Bedbugs, most people have had them at some point in their lives and it is never a good thing. Bedbugs are oval, flat and a reddish brown color, a little smaller than an apple seed. It is recommended that if you have bedbugs in your home, have a professional exterminator come in to eradicate them. These tiny little blood suckers feed on the blood of sleeping humans, especially those with areas of exposed skin, especially the hands, neck and face.
It is widely believed that there has been a resurgence of these little critters due to changes in pest control, resistance to insecticides, and more international as well as global travel. Many years ago, bedbugs were eradicated with the use of DDT, but this pesticide was banned due to it being very toxic to humans. The main risk of bringing bedbugs home with you is when you spend any amount of time in places like hotels, homeless shelters, military barracks, apartments, refugee camps or dormitories. Bedbugs do not care if your home is clean or dirty, all they are looking for is a warm place with lots of blood to feast, namely you and your family, friends and anyone who comes to visit.
Bedbugs do not live on their host, but they may use you or your item like luggage to hitchhike to other places. When they are done feeding they can take refuge almost anywhere including clothes, under the carpets, inside the luggage, mattresses, box springs, headboards, bed frames, under light switches, inside electrical outlets, behind loose wallpaper or peeling paint, in upholstered furniture, and or near baseboards. Some bedbugs prefer to make the attics their home because they prefer bats or birds to feed on, but when winter comes and the bats and birds fly away, they will migrate down into your home and feed on you for the winter.
Symptoms of bedbug bites are sometimes hard to tell as bites from other insects can be similar looking but generally, bites from bedbugs are often itchy, and multiple bites usually appeared in a cluster or rough line.
Some people may not have any reaction to bedbug bites other than mild itching with the bites going away on their own within a couple of weeks, others may experience severe allergic reactions including rash, blisters or severe itching. It is recommended that you see a doctor if your reaction is severe and you get an infection from scratching the itch.
It is possible to speed up recovery and ease the symptoms by using an oral antihistamine, like Benadryl or a topical cream, like Hydrocortisone. In case there is a skin infection caused from scratching, an antibiotic may be prescribed by your doctor.
If you do get bitten and discovered an infestation of bedbugs in your home, you're advised to hire a professional exterminator who has the equipment and experience to help you get rid of the problem as quickly as possible.
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