How bed sheets bite. Distinctive signs of bed bug bites. How to protect yourself from bites

To get its natural food, the body of the bloodsucker is arranged in such a way that it carries out its manipulations most invisible to the victim.

In order to get to the source of nutrition, the blood vessels, the insect has sucking organ, which vaguely resembles the proboscis of a mosquito.

With the help of this proboscis, he does not bite, but pierces the outer layer of the epithelium person and gets to his capillaries.

The proboscis of the bug successfully copes with human skin. But, despite the fact that it is thin and durable with a rougher skin, it is harder for him to cope with, for example, the skin of a dog. So children are most often subject to "attacks" of bloodsuckers than an adult, because the child's skin is more delicate and not as rough as that of its adult parents. You can read more about bedbug bites in a child.

Reference. The bug's proboscis is made up of two channels. Through one channel, at the moment of piercing, the insect injects a special secret. As part of the secret - painkillers. Therefore, the very moment of the bite cannot be felt. And through the second channel, blood flows from the capillaries into the digestive tract of the bloodsucker.

How bed bugs bite. Photo

How much blood does it take to be fed

Carefully. Young individuals (larvae) are not yet able to produce enzymes for pain relief, so when they pierce the human body, pain is felt.

But this amount is not enough to saturate him. And he is forced to move further through the body in search of food. An adult bed bug needs up to 7 ml of blood to get enough. Therefore, one “hike” is accompanied by several bites.

When satiated, the insect increases significantly in size and rounds. The received portion of food is enough for him for a week.

Attention. The larvae will bite their prey daily. They cannot absorb large amounts of blood. Their digestive apparatus is not completely formed.

When bedbugs bite

The active phase of their life activity falls on the early morning, approximately four o'clock in the morning when a person is in deep sleep.

Daylight hours do not deter bedbugs. Although they are nocturnal only for your own safety. In order to hide their presence in a human dwelling from the victim for as long as possible.

But when the colonies of bugs have bred strongly and at night they do not have time to drink blood, they can satisfy their basic instinct during the day.

Carefully. If a person sees bedbugs moving around his body, then this is a powerful signal to sound the alarm. You should immediately deal with them.

What part of the body do bed bugs bite?

hands;
legs;
face;

If a person sleeps without pajamas, then bites can be located all over the body.

Signs of bites

If you find bites characteristic of bedbugs on your body, lubricate the affected areas with alcohol. And if an allergy appeared after a “visit” of bedbugs - take an antihistamine. You can find out how to treat bedbug bites.

Bites should not be scratched with fingers, in order to avoid infection in the puncture site. You can read more about the consequences of bites.

Useful video

How home bugs bite can be seen in the video below:

The appearance of bedbugs in the apartment is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms in the form of night bites, skin damage and severe itching. In this case, insects can bite up to 5 times per night, which leads to the formation of bites due to the injection of a special substance into the blood.

This substance has an analgesic effect, therefore, with a direct bite, a person does not feel pain, prevents blood clotting, and drinks it in the required quantities.

The body gives a response to a bug bite in the form of itching and severe redness with swelling. Insects can have an adverse effect on the body of a child and an adult. In this case, it is necessary to use special disinfecting measures.

What is the danger of a bug bite for the human body and its consequences?

Considering the question of how dangerous a bug bite is for a person, it implies that the insect can cause great discomfort and seriously affect the psychological state. At the same time, such bites do not provide serious harm to the body.

Consequences of a bite of bedbugs:

Itching of the resulting wounds, which subsequently quickly and imperceptibly heal;
With strong scratching, a person constantly scratches the bite, which leads to irritation and a possible abscess;
The occurrence of a severe allergic reaction, which can manifest itself as a mild degree of suffocation, a rash, or anaphylactic shock, which has serious consequences.

Bedbug bites in childhood do not have serious complications, since in most cases small red blisters form, which eventually disappear, provided that the child does not comb them.

