Bed Bugs and Disease

Bed Bugs and Disease

Bed bugs, belonging to the Cimicidaefamily, are blood sucking insects that are primarily nocturnal. Unlike mosquitoes which only depend on human blood to reproduce, bed bugs actually feed on human blood. This blood feeding habit of theirs raises a lot of concern as to whether they transmit diseases or not.

While some people – even medical professionals – posit that bed bugs are carriers of diseases like Q-fever, brucellosis, and leprosy, the truth of the matter is that bed bugs do not transmit diseases. They only feed to quench their hunger, and there is nothing more to it.

However, their bites – depending on the skin type of the victim – causes irritation which could be mild or severe. Also, their bites make the skin itchy and sore which if not properly disinfected could lead to skin infection. Children, the elderly, and those with weak immune system are more prone to their secondary infection caused by bites of bed bugs. This does not mean that a healthy adult is completely immune to bed bug bites. Medically, it’s been proven that an adult – no matter how healthy such a person might be – will very likely suffer a secondary infection in the event of multiple bites.

Typically, an allergic reaction accompanies bed bug bite. Sleep deprivation and stress are the commonest. Other allergic reactions include swellings on the skin, blisters and, in extreme cases, wheals. Even when these blisters and wheals heal, a scar is left on the skin, and it usually takes a long period of time for the scars to fade.

Should you experience bumps and itchiness on your skin, the first line of defence is to seek medical consultation. Resorting to self-medication is counterintuitive as other blood sucking insects cause the same allergic reaction as bed bugs. A physician is in the best position to tell if bed bugs are responsible for the allergic reaction you are experiencing.

Treating Bed bug infestation

While it’s true that bed bugs do not pose any serious medical threat, having them around can be embarrassing. But you can fight back. Why leave your home at their mercy? Below are some of the non-destructive ways of treating bed bug infestation.

• Use of Spray:There different brands of specially formulated insecticides that work against bed bugs. Since bed bugs are stubborn and can withstand the harshest of chemicals, be prepared to apply the spray severally and frequently. This of cost money. As a note of caution, don’t use bed bug spray if you have got kids and pets at home.
• Covering furniture in Vinyl:Bed bugs find items covered in vinyl difficult to climb and move on. Use this weakness against them by covering couch, upholstery and, if possible, bed in vinyl.
• Heat treatment:Bed bugs barely survive extremely high temperatures. This makes it easy for hot steam to be used for treating bed bug infestation. However, the use of steam isn’t that straight forward – you might end up burning up your furniture without any meaningful result. As such, it’s best to call in an expert experienced enough to get the job done.
• Nature Mace’s Bed Bug Killer:Made with natural ingredients, Nature Mace Bed Bug killer is a non-toxic powder that is effective against bed bugs.