Category Archives: Bed Bug Cream

Do bed bugs bite?

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Dont let We all know whats coming, but I think that most of us, as we grew up, thought that the rhyme was just a cute childrens tale. Personally, we were very disappointed to learn that its true. If you have time, feel free to read our article on what are bed bugs. As briefly as possible, bed bugs do exist and they do bite. Keep reading for more information on bed bug bites.

cc hiyori13There is no question that were asked more often than What do Bed Bug Bites Look Like? Unfortunately, this is a very hard question to answer, as the appearance of bed bug bites can vary from person to person. On some people, it may look like a rash. On others, raised bumps. And on the very lucky few (approximately 20% of the population), there will be no reaction at all. Whats more, even if there are visible signs of bed bug bites, they dont always have to itch they may be painful instead.

The most common appearances of bed bug bites is the breakfast, lunch, dinner bite. This is the name commonly given to a row of 3 raised bumps, typically on your arm or leg, but in some cases on your torso. The bites are usually in a row of three (sometimes just 2) because the bed bug literally dined on you 3 times. This is often the case because people tend to move while sleeping, and by moving, the bed bugs feeding is disturbed and must resume in a nearby location. Another visible tell-tale sign of a bed bug bite is that the bump will often have two puncture marks. Bed bugs are supposed to make 2 punctures when they bite you: one to inject you with a numbing agent so you dont feel them sucking up your blood and one to suck up your blood through. However, the 2 puncture marks will not be visible on everyone.

As you may have inferred, there are more common and less common types of bed bug bites, but there really is no typical bite. If you really think you might have bed bugs, head over to our bed bugs signs page and use some of the methods described in order to figure out if you have a problem.

Note most people that think they have bed bug bites end up discovering it was from another insect or else an allergic reaction to something.

For some people, the bites can appear immediately and start itching. But for others, it can take up to 9 days before appearances of the bites are noticed. So, unfortunately, that leads to a lot of mistakes about where the bites came from. People who have been traveling for several weeks may blame one hotel for the bed bugs when they actually came from a hotel stay several days ago.

Unfortunately, the best indicator of whether you actually have been bitten by a bed bug is seeing the bed bugs.

As I explain below, bed bug bites are not dangerous, but if you think you got them at home, then you must take measures to ensure you dont have a bed bug infestation.

Here are a few steps you should take immediately at home:

Check your mattress for any signs of bed bugs this can be seeing bed bugs themselves or seeing reddish-black spots that they leave.

Use very hot water to wash your sheets carefully.

One of the hardest things is to actually determine whether you have bed bugs this is especially difficult at the beginning of an infestation. A bed bug catcher device can help with this.

If youre at a hotel and suspect you have bed bugs in your room, then do the following:

You really dont want bed bugs to infest your stuff, so move it away from the bed where the bed bugs are usually located. If theres a dry bath tub, then place your luggage in that. If not, then place it on bathroom tiles.

Again, just carefully lift up the sheets and check the mattress for signs of bed bugs for a larger infestation, you may see creamy eggs (1mm long) laid by bed bugs in the corners of the mattress. Check the seams and under the edge of the mattress for dark or red spots that are signs of defecation by the bugs.

If you see any signs of bed bugs, call down to reception and ask if you can change rooms. Check the new room before you move your belongings.

To prevent bed bugs coming back into your home with you from your trip, place your luggage into a plastic bag and carefully remove the clothes and wash them in hot water. Also dry them in a hot dryer as the high temperatures can kill bed bugs. If your luggage has hard covers, then wipe them down with rubbing alcohol to remove any eggs. For seams, you might want to spray them with some rubbing alcohol. Placing your suitcase into a large freezer for 1 week is another way of ensuring you kill any bed bugs or their eggs that might be on it.

No one wants to have to throw away our stuff. But sometimes it may be the best course of action especially if you cant clean it or if you know they are definitely infested. It may often be cheaper in the long run and mentally less stressful just to throw items away. When youre throwing items away, make sure to carefully mark them as being infested by bed bugs so that unsuspecting passer-bys dont pick them up.

