Bed bugs feed on blood and they need to feed once during every immature stage to mature into adults. Adult females also need blood to produce eggs. While bedbugs bite humans, no studies can confirm that they can transmit diseases to humans. But, if you see any signs of bed bugs in your home, contact the professionals from Solution Cimex immediately.
Reasons Bed Bugs Bite
Bed bugs consume blood for survival. A bed bug can often take more than a bite. After a bug inserts its mouthparts and finds a suitable blood vessel, feeding starts. But, it may take them more time to find a suitable blood vessel than one injection into the skin. Additionally, bed bugs are quite sensitive to movement by the host they are feeding on. Thus, if a sleeping person moves, the feeding bug may withdraw its mouthparts and start to look for a blood meal on another part of the body. Therefore, a person can have several bites from only a bug alone.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Some of the signs of bed bug infestation include blood spots on sheets, presence of bed bug feces and cast skins as well as bed bug bites. These bites are often found on the parts of the body exposed to the bugs during sleep such as the hands, neck, shoulders, face, arms, and legs. Usually, bed bug bites are grouped together in a small area or may occur in a zigzag pattern or in a line. They look like small flat or raised areas that may become inflamed, blistered, red, or itchy.
When bed bugs bite, they inject an anti-coagulant along with their saliva. This anti-coagulant is responsible for how a person reacts to the bite and determines the bite’s size. Also, the number of times a person is bitten influences the size of a bed bug reaction.
Symptoms of Bed Bug Bites
Some bed bug bites can lead to itching, red welts, or swelling the day after the bite. But, some bites may not be obvious for many days or at all on some people. A lot of people don’t react to all bed bug bites and bites may leave no mark or go unnoticed. If you develop a rash after being bitten by a bed bug, do not scratch the affected area. In case the rash persists and becomes infected, visit a doctor right away. If you scratch bed bug bites and don’t keep the bites clean and disinfected, it can result in a secondary infection that can cause more bleeding and swelling.
