If you have been bitten during the night by an insect, you might have a bed bug infestation. This article will go over how you can tell whether it is bed bugs or something else like a mosquito, and how to treat the bites. We will also explain how to deal with an infestation, although for the best results it's best to go to pest control experts for that.
How to Identify Bed Bug Bites
It is actually quite tricky to identify bites made by bed bugs rather than anything else, such as a mosquito. They look very similar so it's a good idea to either look on the internet for examples of bites made by bedbugs as opposed to mosquitoes, or else ask somebody who is knowledgeable.
However there are a couple of things that you can look for. One is that you have lots of bites all over you, as mosquitoes don't tend to do that. They also do not tend to give you three bites close together, so these will both be indications that you have a bed bug infestation.
You can also sometimes tell the difference between a bed bug bite and a mosquito bite by the length of time that it is irritating for. If it's not for very long but it starts straight away, that's probably a mosquito bite. On the other hand if it's irritating for a long time but you don't notice it at first, that's probably a bed bug.
Hot to Treat a Bed Bug Bite
When bed bugs bite they inject a numbing agent at the same time so that you don't recognise what is happening. This won't wear off for a few hours so it could be late morning before you actually notice that you have been bitten, by it starting to itch.
When you do notice the bite though, as it starts to itch, the thing to do first is run it under some water. That is going to accomplish a couple of things. For one, it will mean that the itchiness is not going to be as severe. For another, it means that any dirt that has got in the wound will be cleaned away.
After that it's a good idea to put some soothing lotion on to it. So that could be something like calamine lotion, which should help with the itchiness. If you are having a very bad reaction then you should take some antihistamine and if it's very severe go to the doctor. Some people are allergic so you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have a bad reaction.
Hot to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you are going to avoid being bitten in the future though you are going to have to make sure that you get rid of the infestation. To do this, the best thing to do is to ask for help from pest control experts. However it's also something that you can attempt to do on your own if you prefer.
Bedbugs are excellent hiders so the only way that you are going to get them all is by cleaning your room with a very thorough regime. The aim is to squash them all with a cloth, and the way you do that is by getting to all of the very tiny gaps you have all around your room.
Focusing on the bed is not going to be sufficient to get rid of the infestation entirely. You'll have to clean the entire room. Having said that though, special attention should be given to the bed. So the mattress, for example, should be steam cleaned. Also, before cleaning the bed frame you should take it apart so that you don't miss any little gap in a joint.
You're also bound to come across some little spaces which you simply can't clean with a cloth. Instead of just ignoring those though, as they are likely hiding places for bedbugs, instead you should sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth in there. That's an insecticide powder which should kill any in there.
How to Identify Bed Bug Bites
It is actually quite tricky to identify bites made by bed bugs rather than anything else, such as a mosquito. They look very similar so it's a good idea to either look on the internet for examples of bites made by bedbugs as opposed to mosquitoes, or else ask somebody who is knowledgeable.
However there are a couple of things that you can look for. One is that you have lots of bites all over you, as mosquitoes don't tend to do that. They also do not tend to give you three bites close together, so these will both be indications that you have a bed bug infestation.
You can also sometimes tell the difference between a bed bug bite and a mosquito bite by the length of time that it is irritating for. If it's not for very long but it starts straight away, that's probably a mosquito bite. On the other hand if it's irritating for a long time but you don't notice it at first, that's probably a bed bug.
Hot to Treat a Bed Bug Bite
When bed bugs bite they inject a numbing agent at the same time so that you don't recognise what is happening. This won't wear off for a few hours so it could be late morning before you actually notice that you have been bitten, by it starting to itch.
When you do notice the bite though, as it starts to itch, the thing to do first is run it under some water. That is going to accomplish a couple of things. For one, it will mean that the itchiness is not going to be as severe. For another, it means that any dirt that has got in the wound will be cleaned away.
After that it's a good idea to put some soothing lotion on to it. So that could be something like calamine lotion, which should help with the itchiness. If you are having a very bad reaction then you should take some antihistamine and if it's very severe go to the doctor. Some people are allergic so you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have a bad reaction.
Hot to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you are going to avoid being bitten in the future though you are going to have to make sure that you get rid of the infestation. To do this, the best thing to do is to ask for help from pest control experts. However it's also something that you can attempt to do on your own if you prefer.
Bedbugs are excellent hiders so the only way that you are going to get them all is by cleaning your room with a very thorough regime. The aim is to squash them all with a cloth, and the way you do that is by getting to all of the very tiny gaps you have all around your room.
Focusing on the bed is not going to be sufficient to get rid of the infestation entirely. You'll have to clean the entire room. Having said that though, special attention should be given to the bed. So the mattress, for example, should be steam cleaned. Also, before cleaning the bed frame you should take it apart so that you don't miss any little gap in a joint.
You're also bound to come across some little spaces which you simply can't clean with a cloth. Instead of just ignoring those though, as they are likely hiding places for bedbugs, instead you should sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth in there. That's an insecticide powder which should kill any in there.
About the Author:
Find out more about bed bugs treatmenttechniques from author Harry Brick at bed bugs treatment.
