Is It a Bed Bug Bite?
Bed bug bites are very obvious on the body. Our face, neck, arms and hands are the areas where the bites are evident because these are areas on our bodies that are typically exposed while we sleep. Therefore it stands to reason that anyone who sleeps without a shirt or top or bed jacket will be more susceptible to bites from bed bugs and more likely to have the usual symptoms.
Bed Bug Bites Symptoms
The face will always be the most prone area of the body for bed bug bites – more than the neck or arms or hands, simply because one might wear long pajamas which cover these areas, thereby preventing these literal bloodsuckers from having you for their next meal – one bite at a time.
If you should think that you are falling prey at night to bed bugs, then make a strong point to wear the necessary garments to cover and protect these exposed parts of the body. If you are one who likes to sleep in the buff, then you are in for a rude awakening, pun intended!
Related posts:
- How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs in California?
- How To Keep Bugs Away From Your House?
- Can bed bugs bite thru clothing?
Remember that bed bugs feed on their prey at night while the victim is asleep – and they actually inject an antiseptic from their saliva into their victim’s skin which serves to deaden the area enough so that the sleeper has no idea whatsoever of what is happening during sleep.
Here is what bed bug bites look like:
Small flat bumps or raised bumps are the usual indications that bed bugs have bitten you. This is normally accompanied by swelling or redness, or sometimes itching. Unfortunately, sometimes we may confuse these bed bug bites with mosquito bites or flea bites that we can get when we allow our cats to sleep with us, forgetting that we have not given it its flea drops for quite some time.
One sure indication that you indeed have bed bug bite symptoms is by closely observing the area affected to see whether the bites are all lined up in one row.
Another systematic way of telling whether you have bed bug bites is by examining the areas around your bed or sofa to see if there are any indications of them hanging around your bedroom.
Also, bed bugs can be found in your bedroom, but any other area that you choose to sleep or relax stretched out, especially you couch potatoes. Sofas, lounge chairs, love seats, air mattresses that are left open for days (or weeks!) at a time, benches, any sleeping surface which has clothing or bedding can be favorite and popular spots for these bed bugs, so don’t be surprised if you find that you have bed bug bite symptoms.
Now you know what are the bed bug bite symptoms when someone asks you. And now that you know, it would be a great shame, even embarrassment, if you were caught informing or worse, warning someone about the harmful effects of bed bug bites, only for them to look at you and let you know that you do not practice what you preach because you are full of red bumps all over your face, neck, arms and hands.
Natural Bed Bug Repellent – Do They Work?
Bed bugs can be very difficult to spot because they’re tiny, brown and flat. They’re very sneaky too that they bite you when you’re sleeping. If you can’t find an actual bug in your mattress, headboard and bed frame, look for some signs of their presence by spotting some bug droppings that look like small brown spots. Their eggs and larvae, on the other hand, look like white spots. Bed bug bites are very itchy and annoying, and what better way to prevent them is by making use of bed bugs repellent to help get rid of bed bugs.
If you hate the thought of sniffing bed bug chemicals, then you can make natural bed bugs repellent right at the comfort of your own home. You need something that you can spray to keep bugs away from you and your beddings.
How To Make a Natural Bed Bug Repellent
You will need the following ingredients to make your own bed bug repellent:
- 1 cup of water
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops eucalyptus oil
- Fine mist spray bottle
All you have to do is combine everything together and pour in a fine mist spray bottle. Make sure you shake it well so that every ingredient is incorporated well with the rest of the ingredients.
If you travel a lot and you’re worried about these nasty pests sticking to your clothes when you hang them in hotel closets, you can carry bed bugs repellent sachets with you. Go to your local herbs store and purchase dried eucalyptus leaves, dried rosemary leaves, dried lavender buds and large cloves. Put the leaves in small sachets, and you can put them in your suitcase and in the pockets of your hanging garments or in any folded clothes you want to put in hotel room drawers. The aroma and smell of the leaves will keep them at bay. You can also tuck some sachets into the mattress.
How to treat bed bugs?
The way to treat bed bugs is to think of them as the enemy and not to have any mercy or regrets when dealing with them. Bed bugs are simply bloodsucking creatures, and you are to think of them exactly that way. Be vicious, calculating, extreme, merciless and most of all, intentional in your efforts to get rid of them. Never think of bed bugs as living and breathing or having any constructive purpose or fulfilling a positive role or function because if you do, you will never have the heart to rid them from your life. That’s no way to treat bed bugs!
How to get rid of bed bugs?
You should know that getting rid of bed bugs is no easy matter. This is why we are always advised to try and prevent these biting pests from entering our homes to begin with. If we know how this is done, it is best to follow the direction given and insist that all your family members are made aware of this invaluable information. Simply make this an issue in your home and keep reminding them from time to time about the value of taking the necessary steps to stop the infestation of your family’s home by these bloodsucking creatures.
