Bed bugs are one of the most disliked pests in homes because of the disruption and damages they can cause to a home. Most would complain experiencing recurring bed bug presence after a short while and substantial time, effort and investment is required to get rid of bed bugs effectively.
Bed bugs are becoming much more common in homes. They are easily spread by human integration and are distributed across the entire United States. You do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed if you or a loved one have these bugs. They are not a sign of an unclean home or a reflection of your character.
Bed bugs are a public health pest. While bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease, they do cause a variety of negative physical health, mental health and economic consequences. Some of these effects include: Allergic reactions to their bites, which can be severe.
“The bed bug is a stressor like many other stressors,” Perron says. “For people who are vulnerable, it may result in having a pathological fear of bedbugs or even delusions of parasitosis,” when a person falsely believes they are infested with bugs.
Bed bugs prefer blood groups that they are accustomed to. For example, if a bed bug grew up drinking A- blood, they may develop a slight preference towards A- blood. That being said, a bed bug will happily feed on any blood type it has access to, even if the preferred blood group is not available.
You might be relieved to know that bed bugs don't actually target certain individuals in a home. These bugs aren't picky about who they bite, so you can bet that they're feeding on everyone in your home. Even though you may be the only person who seems to have bites.
Reality: Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood and carbon dioxide. However, clutter offers more hiding spots. Myth: Bed bugs transmit diseases. Reality: There have been no cases or studies that indicate bed bugs transmit diseases between humans.
It's recommended to use lighter-colored sheets and bedding, not only because the bed bugs aren't as attracted to those colors, but also because it's easier to see the bed bugs if they're present.
Background: In some individuals, psychological sequelae resulting from bed bug biting events include nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance (to keep the bugs away), insomnia, anxiety, avoidance behaviors, and personal dysfunction. These symptoms are suggestive of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It might feel like the end of the world, but it's a highly solvable problem with a little patience and quick work. If you think you're facing a bed bug problem, step one is simple: Do not panic.
Key messages. Bedbugs are a relatively common pest across Australia. Bedbugs can be difficult to remove because their eggs are difficult to see, have a significant incubation period and can quickly infest new sites.
While unproven scientifically, it seems they may be more attracted to women than men for the purpose of feeding. Some scientists suggest it is because men are hairier and bed bugs cannot easily walk or feed on hairy skin. Smooth skin is easier for bed bugs to penetrate and bite.
The top three places where pest professionals report finding bed bugs are single-family homes (91 percent), apartments/condominiums (89 percent), and hotels/motels (68 percent).
Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home. Similarly, avoid taking your bedding from the location of the infestation to other rooms of your home.
And the fear of getting or giving bedbugs can lead to problems with relationships, activities, and work. Worry over bedbugs also causes insomnia and may result in actions more harmful than the bugs themselves, including the misuse of pesticides and wasteful spending on dubious detection and eradication measures.
The longer you delay addressing an infestation the greater the risk the infestation will spread throughout your home as well as to your work place or the homes of friends or family. Leaving bed bugs untreated will exacerbate the problem, as infestations do not die out on their own.
One of the frequently asked questions is: “when can I be sure the bed bugs are gone?” After three weeks of professional treatment, if you don't notice any signs of infestation like bites, live bugs, fecal matter or casts skins, then it is likely that the bed bug infestation has been controlled.
There are no specific blood types which bed bugs are attracted to, but there are instances where the pests will sometimes feed on one person in a bed and not the other. This could very well be an example of blood type playing a part in what bed bugs are attracted to.
Bed Bugs Are Attracted to Period Blood: MYTH
Bed bugs are no more attracted to a person on their period than anybody else.
FACT: Bed bug infestations have nothing to do with the cleanliness of the home or the people living there. While cleaning up excessive clutter and frequent vacuuming can prevent largescale infestations, the truth is that bed bugs don't discriminate.
Because bed bug bites affect everyone differently, some people may have no reaction and will not develop bite marks or any other visible signs of being bitten. Other people may be allergic to the bed bugs and can react adversely to the bites.
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.
A recent study on bed bugs provided evidence that bed bugs are attracted to certain colors when they seek harborage sites or when foraging for a blood meal. In general, beg bugs preferred red and black, rather than yellow, orange, green, lilac and violet.
If you're wondering where bed bugs come from, they have been associated with humans for more than 3,300 years and are found in virtually every place people tend to gather, including residences, hotels, schools, offices, retail stores and even public transportation.