If the baby's body is quite susceptible, then the following complications may occur:

Inflammation of the lymph nodes;
The formation of an allergic reaction;
Temperature increase;
The appearance of headaches;
indigestion;
Possible infection of damaged skin.

The above symptoms are quite rare. The main consequence is a psychological reaction, as the child does not sleep well and is naughty a lot, which causes serious concern for parents.

Bed bug bites have pronounced symptoms in the form of red dots, swelling, which itch a lot. In order to understand which insect has bitten, you need to pay attention to the following symptoms:

The bug bite is accompanied by a slight swelling, redness. The central part of the skin has a slightly protruding appearance;
On closer examination of the bite inside, you can see a small puncture that the proboscis of the insect made;
Bedbugs almost always bite several times and leave behind a path of several bites with a distance of 2 to 4 cm. At the same time, such lines begin with single formations that develop into dozens of points;
After the bug breaks away from the skin, droplets of blood flow out at the bite site for some time, which may remain on the bed linen;
When sucking blood, the bug, together with saliva, introduces a special substance with an analgesic effect into the blood, so the person begins to feel the bite only after a while;
Bed bugs become active mainly at night, since during the day they scatter in the corners and can only be born with severe hunger;
In places of bites, a strong burning sensation, itching can be felt. The wound tightens over time and begins to peel off.

The formation of a reaction when bitten by a bug depends on the thickness and tenderness of the skin. In places such as the neck, the face most often appears severe irritation with redness and swelling. With a severe allergic reaction, antihistamines should be taken.

In the photo above, traces of bedbug bites are clearly visible, which are noted in the appearance of the so-called path and the characteristic swelling with redness.

How painful are bed bugs?

The bugs carry out their bites with the help of a special trunk, oriented to the pulsation of the blood and can suck out up to 1.5 ml of blood. This amount is not enough for complete saturation, so the insect moves to the next area and forms the so-called bite track.

With a direct bite, the bug introduces a special substance with anesthetic properties, so a person pays attention to the discomfort that has arisen when severe itching appears.

Some types of insects have rather painful bites due to the absence, which are felt by a person immediately. The appearance of sensitivity during a bite may indicate that the individuals have reached a fairly large size.

Bed bugs leave behind bites in the form of a rounded shape, which are similar to mosquitoes. The size depends on the reaction of the organism to the introduced enzyme. If a person does not have greater susceptibility, then small red spots form on the body without severe and pronounced itching.

The appearance of bites is preferable at night, since the bugs do not show activity during the daytime;
The appearance in the apartment of a specific sweet smell with the aroma of almonds, which indicates the complete contamination of the apartment;
The formation of bloody stains on bed linen due to crushing insects or drops of blood fall on the tissue from the resulting wound;
Identification in the bed of specific black skins (waste products of bugs), which are formed with a large accumulation of insects. In such cases, the apartment is completely infested, and adults have laid a considerable number of larvae;
A massive number of bites, since the formed colony at night begins active vital processes and must be fed with the necessary amount of blood;
The appearance of tracks, which are considered a feature of bedbug bites and consist of 5–7 bites.

If a person has a pronounced reaction to bedbug bites, then other symptoms of intoxication of the body (swelling, severe redness, fever) may additionally appear.

mosquito bites

Mosquito bites on the human body are quite similar to bedbugs, but at the same time they are single and do not transform into a path. Moreover, these insects are absent in the cold season. When studying, it is important to compare all the available symptoms.

Fleas

Midges

Midges are active only in the summer and bite open areas of the skin. Often the bites are on the face and are quite painful, since the insects do not inject anesthetic under the skin during the bite.

Can a bed bug only bite once?

The bug rarely bites once, as in most cases it makes 5 to 7 bites and leaves a path behind. Intervention sites are marked with a straight line and are located close to each other.

An adult requires a large amount of blood to saturate, so one bug can bite up to 10 times per night. If a whole colony has developed, then a person will not be able to sleep peacefully due to the constant interference of insects.

