![]() ![]() Be aware of the signs of a bed bug infestation when you travel so you don't unknowingly bring the pests home with you. Traveling is another means for bringing bed bugs into your home. ![]() Always inspect these items closely before bringing them inside your home. They can move from room to room (or apartment to apartment) through floors, door gaps, electrical outlets, or through furniture, books, or clothing.īed bugs can also be transported into your home with secondhand furniture or household items. Because bed bugs need human or animal blood to survive, they prefer to live close to their host, near nests (or beds, in the case of humans).Įxpert hitchhikers, bed bugs can infest new locations by hiding in luggage, clothing, or other items that people carry with them. Bed bugs have a tendency to move with us and our possessions. The best way to prevent bed bug bites is to avoid bed bugs in the first place. You should see your doctor if you have many bites, blisters, an allergic reaction, or signs of a skin infection (redness, puss, oozing). Use an oral antihistamine, if needed, for symptom relief.Apply an over-the-counter corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to help with itching and inflammation.Clean the bite marks with soap and water.The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the following measures to manage uncomfortable bed bug bites. It's best to avoid scratching the bites to reduce the risk of infection. Excessive scratching, however, can lead to infection at the site of the bite. Bed bug bite treatmentīed bug bites are not dangerous and usually heal on their own within a week or two. On very rare occasions, an allergic reaction to bed bug bites can cause anaphylaxis.īed bug bites may also cause insomnia, anxiety, and skin infections caused by excessive scratching. Some people have an allergic reaction to bed bug bites, developing large, painful, swollen bite marks. Others may experience bites that are itchy, irritating, red, and swollen. Some people never show bite marks or may develop just a small bite mark. In some cases, it can take up to 14 days after the initial bite for a bite mark to appear. Most people do not immediately realize they have been bitten by bed bugs because the insects inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant (a substance that prevents blood from clotting), which make it harder to detect the bite. ![]() Bed bug bites may be mistaken for mosquito, flea, or spider bites, or for a rash or hives. Bite marks often appear in clusters of three to five bites. The bite marks may be random, appear in a straight line, or in a zigzag pattern. Bed bug eggs are pearl white and are very small, about the size of a pinhead.Ī bed bug bite may appear red and slightly swollen.They can be nearly invisible if they have not recently fed (the blood gives them a reddish-brown color). They are smaller, translucent, or whitish-yellow in color. Bed bugs swell and become more elongated after feeding. They are approximately the size of an apple seed (3/16 to 1/4 inch long). Adult bed bugs are small, oval, flat, reddish-brown in color, and wingless.In addition, their small size allows them to hide in hard-to-reach places such as seams of mattresses or inside cracks or crevices.īed bugs look different depending on their life stage: Bed bugs are found all over the world and are difficult to control.Įven if you have a bed bug infestation, you may not see many bed bugs because the pests are primarily nocturnal, coming out to feed during the night. Though they do not transmit disease, their bites can be irritating. What are bed bugs and what do they look like?īed bugs are small, parasitic insects that need human or animal blood to survive. Bed bug infestations can be tricky to identify and difficult to eliminate. Bed bugs are a nuisance that can cause itchy, uncomfortable bites. ![]()
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