Bed bugs are one of those pests that do very little harm at home. Although they can be unsightly and are a menace, they do not transmit diseases or destroy structures.
But even though they’re not as harmful as rodents, mosquitoes and flies, bed bugs still threaten your health and beddings. If not addressed, they may cause a significant impact on your lifestyle over time, and it becomes advisable to exterminate them as soon as you can.
But before going into the threats bed bugs pose, let’s understand a few things about this little ancient creature.
A brief look into the life of a bed bug
Interestingly, bed bugs have existed for around as long as humans. Bed bugs are essentially human parasites: although they depend on us for their sustenance, they do not impact life-threatening diseases. They do not transmit anything that can compromise their food source (humans).
But how do they get into your home?
Bed bugs don’t usually travel long distances searching for food as rodents and mosquitoes do. Instead, they are carried from one place to another in luggage, furniture, purses, clothes, etc.
So, if you’ve been in a bedbug-infested area, you may carry one or two back home with you. The bugs may then multiply the longer they go undetected or uncontrolled.
Bed bugs get their nutrition by biting your skin and sucking your blood. This they do in the middle of the night when they’re most active.
Although they do not transmit diseases, below are issues you face when bed bugs get into your home.
Allergic reaction
Bed bugs can also trigger allergic reactions in people with allergies. So if any member of your family is allergic, it’s great to do extermination as soon as possible.
Indeed, an allergic reaction is typically the worst health risk you can suffer from a bed bug bite. Someone highly sensitive to insect bites may suffer anaphylactic shock. The condition is characterized by tightness in the chest, swollen lips, wheezing, and an itchy tongue. This may sometimes require immediate medical attention.
Infection from scratches
Bed bug bites can be pretty itchy. It becomes difficult to resist the urge to scratch the area until the itch goes away. You may also unconsciously scratch at night when they feed on you. The desperate scratching may lead to open wounds in your skin.
These open wounds caused by scratching are nothing to worry about, but it becomes a big deal when bacteria and germs get lodged in there, leading to infection. You may get skin infections from this chain of events, including boils, cellulitis, and Impetigo. Redness and soft bumps around the area are just a few symptoms of bacterial infection from bed bugs.
Note: If you often wake up with a strong desire to scratch certain spots in your body, or you often find scratches and open wounds, you may have a bed bug infestation.
Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation is one issue you suffer when your home gets infested by bed bugs. Although some people can sleep through the night without feeling a thing, some people are pretty sensitive to the bites.
Even the thought of them crawling over your body may rob you of sleep or force you to lie on the couch through the night.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep can impair your productivity and mood throughout the day.
Damage to your beddings and furniture
Red markings in your beddings and pillowcases are a warning sign that your home is bed bug-infested. Those marks are often bloodstains, probably after the bug has bitten and drawn blood from your skin.
Some of these stains are bed bug excrement, and you’ll find some on the walls.
These stains can hurt the beauty of your room, especially when you use white beddings.
Stress
The stress of washing stained beddings every day, losing sleep, and treating itchy skin can quickly take a toll on you. Even worse is the fact that bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs and can spread pretty fast. So if you’re already asking where can I get professional bed bug pest control near me, you’re on the right track. Exterminating this menace, no matter how harmless it might seem, is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your home at this point.
Wrapping up
We are often compelled to ignore pests when life gets busy. We say, “That tiny little insect can’t do so much harm now, could it?” But their effects can be pretty significant in the long run. So if your home has been infested, get pest control done ASAP for your peace of mind.