At the same time, the larva, which is a nymph, bites only once, since it is saturated with a single sucking of blood. Older individuals require several interventions. There is a whole colony of insects in the bed, so the presence of only one bite may indicate that it was a mosquito or a flea.

Where does the bug bite most often?

Bedbugs often bite on exposed areas of the skin, but in some cases they can crawl under clothes. Tender and thin skin is more susceptible in such vulnerable areas:

Face;
Inner parts of the hands;
Groin area;
Stomach.

Therefore, most often a series of bites occurs in the neck, on the back, arms, armpits, abdomen, inner thighs.

Bedbugs are often selective, because if there are two people in the bed, then the insect can bite only one. The main signs by which an individual makes a choice:

When studying the above signs, it should be noted that insects, in the absence of a choice, are guided by what they have. At the initial stage, an important aspect for them is to obtain the necessary amount of blood for complete saturation.

Are bedbugs carriers of diseases?

Many talk about the likelihood of such statements that bedbugs can be carriers of serious diseases (for example, the human immunodeficiency virus). At the same time, such a theory has no confirmation and is completely refuted by scientific research.

Studies have shown that virus cells can linger in the body of an insect for a short time, but the disease does not develop, as a result, it cannot enter the human blood to infect it.

Bedbugs are carriers of such diseases as leprosy, plague, tularemia, Q fever, typhus, filariasis, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, syphilis, yellow fever, hepatitis B. In practice, scientists have not identified a single case of infection in this way.

Small risks still exist. If the bug is a carrier of hepatitis B, then the virus cells remain in its feces for a long time, so theoretically a person after contact with them can become infected with this disease.

Do bedbugs affect the psychological state of a person?

Bedbugs can exert serious psychological pressure on a person, since sleepless nights and the realization that an insect will crawl over the body can cause the development of a neurotic state.

With constant lack of sleep, a person becomes aggressive and irritable, which leads to a decrease in the protective functions of the body and can cause the development of additional diseases. This problem requires immediate elimination, as all family members will suffer from a nighttime insect invasion.

How are bed bug bites treated?

In most cases, bedbug bites go away on their own, but if there are negative symptoms, then the following remedies can be used:

Tar, toilet soap is brought to a foamy consistency and the resulting mixture is smeared with the affected areas of the body and waited for complete drying. If the site of inflammation stops itching, then the applied agent is washed off;
Treatment of bites with baby cream, as the remedy well eliminates signs of severe itching;
To eliminate severe itching, it is good to use essential oils and the Golden Star balm.

Sometimes treatment of the resulting wounds at the site of the bite is required, since with strong scratching, an infection can get in and inflammation develops. With a mild course, discomfort is eliminated at home, and if complications appear, they go to the hospital.

When do bedbug bites go away?

Complete healing of bedbug bites depends on several factors:

Bites with a normal reaction of the body disappear after a few hours;
With a weakened immune system, recovery lasts throughout the day;
Severe allergic reactions and sores can recover within 5 to 7 days.

In general, bedbug bites are painless in a short time, and with severe allergies, antihistamines may be required.

Why do bed bug bites itch?

The duration of elimination of severe itching with bedbug bites depends on the individual intolerance of the body.

Red blisters that form when a bed bug bites occur using a special proboscis, which is divided into 2 tubules. One compartment releases an anesthetic of an anesthetic nature into the blood, the second performs a direct puncture.

The immune system begins to fight against the foreign substance that has penetrated, so the skin at the site of the bite becomes inflamed and begins to itch. With the activation of protective processes, an allergic reaction can form.

Can bedbugs bite a person during the daytime?

Bedbugs are nocturnal insects that become active during this period. During the day, these individuals hide in furniture, baseboards and other secluded corners of the room. If the insect attacked a person during daylight hours, then he was controlled by severe hunger.

