Bed bugs refer to parasitic insects from the cimicid family. With blood as their food, their victims are animals and humans. While they do not fly, they just move fast on walls, ceilings, and floors and they hide in bed frames, headboards, mattresses, and box springs. The following are the causes, signs and symptoms, and home remedies for bed bugs.
Causes
According to EMedicine Health, bedbugs can be found in tropical and temperate climates globally and they hide in the crevices and seams of box springs, headboards, mattresses, and bed frames. As per the publication, they can be transferred from one place to another through furniture, luggage, clothing, and used mattresses. Overall, lack of hygiene in terms of these furniture or articles stands as the root causes of bed bug survival.
Signs and Symptoms
As an insect bite, bed bug bite presents a number of symptoms. According to Web MD, the initial sign of bed bugs include redness and itchy skin bites. As per the publication, the usual areas of affectation include the arms and the shoulders. Also, bedbugs usually leave straight bite rows, which differ from other insects, which bite anywhere in the skin. While they do not spread disease, unlike mosquitoes, bed bug bites are so itchy that the person may scratch it. Scratching the area may lead to breaks in the skin, making the person prone to infection. In some cases, the bites lead to an allergic response.
Home Remedies
While medications can be given to manage itching, swelling, and pain on the bug bite area, home remedies can be done to manage the condition.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is an agent that helps get rid of bed bugs. According to Oh Simply, bed bugs seem to hate the taste and smell of the oil, so they just go away. Along with eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and peppermint, lavender oil in its concentrated form can be added across bed frame corners to let its strong scent last for a few days. Along with its appealing smell, it also destroys bed bugs and their eggs.
Tea Tree Oil
Another remedy for bed bugs is an insecticide spray derived from tea tree oil. As per Healthy and Natural World, tea tree oil has insecticidal properties that make it shine as a natural treatment that eliminates bed bug infestation. To prepare, as per the publication, the person puts 20 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle filled with water and then shakes it well. Then, the insecticide is sprayed in areas where the bed bugs may be living. The oil spray can be used until the signs of bed bugs have fully vanished.
Reduce Clutter
Cleaning the house and throwing away unneeded things help in the management of bed bugs. According to Do Your Own Pest Control, all personal things like electronics, blankets, soft toys, and stuffed animals should be organized. Then, items that may transfer bed bugs from one area to another should be placed in a plastic bag. Garments and bed linen should be laundered in hot water (about 120 degrees Fahrenheit). As an alternative, the garments or linen can be put in a clothes dryer for several minutes.
Bedbugs feed on animal and human blood and they travel in places at home, which include the floors, ceilings, and walls. Their bite brings discomfort to a person, which may affect the person’s activities of daily living, such as school or work. Thus, it is best to check the household furniture and consider medical consult for assessment, planning, intervention, education, and evaluation.
