About the same size and shape as an apple seed, these oval brown bugs are known for causing itchy bumps on your skin.
Bed bugs can’t jump or fly, yet they somehow manage to find a way inside your house! Read on to find out how.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs?
Are you wondering where bed bugs come from? Well, if you think that a bad unkempt household is the only reason for a bed bug infestation, you’re wrong!
These tiny pests are one of the best hitchhikers. From humans to their belongings, they can transport anywhere. Moreover, you can bring these elusive pests into your home from any public area like:
- Train and bus stations
- Movie theatres
- Airports
- Hostels
- Guesthouses
- Libraries
- Retail clothing shops
- Apartments
- Public transportation
What Attracts Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs crawl at night while you’re asleep. They’re attracted to human blood, but apart from that, what else entices them? Let’s find out:
1. Carbon Dioxide
One of the major reasons bed bugs are attracted to humans (apart from blood) is because we exhale carbon dioxide. It acts as a marker indicating that a suitable host is nearby.
2. Warmth
Bed bugs are attracted to warmth. Your bodies produce immense heat and warmth, and for this reason, they are attracted to you the most!
Moreover, your bedtime is a feast for these pesky pests. This explains why your headboards and the surroundings of your bed have the highest risks of bed bug infestation.
3. Dark Bed Sheets
According to a 2016 study published by the Journal of Medical Entomology, bed bugs are known to have a color preference! They incline more towards red and black rather than white, yellow, or green. This is because darker colors offer them a sense of protection against predators.
4. Dirty Laundry
In the absence of human blood or warmth, bed bugs seek shelter in the soiled laundry. In fact, they love the smell of your piled-up laundry.
Moreover, not only bed bugs but even bacteria and germs love them. So, ditch this bad housekeeping habit!
5. Food
Certain foods attract common pests and rodents.In the same manner, bed bugs are attracted to some foods.In their case, the food is a human! These crawlers only need warm-blooded creatures to survive, which is why they are called parasites.
What Are the Health Risks Caused by Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are less harmful than other pests. They don’t cause severe health damage. However, they still pose a danger to your home furnishing, lifestyle, and health. Read on to find all the health risks caused by them.
1.Their bite can cause an infection
Bed bug bites are itchy. Constantly scratching the bites will cause a wound, leading to bumps and swelling, causing skin infections like boils, Impetigo, and cellulitis.
2. You can have an allergic reaction
Their bites may lead to allergic reactions in some people. These reactions are sometimes life-threatening for people with hypersensitivity to insect stings and bites. They may end up with anaphylactic shock, which is followed by tightness in the chest and throat, swollen tongue or lips, or wheezing.
3. May cause sleeping troubles
Once your house is infested with bed bugs, you live in the constant fear of them crawling around you and leaving bites and itches. This paranoia won’t let you sleep and leave you exhausted.
4. Can cause stress
As bed bugs multiply, they can cause recurring damage to your furniture. It can be stressful and frustrating.
Conclusion
The most common place you can find a bed bug hiding is your mattress. And since there are a few health risks tied to their bites, you need to keep your mattress safe from these pests. Call professional pest exterminators to get rid of them before they cause serious infestation.
Author Bio
Raymond Web has taken the task to educate people on pest prevention and control strategies helping them keep their surroundings healthy, safe and pest-free. Being the digital marketing manager for Take Care Termite and Pest Control, a top rated pest control service in Tracy, CA, he has an in-depth understanding of people and their pain points due to pests, which he uses in his content to educate.