This situation is possible if no one lived in the apartment for a long time and the new arrivals decided to rest immediately after settling in. Most often, insects are found when moving to a new place of residence and can be inherited from previous owners.

Can insects bite through clothing?

If a person is well dressed, then it is quite difficult for a bug to penetrate through clothes, since his proboscis does not have such an impact force. In most cases, insects are looking for open and easily accessible areas of the body.

Do bed bugs bite pets?

The main source of food for bedbugs is a person, but in his absence, insects can drink blood from domestic animals. At the same time, they should feel strong hunger and an irresistible desire to eat.

Under normal conditions, bedbugs do not bite dogs or cats, as there is a large amount of hair on their body, which is a pronounced obstacle for them.

How to protect the body from bedbug bites?

If it is not possible to eliminate bedbugs in a given period of time, you can use some useful tips:

Bedbugs do not tolerate products with a high alcohol content, so applying cologne or another substance makes it possible to spend the night calmly;
Various essential oils provide the proper effect as rubbing agents;
Open areas of the body are lubricated with fish oil, which also prevents bedbug bites;
Preparing a decoction of food cloves in combination with cologne protects the skin well from insect interference.

Prevention of the appearance of bedbugs in the house

Preventing the appearance of these insects in a private house or apartment requires the following recommendations:

Washing any items brought in in hot water, since after such treatment the insects will definitely die and will not be able to multiply further;
Timely washing of bed linen in hot water. It is recommended to choose a long cycle using all the main modes;
Compliance with personal hygiene of pets (washing, cutting), as bedbugs can enter the house when they get on the wool;
Control over sanitary conditions in the place of residence and timely repair;
Examination of the skin and special attention if suspicious bites appear, since a small number of individuals are much easier to remove compared to a spreading colony;
The use of proven products (essential oils, sprigs of fragrant plants, alcohol tinctures). In the presence of bedbugs in the neighborhood, it is important to process the points of contact and take all preventive measures in a timely manner.

Bed bug bites

A wonderful sense of smell allows you to find the most convenient parts of the human body for a feast (it is interesting that the skin covered with hair does not appeal to them, the reason is that the hairs prevent comfortable eating).

The bed bug has a long proboscis resembling a mosquito, which allows you to quickly get to the blood vessels. The larvae also feed only on blood. It is quite simple to distinguish between the bites of bed bugs, both adults and young larvae - the former can bite, after anesthetizing with a special substance, the latter cause significant pain to a person. They are not satisfied with one bite, but crawl to a new place and continue to feast on blood.

An interesting, but by no means pleasant property of larvae for humans is that they need a lot of food to grow, this is the reason that they go out to bite and eat much more often than adults. It is not difficult to trace the movement of young individuals - they leave a path of bleeding points, of which there are usually up to a dozen.

heap, looking like an accumulation of microdamages located in islands;
linearly, characteristic elongated path.

A careful study allows you to find the punctures made by the proboscis.
Violation of the skin, upon careful examination, is highlighted by a bright red dot.
The increasing appearance of characteristic acne indicates an increase in the population.

neckline;
neck area;
the front of the head;
dorsum of the limbs.

The position of the selected victim during sleep affects the territory of the body bitten by bedbugs: back, buttocks, chest, stomach. After the growth of the insect population, bitten areas of the head appear.

Anti-allergic drugs, ointments are completely useless. Itching, decreasing, occurs again after a short time period.

Itchy acne, the coincidence of several signs should be the reason for visiting a specialist's office. The doctor will be able to prescribe the correct treatment, advise further necessary actions to get rid of bedbugs.

In the morning, waking up from a sweet pleasant dream, you can find a chain of red dots with dried blood spots on the body. Bed bugs leave these obvious symptoms after their bloody feast, crawling from place to place. In some cases, you can feel severe itching, but most often scratching the bitten place is a normal human reflex.

