Bed Bugs Itch
Bed Bug Itch
Author: Jess Ba-ad
Many homes are infested with these wingless insects that have been a cause for stress and insomnia to some people. Bed bugs suck blood from the skin and the resulting itch can last for several hours, other times it could last for several days.
The scientific name of these bed bugs is Cimex lectularius.
The color of bed bugs
Hatchlings are almost transparent and slowly turns to burnt orange upon maturity. Every time it undergoes moulting, its color turns darker.
The shape of bed bugs
Viewed from the top, these insects take the form of an oval shape. When viewed from the side, these bed bugs are very flat making it very convenient for them to hide in small cracks and crevices.
The size of bed bugs
Some people think that these bugs are so small that they are hard to see. Adults can reach up to 1/4 of an inch, that's very visible.
The bite of bed bugs
Bed bugs pierce the skin with two hollow tubes. One tube injects its saliva the purpose of which is to anesthesize the bite area and prevent the blood from clotting. The other one obviously sucks blood.
When does the itching start?
No itching can be felt when a bed bug bites you. The moment the sensation of itching is felt, the bed bug is long gone.
How long does the itching last from a bed bug bite?
The itching can last from several hours to a few days. The bitten area produces a welt and no red spot in the center is visible unlike the one produced by a flee bite. The welt does not disappear can last for a few weeks unlike a mosquito bite.
The bite area can lead to infections from constant scratching because of the itch and may leave scars. Bed bugs however are not known to carry disease.
How can you control bed bug infestation?
If you itch in the middle of the night or at dawn, the time when bed bugs are most active, there are probably bed bugs in your house.
The first thing you have to do is find a live crawling one. Bed bugs live and nest in dark areas where humans usually sleep or sit such as beds or sofas. Check your bed mattress, box springs and bed frames.
If you find a live bed bug, have an entomologist identify it to be sure it's a bed bug. Don't rush to applying insecticide because survivors can develop immunity to the specific insecticide you are using and can pass the immunity to its offspring, making future extermination difficult.
Contact your pest control agent and discuss a plan on how to exterminate the infestation. For the extermination to be effective, you have to do your share such as scrubbing or applying a vacuum cleaner to the otherwise inaccessible areas of the bed.
Bed bugs may not only be found in bed mattresses but also in cracks in the walls, areas in the roof where birds may nest(birds and poultry are also hosts for bed bugs), areas in the wall where pipes or wires pass...all these must be taken in consideration when you plan to exterminate bed bugs from your house.
Itching can really disturb our needed sleep. Our body does most of its repair(physical, mental, emotional) during a sleep in the night. Sleep disturbances such as those caused by bed bug stings can deprive us of a healthful sleep which can lead to insomnia, stress or anxiety. To get rid of this 'itch' disturbance is a real necessity for a healthful life.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/bed-bug-itch-515505.html
About the Author
Have a restful sleep with air bed mattresses. Do you know why we need quality sleep?. Also check out how to handle fear and anxiety to get a better sleep.
February 4, 2012
8:10 pm
Possibly aphids. Check your houseplants, fruit laying around. You’ll have to get a pestide spray to get rid of them from your plants, or just pitch the plants. They multiply like crazy.
February 4, 2012
8:10 pm
It sounds like it could be anything from scabies to chiggers , fleas, mosquitos or an allergic reaction. It would be good to get a diagnosis. Scabies are invisible to the eye but you should be able to see chiggers.
Meditator
Common Skin Rashes
http://www.itchyskinrash.net
February 4, 2012
8:10 pm
Lavender Essential Oil–Five Drops to the bath. Dead Sea Salts or Epson Salts or a combination of them both. Provided these are not open bites, wounds, or sores, try putting rubbing alcohol on the skin directly followed by table salt. You could also buy calendula cream at a health food store. That might help. If none of these things work, take Zantac internally. I know it is usually prescribed for an acid stomach but it also works directly on the inflammation response that causes these bites to swell or inflame. If this doesn’t work, go to your doctor, and ask for a prescription of prednisolone. This is an immunosuppresant that will stop your body from responding in an inflamed itching manner.
February 4, 2012
8:10 pm
Not ever experiencing bed bugs, I have hear that they do itch intensely and will leave little bids and irritations on your skin.
April 7, 2008
7:56 pm
very small white mites or bugs in my home . not bed bugs, no itch what they are and how to get ride of them?
September 3, 2008
11:24 am
Does anyone have tips for stopping the itch from 50+ insect bites? (Chiggers or bed bugs, not sure which)?
I got attacked while visiting friends in Missouri, and have over small red bites all over my body. Anyone have a good idea for something to add to bath water maybe that could help? I tried benedryl cream which works for about an hour and then it’s right back to trying not to itch. Darn bugs.
May 21, 2009
6:15 am
help!! My son & I r getting ate up with bug bites & it’s not bed bugs,it itch & leave a rash.anyone know?
No one else in the is getting bit and my house is very clean and have tried just about every thing.
August 5, 2009
11:18 pm
OMG! was it bed bugs recluse itch bugs?!?!!? wtf r these????????????????
ok so my friend and i slept in my basement last nite. and my arm kept feeling funny like pins and needly. but 2day during track and these is wat my arm looked like
http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/images/bedbugs/bed%20bug%20bites.jpg
i jst found this online idk wat it is but thts wat my arm looked like and my friends back looked liek this
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/02/bb/c2/bed-bug-bites-scabies.jpg
and my mind keeps going back 2 bed bugs but it has been randomly spreading so now im covered in stuff tht looks like this:
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/1091509.html
and also they burn and itch terribly we r in paine please help and they started showng up wen we were running
and also my hand is swollen and feels likeits on fire
April 7, 2010
2:41 pm
Do Bed Bugs Itch A Lot?
Do Bed Bugs Itch A Lot?
everday i try to sleep on my bed i have to itch like crazy!!!!!! could it be bed bugs