What are bedbugs?
Bedbugs are a type of insect that feed on human blood. Bedbugs bites are caused by two type species which are Cimex lectularies and Cimex hemipterus. Their size ranges between 1mm and 7mm.
What does bedbugs cause?
Bedbugs bites can cause skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. Besides, their bites may lead to skin changes ranging from invisible to small areas of redness to prominent blisters. Some individuals may feel tired or have a fever. Serious infestations and chronic attacks can cause anxiety, stress, and insomnia. A central spot of bleeding may also occur due to the release of anticoagulants in the bug’s saliva.
How to find out?
First, check rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed. Second, check dark spots which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Third, find the eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale-yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger. Forth, try to find the live bed bugs. Besides bed, bedbugs will also hide in the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains, in drawer joints, in electrical receptacles and appliances, under loose wall paper and wall hangings and even in the head of a screw.
Solution
Eliminating bed bugs from the home is often difficult, partly because bed bugs can survive up to a year without feeding. Repeated treatments of a home may be required. These treatments may include heating the room to 50 °C (122 °F) for more than 90 minutes, frequent vacuuming, washing clothing at high temperatures and the use of various pesticides.
Prevention
To prevent bringing home bed bugs, travellers are advised to take precautions after visiting an infested site: generally, these include checking shoes on leaving the site, changing clothes outside the house before entering, and putting the used clothes in a clothes dryer outside the house. When visiting a new lodging, it is advised to check the bed before taking suitcases into the sleeping area, and putting the suitcase on a raised stand to make bedbugs less likely to crawl in. Then, never to sit down on public transport; check office chairs, plane seats, hotel mattresses and vacuum home beds once a month.
