.
These bites, which are sometimes mistaken for mosquito bites, or an allergic reaction. Look for bite marks in clusters or rows of two or three.
Unlike other human parasites such as body lice, bed bugs are rarely found on affected persons. When they're not feeding, they tend to retreat back to their shelters.
At NAPCA, our certified pest control experts provide solutions for homeowners interested in reliable, lasting solutions for controlling bed bug infestations in their home.
To schedule a bed bug control quote with your local NAPCA representative, contact us by phone or e-mail today!
Health Effects Of Bed Bug Bites
Many professionals and scientists theorize that bed bugs are disease vectors, spreading blood-borne diseases from one person to another as ticks, mosquitoes, and other blood-feeding parasites do.
There are also theories that bed bug waste and bodies contain allergenic materials that can be harmful to susceptible individuals. However, to date, there is no evidence that any of this is true.
This Is What We Do Know:
Psychological Symptoms: The prospect of living in a home with bed bugs is extremely distressing to homeowners, particularly during a severe infestation. Psychological responses such as anxiety, insomnia, stress, jumpiness, anger, frustration, devastation, and depression are common.
Homeowners are also often embarrassed by bed bugs in their home. Feelings of social stigmatization are also common with those who are living with bed bugs. In some cases, homeowners will feel "phantom bed bugs" on their skin -- even long after the infestation has been eliminated.
Infected Welts: Bed bug bites can be extremely itchy and irritating to susceptible people, and scratching is common. This scratching can lead to the welts being infected with secondary bacterial agents, such as eczxamatoid dermatitis, cellulitis, impertigo, and pyoderma.
Systemic reactions have also been reported on occasion, including asthma, andanaphulaxis, and generalized urticaria.
A bed bug infestation can happen in any home -- no matter how clean that home may be.
In fact, studies have shown that bed bugs are especially attracted to persons with good hygiene that are present in an infested area, and that infestations originally began in North America in upscale hotels and lodgings.
Who Is Affected By Bed Bugs?
Studies show that 70% of people are affected by bed bug bites, developing swollen, red welts.
Surprisingly, the elderly will show less reactivity to bed bug bites than other age groups. Small children are particularly susceptible -- a serious infestation can cause a small child to develop anemia.
Bed bug bites can happen all over the body but are most common on exposed portions of skin, including the face, neck, arms, and legs.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Bed bugs most commonly "hitchhike" in clothes and luggage from hotel bedrooms, airplanes, and trains, as well as from dormitories and homeless shelters.
What many homeowners don't realize is that bed bug infestations can also come from the purchase of used furniture from an infested home. Be sure to inspect any used furniture you bring to your home carefully, even if you're confident in its source.
More about Preventing Bed Bugs
How Often Do Bed Bugs Feed?
While adult bed bugs will feed on a human at frequent intervals, they can survive quite a long time without a blood meal. Studies have found that adult bed bugs can survive for 18 months or longer without a meal, while nymphs can last for up to 51 days.
Bed bug nymphs require a blood meal after every molting, with a total of five nymphal instars. This means that to complete development, nymphs will need at least six blood meals.
In October 2010, Time Magazine reported that Yale Scientist Joshua Benoit had a live bedbug that was still alive after not being fed for two years and eight months! Starving these creatures is not a practical option!
We Provide Professional Bed Bug Treatments!
At the North American Pest Control Alliance (NAPCA), our experts specialize in safe, reliable solutions for pests of all kinds -- including bed bugs. If you have an issue with this pest in your home, our network of professionals can provide you with the experience, training, and best practices you need to solve your pest issues.
To schedule a pest control quote with a network representative in your area, contact us by phone or e-mail today! We'll put you in touch with your local NAPCA professional, who can provide you with a customized solution -- one that uses the safest and most reliable options available in the marketplace. Contact us today to get started!