Remember to keep emphasizing the point that treating bed bugs is no easy matter, and once they agree and have accepted your point of view, then that will be the start to having the cooperation of your entire family in battling this mundane and common enemy of man. Do not give up if you are faced with any resistance but try to remember that this battle would be won for the most part when you see heads bowing in agreement with you.
How do you use bed bug insecticides?
Before you use bed bugs insecticides, make sure you have done all pre-treatment procedures to make sure you won’t have to deal with bugs again, at least not anytime soon. If you cannot remove all clutter, reduce it if possible to make the inspection easier. You can also dismantle the bed so you can expose more bugs. Remove the gauze fabric under your box spring so you can inspect it thoroughly. Don’t forget to check under the fabric stapled to the frame in the box springs.
Since bugs do not like heat, wash infested garments and bed linen with hot water (120°F minimum). If you don’t want to wash them, you can just use a clothes dryer or a steamer to do the job. Heat is great for getting rid of bed bugs.
Aside from periodic vacuuming and steaming, the use of bed bugs insecticides can tremendously help in eliminating bugs in no time. Same with other procedures, there are some guidelines that you have to strictly follow to make sure you are not unnecessarily exposed to such substances and of course, you want the treatment to be effective.
Read the label carefully before starting. Apply the product only when you fully understand the instructions. Never spray the insecticide to mattresses, bedding, linens, or any surface that would be in direct contact with a person unless the label specifically says so. Although most of the insecticides we have in the market nowadays are 100% non-toxic, it wouldn’t hurt if we were extra cautious. Some products can be detrimental to both people and pets.
When using bed bugs insecticides, it’s very important to only use the needed amount. Anything in excess is not beneficial, and this is applicable to both organic and inorganic solutions. Also, instead of spraying the entire room, get a really bright flashlight and target the nest. Look for adults, juniors, eggs and larvae.
After spraying and thoroughly dusting, you have to encase your mattress in a sealable cover, do this with your box spring as well. Don’t use plastic; use cloth instead. You can find bed bug encasements for bed bug prevention over the internet. Inspect the seal regularly for any holes or tears; seal the area with permanent tape so kill trapped bags.
Get Rid of Bed Bugs at Home
You may be asking yourself what methods I need to use to get rid of bed bugs; you may be asking yourself? Can you, in fact, get rid of bed bugs? The answer is a definite and proven “Yes!”
Getting Rid of Bed bugs – The Steps To Take
The first step is to find their points of entry into your home, such as crevices, cracks and holes in the walls or door and window jams. Once you have found the bed bugs seal the entry points up really well so these tiny parasites can stop being a nuisance. Prevention is the key to stopping an invasion of bed bugs.
The second step is to eyeball these bloodsuckers in various warm and cozy areas of your room where they are likely to be hiding out, such as on your mattress, under your rug, in your pull-out beds, in your clothes hamper, in your soiled and rolled-up socks, in your dirty linen, etc.
Following the above two steps will drastically reduce the chances that bed bugs are able to get into your room and stay active. Just make sure that you focus on prevention, as this is the most important part of not allowing those bed bugs to bite.
How to kill bed bugs?
Here’s a three-step program to kill bed bugs:
1. Vacuum the area of infestation properly, then use a rag with disinfectant to wipe the areas clean. Having a powerful vacuum can really make a difference, and using disinfectants like Lysol or other popular and trusted regular household products could help to keep them out.
2. The second step in getting rid of bed bugs is to call your exterminator to come in to do proper fumigation. They may not be able to come right away, so try calling a few at a time to see which can give you the earliest visit to your home. The sooner he comes, the better.
3. Wash your clothing, linen and bedding in hot water before you use them again. Remember to put your washer on the extra-hot cycle to ensure that they are gotten rid of once and for all. If you are not already doing this, you are inviting those creatures to stay put on your washables. That’s for sure.
To properly help rid of bed bugs, remember not to forgo any of the above steps. It is crucial to follow through on each one of them, or you may stand the risk of having to do them all over again. Take it from someone who has been there and been successful in getting rid of these bugs. You will get a good deal of satisfaction from ridding yourself and your family of those pesky night-crawling, bloodsucking creatures. You are now officially bug-free.
Do it yourself bed bug control
One sure method to get rid of bed bugs is to use your good, old home remedies or cleaning products in your cupboard or pantry. Remember that bottle of cider vinegar? Remember that bottle of bleach? Got any astringent in the house? Any wet pre-packaged antiseptic cleaning cloths? Have a baby in the house? Borrow some of his or her rubbing alcohol or diaper cloths to wipe those suckers away! Try store-bought products like boric acid put directly on the floor surrounding your bed, but not on the mattress itself, or try spraying an ‘organic’ insect spray which you can buy from your supermarket or pharmacy. Remember not to let the odors anywhere near your food. That is very crucial to your health. Start to get rid of bed bugs by using all the tips in this article. They are horrible creatures to have, but you can easily get rid of bed bugs when the right steps are taken.