How bedbugs bite - a bite is an unpleasant incident, but there is no particular danger to a person, only if a huge blood-sucking family does not live in the room. Also, one should not forget that each organism is individual, therefore, allergic reactions may occur, accompanied by:

dizziness;
nausea;
a feeling of lack of air;
vomiting;
severe muscle spasms.

Babies are especially sensitive to bed bug bites. Rarely, but damage to the skin can lead to a severe outcome - anaphylactic shock. Here you will need immediate treatment, and in no case not by folk methods - only qualified specialists can save a life! Signs of anaphylaxis:

a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
labored breathing;
severe spasms of muscles and blood vessels.

If the cause of such symptoms is bedbug bites (you can find this out by chains of dried blood drops), you should immediately seek medical help, or even better, transport the patient to a medical facility.

The resulting severe itching will help relieve a special ointment - Afloderm. It is a must have on hand when going on a long trip.

If there is a danger of infection of a tiny wound, the Vietnamese remedy will provide immediate and necessary assistance.

Menovazin is one of the most common remedies used in cases where an allergic reaction accompanies bites. If the ointment is applied immediately after waking up in the morning, you can soon forget about the unpleasant consequences.

If bedbug bites do not go away for a long time, and even increase significantly in size, antihistamines should be taken. Usually it is Diphenhydramine, but Diazolin will do an excellent job with the problem.

If the symptoms do not disappear, and the lesion on the body area continues to grow, you should not wait until the problem goes away on its own - you should immediately contact a qualified doctor, undergo a thorough examination and get the necessary help.

Immediate assistance in the absence of complications from bedbug bites can be provided independently, using simple remedies from a home first aid kit.

The easiest way to relieve itching or pain is to gently wash the insect-affected area with cool water and any hygiene product (soap, gel, foam). You can also prepare a concentrated solution of soda (30 g of a kitchen remedy per glass of boiled cool water) and wipe the redness on the body with a cotton pad soaked in liquid.

A quick way to relieve pain and severe unpleasant itching is to rub the affected area on the body with an ice cube. If there is a suspicion that bedbugs have settled in the room, and there is no time for immediate processing of the apartment, you can freeze fresh parsley leaves chopped and turned into a homogeneous paste in advance. Frozen cubes will effectively relieve redness and discomfort.

Propolis tincture on alcohol will help not only quickly remove redness on the body, but also carry out the necessary disinfection in some cases. It is especially important if the bugs began to bite a small child, it is better to protect yourself and treat the wounds especially carefully.

The grandfather methods include the following:

Garlic. Before use, soak for 1 hour in water at room temperature, then cut into 2 parts in length and attach to the damaged area for 60-80 minutes.
Garlic, radish and horseradish. Cut all the products into cubes, then chop in a blender and apply the finished mass to the wound for 30-40 minutes.
Potatoes with aloe juice. Finely chop the ingredients and grind in a blender. Apply the finished substance for 60 - 90 minutes.

All procedures according to the above methods can be carried out up to 3 times a day.

Bedbug bites - dangerous consequences

Insect attacks occur at night or early in the morning, which negatively affects sleep patterns. Constant lack of sleep inevitably entails:

decreased immunity;
loosening of the nervous system;
dysfunction of the heart and other organs.

Lack of sleep leads to a decrease in working capacity, motor activity, and an increase in nervous excitability.

Allergic rashes caused by a bitten person can lead to complications:

bite sites itch;
the edema resulting from the entry of the allergen into the blood increases;
scratching leads to the appearance of wounds, sores.

It is impossible to predict the body's response to bedbug bites in advance. There have been cases of anaphylactic shock in children.

in children. The smaller the age of the child, the stronger the bite marks will be visible;
in people with a weakened immune system, as well as the elderly;
in allergy sufferers.

Allergic responses of the body, caused by the result of the life of bedbugs, do not go away for a long time and can remain for life.

Tumors that appear after biting, gradually increase, when combed, they become abscesses and ulcers.