We hope you dont get bed bugs, but if you do have them then definitely take the infestation seriously. Take immediate measures to kill bed bugs see the section below for more on that.

Although bed bug bites are disgusting and most certainly annoying, they are generally not dangerous. Bed bugs, unlike some insects such as mosquitos, are not known to transmit any diseases. However, a very small percentage of the population is seriously allergic to their numbing agent. In those very few people, anaphylaxis can result, which is potentially life-threatening. Read our bed bug allergy post to learn more.

For most people the only real danger of bed bug bites arises when you start itching them. Continuous scratching can cause blisters and possibly infections. Therefore, if you do have itchy bed bug bites, you should treat them early to prevent any future complications.

Bed bug bites can be treated in many ways. Over the counter medications, such as hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion, can ease the itching. If you prefer home remedies, then try applying a paste made from baking soda and water on the bites after washing the bites with soap and water. Leave the paste on until its completely dry before washing it off. Check out our post on bed bug bites treatment for more information.

In the end, if you have bed bug bites, then the question youll really start asking yourself is how can I get rid of the bed bugs that bite me all the time? Weve got a whole page on how to get rid of bed bugs that I strongly encourage you to read. Above all else, pay attention to the beginning and end of that article, from which you should take away 2 primary points:

Getting rid of bed bugs is not a cheap procedure. It can be very time and labor intensive to do all the cleaning thats involved. The dry steamer is also not cheap around $300 for the Vapamore system that we recommend. However, it is much better to spend the money, time, and energy at the beginning of an infestation and to get rid of bed bugs properly because itll save you way more hassle and money down the road. If your infestation grows, then you may have to call in a professional to deal with it, and thatll cost you way more money!

You can read a lot of other sites on the web, but if all they seem to be doing is selling you a spray or telling you that you can get rid of bed bugs simply by vacuuming and washing all your stuff, then theyre duping you. (You should definitely use vacuuming and washing as part of your strategy, but theyre NEVER enough).

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Bed Bug Bites - Kill All Bed Bugs

Are you waking up in the morning or in the middle of the night with red and itchy welts on your skin?

Are you concerned that you may have dust mites or even worse, bed bugs? This article will help you get to the bottom of whats causing your problem, and help you figure out if you have Dust Mite Bites, Bed Bug Bites or maybe even something else.

Dust Mite

There is a common myth on the internet that dust mites bite. Well ease your concerns somewhat, as dust mites (also called bed mites) are harmful, but they dont bite.

Dust mites and bed bugs really have very little in common, other than the fact they can both live in your bed or home and both can cause health problems.

Lets compare the differences in dust mites and bed bugs:

If you are waking up in the morning, with itchy red welts on your skin, they are not being caused by dust mites, however, you may have bed bugs bites.

Bites can also be caused by many other things, including allergic reactions, and bites from other insects such as parasitic mites.

Top signs of bed bug bites include:

Get more information on our bed bug bites guide. You can also read more about how to tell if you have bed bugs, as bite marks are just one of the key signs of bed bugs.

Remember, there are no dust mite bites, dust mites DO NOT bite, so the symptoms of dust mites are very different than those of bed bugs and other biting insects.

There are more than 48,000 cataloged species of mites, dust mites being just one of those. A very small number of these mites are parasitic to humans and leave bite marks.

Since the majority of homes around the world have dust mites, there is very little you can do to control the mites themselves. You can, however, treat the symptoms, which are:

Many confuse a dust mite rash, with being bitten by dust mites. Again, dust mites do not bite but the allergic reaction they can cause can cause a rash if the reaction is severe. Treatment of the rash, and the allergic reaction that is causing it is best left to aphysician. Bed bugs, on the other hand, can form a bed bug rash, depending on how allergic the person is to their saliva.

Treatment for bed bug bites is basically the treatment of the symptoms themselves, as the bugs will be long gone by the time your bite marks show up the next morning. See, bed bugs are a bit sneaky. They have a numbing agent in their saliva, that keeps most people from feeling the bite when its occurring. Ironically that same numbing agent is what causes the inflammation and swelling later where the bite occurred.

