How to Know if There’s a Bug in Your Bed

Posted by Alona in For the Ladies, Natural Remedies QuestionsMar 13th, 2011 | no responses

Waking up with itchy bites or rashes may mean you have bed bugs. Otherwise called cimicidae, bed bugs feed on humans and other warm-blooded animals – causing problems such as rashes, allergic symptoms and even psychological effects. To know whether or not you have bed bugs, pay close attention to the clues they leave behind.

Signs and Symptoms of the Bed Bug

Since any number of pests can cause allergic reactions or rashes, you have to know whether or not the bug in your bed is indeed a bed bug – rather than a problem with fleas, spiders or other pests. One thing you’ll want to take a look at is bed bug pictures. By knowing what bed bugs look like, you will be able to identify them and know for sure that’s what your problem is. However, since bed bugs are primarily nocturnal creatures, many people don’t ever even see them – or even feel their attacks. The clues they can leave behind include blood smears on the sheets, fecal matter and molts. They may also be recognized by their smell, described as almonds or over-ripe raspberries.

You May Not Even Know They’re There!

Although people can develop blisters or rashes from the bed bug bites, some people don’t even show a physical reaction at all. This means you may not even know you have them in your bed. Bed bug detection dogs are trained to find them, and attractant devices using heat and/or carbon dioxide may also be used. They can be repelled or killed with pesticides and removal of items in the home that contain the bugs and their nests – which may be beds, furniture, clothing or bedside items. Even if you get rid of the furniture or items that contain the bed bugs nests though, more bugs may be carried into your home by pets; other people carrying them unknowingly in their clothes, luggage or by bringing second-hand furniture into the home. A person’s life is much happier without the physical discomforts caused by an infestation of bed bugs, so keep your home and your life bed-bug free!