A constant headache accompanies those who have been attacked. Painful sensations are explained by the presence of a strong irritant in the blood, as well as regular lack of sleep.

Often, bedbugs enter the room through the ventilation holes, rushing to the alluring smell of fresh human blood. It is important to remember that bedbug bites can be a serious danger.

You can protect your apartment from insect invasion with the help of plants that emit a strong aroma that bloodsuckers will not like - wormwood or lavender. Once a month, you will have to change the raw materials, but the room will be reliably protected from unpleasant guests.

For the same purpose, you can use table vinegar or even naphthalene, but it is unlikely that the neighbors will be delighted with such prevention, so it is better to use the help of herbs.

In this article, we will try to understand in more detail the eating habits and preferences of bed bugs. Often, the very mention of bed bugs makes many automatically think of those itchy bites that bed bugs like to leave on us while we sleep.

Why do bedbugs bite?

Bed bugs bite us to survive - this is the simplest answer to this very painful question for people. Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood. and constantly need it to complete their life cycle from egg to adult.

When do bed bugs bite?

Bed bugs bite during the day

Despite the nocturnal lifestyle, there are times when hungry bugs crawl out to feast on blood and in the middle of the day. When the bedbug colony grows and there are many individuals, they have to expand their lunch schedule so that all individuals can get enough. There are also cases when after treatment, the bugs bite by day.

Do bed bugs eat anything other than blood?

Unlike many other insects that are found in the home, such as flies and cockroaches, bed bugs are not able to get their food from other sources, so bed bugs can only survive on blood received directly from the host. At the same time, insects will not be able to drink spilled blood, since they need the usual temperature and pressure that fills the bug's abdomen during a human bite.

How often do bed bugs bite? What kind of bugs bite?

Under normal conditions, an adult bed bug needs to be fed once a week. Female bed bugs need to be fed each time before breeding. But growing bugs need regular nutrition for growth and transition to the next stage of the life cycle, therefore bed bug nymphs bite every day.

Now we can imagine the following picture what kind of bugs bite: when bedbugs started growing in the apartment and began to actively multiply, then the bites will be every day and every day there will be more and more of them to saturate each individual.

Why don't bed bugs bite everyone?

Very often, people are confused by the fact that in one apartment, itchy redness from bites in the morning does not appear in all family members, but, for example, only in the wife and children, while the head of the family remains untouched.

It is for this reason that many of our citizens miss the initial stage of infection of the apartment with bedbugs, the one at which get rid of bed bugs easier. Many at first take bedbug bites for allergies or some kind of rash - “maybe they ate something wrong,” but no one even thinks about bedbugs, because they don’t bite their husband. In fact, everything is very simply explained: bedbugs prefer to drink more delicious fresh blood, and it is much easier to bite through the more delicate children's or women's skin. But then, when there are a lot of bedbugs in the apartment, they already begin to bite all family members, because otherwise they will simply "eat" their owners, and this cannot be allowed.

How far do bed bugs crawl for food?

Bed bugs feed at a limited distance from their nest. So if a two-room or three-room apartment is infested with bedbugs, then in each of the rooms where people sleep there may be a colony of bedbugs. Therefore, the bedbugs that feed on you at night are not the same ones that bother your family members in other rooms.

That is why the destruction of bedbugs must be carried out in the entire apartment and in each room, otherwise the family of bedbugs remaining untouched in the untreated room can again capture the entire apartment.

Each piece of furniture and room can have its own colony of bed bugs living there and biting people sleeping nearby..

How long can bed bugs live without food?

Under favorable conditions adult bed bugs can go without food for up to five months. This applies only to mature individuals. But the growing nymphs of bed bugs are much more dependent on food and, as we wrote above, they need constant food for growth and transition to the next stage of the life cycle. However, even they are able to survive a hunger strike. few weeks. The older bed bugs get, the longer they can go without food. Bed bugs die the fastest from starvation in the first and second stages of maturation out of five.