Treatment of bed bug bites usually just involves washing and drying the area, then treating the itching and swelling with an anti-itch cream such as Cortaid or Benedryl cream. Normally bed bug bites go away on their own within a week or so unless you get new bites, which unfortunately is very common when you have a bed bug infestation. Also, people that are highly allergic, can take longer, up to 6 weeks.

Treating the symptoms with bed bugs is not the solution, you have to kill the bed bugs themselves, which can be tough, and often a drawn-out process. Fortunately, we provide lots of options and information on bed bug treatment.

Dust mites are different. Dust mites are nearly impossible to get rid of and reside in almost every single home in the world. Treatment for symptoms of Dust mites involves seeing your doctor to get treatment for allergies, as dust mite skin and fecal matter causes allergic reasons in some. Treatment of the dust mites themselves is virtually impossible, but minimizing dust and clutter can bring down their population in your home.

Prevention of dust mites is impossible. Regardless of how clean and tidy you keep your home, you will have dust mites. What you can control though is the amount of them. This is done through minimizing dust in your home. Some tips for minimizing dust include:

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Dust Mite Bites or Bed Bug Bites? - Bed Bug Treatment Site

SINGAPORE - Low-cost carrier Scoot and cinemachain Golden Village are under the microscope, after their customers complained of being bitten by bed bugs last week.

Scoot passenger Jiamin Han noticed bites on her arms and backfollowingflights from Singapore to Hong Kong and back, while cinema patron Debra Low complained about the bugs at two of Golden Village's cinemas.

Scoot has since apologised to Ms Han and said it is investigating the alleged incident, adding that it regularly cleans and disinfects its seats.

Golden Village, meanwhile, said it had blocked off the affected seats once it received Ms Low's feedback. The company also shared that it hires a pest control unit that conducts monthly inspections for all its cinemas.

The problem of the blood-sucking critters has emerged in recent years, with website BedBug Central reporting that populations have multiplied since the 1990s.

They can now be found in almost every country and region. Here are some things to know about them.

They are parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood. They come out of their hiding places at night and feed on the exposed skin of the host, usually without the person's knowledge.

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, up to 5mm long, and can survive up to a year without feeding.

The parasites thrive in places with a frequent turnover of people, such as hotel rooms, airplanes and taxis.

International travel has often been cited as a contributor to the rise of bed bugs.

Red, itchy bites that have the appearance of flat, red welts in zigzag lines or small clusters.

Facebook user Jiamin Han lodged a complaint with Scoot after she was allegedly bitten by bed bugs while on a Singapore-Hong Kong flight PHOTO: FACEBOOK/JIAMIN HAN

Do not scratch the bites as this may lead to blisters or skin infections. Instead, wash and treat them with an anti-itch cream or apply calamine lotion. Then seek a doctor's advice.

If not scratched, the areas bitten may heal in a week or two.

When planning where to stay, check for recent complaints of hotel infestations on BedbugRegistry.com or Bedbugger.com

Check reviews before booking a hotel room as guests who have encountered bed bugs are likely to mention this in their hotel review.

Dogs can be trained to sniff out bed bugs. PHOTO: AFP

When inspecting a room, check the surface of the mattress and under the blankets, especially in the corners, mattress seams and around the headboard. Pay particular attention to cracks, crevices, seams and folds.

Look for dried blackish spots, skin sheddings and even live bugs. Use a torch or the light from your smartphone to help you spot them more easily.

If you want to be extra careful, use a hairdryer and run it across the surfaces you are inspecting. The heat should send any bed bugs scurrying out.

When inspecting the room, place your luggage in the bathtub. Bed bugs generally do not like smooth, hard surfaces as they are difficult to hide in.

When packing or unpacking your luggage, place it on the luggage rack away from walls, the bed or the couch - places where bedbugs commonly reside. But before doing this, check that there are no bed bugs on the luggage rack.

Pack your dirty clothes in sealable bags if you think you have been in bed bug-infested quarters.

Destroy any bugs or eggs in your luggage. Place them on the hard surface floor and not on the sofa or bed.

Wash dirty clothes in warm or hot water, then dry them in a dryer on a hot setting. This is sufficient to kill bed bugs in clothing or linens.

Then, sun your bags under direct sunlight for at least 30 minutes.

If the infestation is localised, cleaning the area with a vacuum cleaner that produces hot steam is enough. But if the whole house is affected, it is advisable to engage a pest control company.

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Beware of bed bugs: 7 things to know about the blood-sucking critters - The Straits Times

Question: Our neighborhood is suffering from a terrible infestation of bed bugs. We havent been hit - at least not yet - but many of our neighbors have. How can we protect our home against them? What can we do if we suffer an attack, too?

Answer: Those pesky six-legged, reddish-brown insects can be found in everything from mattresses and other bedding to clothes and couches. But contrary to popular belief, the federal Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) states that they dont feed on cotton stuffing; they get their nourishment by sucking blood from humans and animals, usually at night. Then, the bed bugs nest inside various items throughout the house during daylight hours.

One way to help keep bed bugs at bay is to cover your bedroom pillows, mattress and box spring with store-bought plastic covers or similar protective wrappings. Such covers arent always comfortable if youre old enough, you might remember them on your mothers or grandmothers furniture - but they can contain an outbreak or even prevent one.

Cut clutter in your home in order to reduce hiding and breeding places, and vacuum frequently.

A key sign that you may have a bed bug infestation is that you get reddish-brown, small spots on your arms and other extremities that can cause itchy, irritating welts that prompt excessive scratching and can keep you up at night, the CDC says.

Simply throwing your bedding and clothes in a normal washing-machine cycle wont kill em, the CDC adds. Washing and then drying them at high heat, though, often will. So can dry-cleaning the infested items.

Some big-box stores sell bed bug extermination kits to do-it-yourselfers for as little as $20 or $30. Expect to pay $500 to $1,500 if you want a professional to do the work for you, according to Angies List (www.angieslist.com), a company that helps consumers link up with exterminators and other contractors in their area.

The best news: The CDC says that bed bugs dont spread influenza or other infectious diseases to humans. Their biggest risk is that a bite can trigger frequent scratching, which can then cause a skin infection.

Most such ailments can quickly be cured with a single antibiotic shot or a few applications of topical cream.

Question: What is a net lease?

Answer: Its a lease that requires a tenant to pay not only the agreed-upon rent, but to also pay some or all related expenses, such as utilities, insurance, maintenance or even property taxes.

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Homeowners dealing with record highs in bed bug infestations - Palm Beach Post

Hi, Im heather and Im showing you my bed bug infestation so that should you end up in the same situation, you may be able to avoid the run-around I received and get to the root of the problem.

At first we thought I was getting bitten by a spider over and over, but after the first visit to the doctors (and ruling out spider) I started taking pictures. The first picture of my shoulder is how I attempted to rule out bedbugs. Because I thought they could not bite through clothes or would not travel that far to bite me.

The back shots below are bites that progressed in intensity over an 8 day period. The 2nd day of the back (what I thought was a ) rash I went back to the doctor who ordered a whole bloodwork up which included testing for thyroid issues, white blood count, food allergies and a few other things. When it came back normal she sent me to an allergist. I told him each day I get up and it hurts so bad I cry. But as the day goes on it feels a little better but then at night its awful (turns out they were just chomping on me again and again every night). Anyways, the allergist gave me a steroid cream that did nothing.

2 days later Im back at the allergist with a few choice words. Im diagnosed with contact dermatotis. I get an antihistamine and a different cream. And that i need to take an allergy test for materials and metals that will cost about $800. My husband decides Im allergic to the new mattress cover and he tossed it. Within days its better. And in a week its gone.

Unfortunately, the welts on my arms, the ones I originally thought were spider bites are back. Im annoyed thinking there must be a nest somewhere. Well today I put my son down for a nap, I come to check on him and bedbugs are crawling all over my poor baby!! Now there is no question we have a bed bug infestation.

At first I thought they were ticks and I strip him down and toss him in the bath and search his whole body and hair for the devils. But after further research of his bed I captured some and yep, bedbugs!

Im hiring an exterminator and its gonna cost $1,400 to get rid of them and a whole month of treatment!

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Bed Bug Infestation: Story of bedbugs attacking baby