Interesting fact: The California University of Agriculture and Natural Resources claims that there have been cases where adult bed bugs lasted 400 days without food at low temperatures.

Destruction of bedbugs in the apartment

Bedbug poisoning with fog is the most efficient way quickly and efficiently destroy bedbugs in the apartment. This is achieved with the use of modern preparations and equipment for their effective spraying. Disinfection from bedbugs in the apartment produced by specialists of the SES service Control in each room, thereby achieving the maximum result - 100% extermination of bedbugs!

People who have not encountered bed bugs before sometimes confuse the bites left by those with other blood-sucking insects, most often with midges or mosquitoes, less often with fleas, and they can also sin on allergic rashes, therefore they are in no hurry to sound the alarm.

It's all about the painlessness of the moment of the bite and the night time of the bug attacks - this is the main secret of the thousand-year survival of their species, despite the long merciless struggle against them by humans.

Bedbugs, in addition to not being able to fly, also do not jump at all.
They move around the room, as well as throughout the building, only by crawling, climbing the victims in the same way.
Nature gave their body a flattened shape, and in addition provided them with a strong cover of chitin, so it is very difficult to crush the bloodsucker with your hands.
The speed of bedbug movement, when compared with many other insects, is relatively small - an adult, with an empty abdomen, a bloodsucker overcomes a distance of one and a half meters in a minute, with a full one - already a meter, a mobile nymph can overcome only a quarter of a meter.
The bugs go hunting closer to the morning, in the second half of the night, when the victim's sleep is the strongest, focusing on the human smell.

And in the morning, a person discovers fresh itchy wounds on the body, the origin of which is unknown to him, and begins to assume anything. But if you look at the photo of the bites that the bug leaves, you can find specific patterns that will help identify the bed bloodsucker.

The bugs recognize the victim by smell - those who have capillaries closer to the surface of the skin, they will attack more often and more intensely. Therefore, the owners of a thin layer of skin, especially children and women, are mainly susceptible to bedbug attacks - these are the ones who are most often bitten by bedbugs. If the bug family moved into the house recently and is counted by several individuals, then a single victim may be bitten - a child or a woman.

Note! It has been noted that smoking bugs are often ignored, biting those last - the smell of tobacco is repulsive for bloodsuckers.

In anticipation of the "feast", the bug carefully climbs the victim every few days, crawling freely under pajamas or a shirt - that's why they are perplexed if bedbugs bite through clothes. No, they bite directly on the body, while under clothing.

Tips to help distinguish bed bug bites (video):

Signs and features of bites

There are “evidence” against bloodsuckers that leave no doubt about the bedbug origin of painful traces found by victims in the morning. First of all, bedbugs are given out by traces of smeared blood left on the bed - tossing and turning in a dream, people often inadvertently crush a bloodsucker that has dug into the flesh.

Small traces of blood on the bed linen are the result of bedbug larvae crushed in a dream, since the nymphs do not have a hard chitinous cover and they are very vulnerable

Also, a number of features that are characteristic only of bed bloodsuckers will help to understand exactly how a person is bitten by bedbugs. This will remove the association with the bites of midges, mosquitoes, fleas, as well as with allergic rashes.

Such signs of the presence of bites left by bedbugs include:

Trail track;
painlessness;
swelling;
multiple attack;
off-season occurrence;
bites under clothing;
lack of attachment to the allergen.

Let's take a closer look at these features, except for the facts of bites under clothing - we have already considered their reasons.

track track

A bug bite gives out a trail with the head when there is a small distance between the wounds and the path of the bloodsucker is easily guessed.

This phenomenon is associated with the low power of the biological pump of the bug, compared with the size of the required portion - it is able to draw in the secreted blood from one hole until it pours out effortlessly. As soon as the bug needs more effort, it abandons the hole it has made and rushes to bite through the new one.

These features of bedbug attacks are explained by the composition of saliva in bedbugs.

The anesthetic component of saliva serves to lull a person's vigilance while the bloodsucker feeds on it - this is an important factor in the survivability of bedbugs, which does not allow them to be caught and immediately destroyed.

The blood-thinning component is designed to facilitate the process of bedbug saturation, but after the bedbug leaves the “feeding” place, blood will continue to seep under the skin and cause a swelling that resembles a tubercle with a bleeding center in the form of a dot.

Multiple attack and its off-season factor

These signs will help separate bedbug attacks from mosquito, midge and flea bites.

Bedbugs need food all year round, so their sorties in the early morning hours are not tied to the season, like flying bloodsuckers, given that they are always warm, satisfying and comfortable in a human home.

Not tied to an allergen

This feature will help eliminate an allergic rash - if the menu and way of life have not changed, but incomprehensible bites begin to appear, then the allergy has nothing to do with it.

Even if the very nature of the rash is too reminiscent of allergic rashes, and the influence of the allergen did not take place - look for bedbugs in the house!

How are bug bites treated?

For victims of bedbug attacks, the question arises - how to treat the bite in order to reduce itching and swelling, and further accelerate healing so that the rash that disfigures the body disappears faster.

Immediately, in the morning, when multiple fresh wounds are found, they should be treated with any antiseptic that you can find at hand - an alcohol solution, peroxide, iodine. This will help stop the continued bleeding and prevent germs from entering the wound.

Antihistamines, which are used for allergies, or menthol oil will help alleviate the itching flour - it will pleasantly cool and relieve the burning sensation.
Similarly, itching will be affected by baking soda, diluted with water to a slurry.
Ointments, gels, emulsions or creams will help speed up the healing process - Afloderm, Fluorocort, Lokoid, Latikort and others.

Note! Means based on corticosteroids will also help - ask the pharmacy for advice, they will definitely tell you the right one.

How to protect yourself from bed bug bites

Tips on what to do so that bedbugs do not bite at night relate to a set of measures, including applying repellents to the body, treating the home and further protecting it from the penetration of bedbugs.

Cologne with a pungent odor can serve as a deterrent to bedbugs if you wipe your entire body with it before going to bed. Esters of oils of clove, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary or tea tree, if applied dropwise not only to the body, but also to the legs of the bed, will prevent night attacks of bloodsuckers. Laid out around the bed, fresh grass of chamomile, calamus, tansy or wild rosemary will similarly scare away hungry bugs from a person sleeping there.

When using a pesticide, follow the steps for each item in the annotation.
Do not ignore the requirement for self-protection against chemical vapors.
There are also physical measures to eliminate bedbugs - exposure to steam, vacuuming and freezing for a long time in the room.

Hot steam treatment of upholstered furniture and clothes will help get rid of bed bugs, their larvae and even insect eggs.

To secure a separate room in a building where bedbugs settled in the neighborhood, simple measures will allow.

The grass laid out at the threshold and ventilation openings, plucked the day before, the same chamomile, calamus, tansy or wild rosemary will turn away bedbugs heading for a new territory.
The oil esters of the plants mentioned above (cloves, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary or tea tree), if a threshold, front door, ventilation holes, the back of furniture cabinets, sleeping places, objects hanging on the walls, are treated with a few drops, will scare away uninvited "aliens" not worse - the bugs are unlikely to want to settle there.

Remember! If the bug breeding ground is in the neighborhood, then the protective equipment will have to be updated regularly, otherwise the bugs will not fail to swoop in as soon as the repulsive properties weaken.

How dangerous are bed bug bites to a person?

To date, there is no reliable evidence of infection through a bug bite with any infection, but suspicions based on isolated facts exist.

Given that in a year of life, a single bug is able to try many victims, from which infected persons are not excluded, then the transmissible route of transmission of pathogens cannot be deleted. Moreover, rickettsia were found more than once in bedbug feces.