The bug has a very strongly flattened body, which protects it well from mechanical stress. After eating, it can double.

On a note!

Bed suckers feel the blood beating very well and therefore, no worse than an experienced nurse, they find a place for a puncture. There are two channels in the proboscis: a wide one for sucking food and a narrow one, through which they secrete saliva, which has an anesthetic effect. Thanks to this design of the oral apparatus, the bug bites painlessly.

Bedding

They bite painfully, since the saliva of young individuals does not contain anesthetic components. They feed more often than adult domestic insects, but the process takes only 2-5 minutes.

On a note!

On a note!

It is unusual for bedbugs to bite a person in the daytime. If insects begin to bite during the day, then the room is heavily infected with these blood-sucking individuals. Another reason that can induce the bug to bite during daylight hours is prolonged hunger, which makes them especially aggressive.

Who do the bugs bite?

Bedbugs cannot be called picky about food. They are equally eager to bite clean people and those who neglect hygiene and prefer a "natural" body odor. Blood type, gender, age of the victim are not the determining factor in how the bugs bite.

The skin of dogs and cats is too thick for bedbugs, so insects cannot bite pets. Rodents and birds are of particular interest to them.

Bed bug bite symptoms

• The bite site is a swollen red spot with a bump in the center.
• Severe itching, burning.
• A distinctive symptom is a linear arrangement of tracks, the so-called tracks, which have several punctures.
• On close examination in the wound, you can see the puncture itself, which the bug left during the immersion of the proboscis into the skin.

All people have a different reaction to bedbug bites. Men are less sensitive to them, small children react most sharply. Bite marks in a child have a pronounced character: very swollen large spots of bright red color. In the photographs of bitten children and adults, characteristic signs and how domestic bugs bite are clearly visible.

There are still controversies in the medical community. House bugs are not, hepatitis, HIV. In isolated cases, bites of bloodsuckers can provoke Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock in a person.

Possible consequences of bites:

• constant itching;
• temperature increase;
• irregularities in the respiratory system;
• headache, weakness;
• fatigue, sleep disturbance.

How to treat bites

In the absence of allergic manifestations in a person, the symptoms of bites disappear after 2-3 days. They do not need special treatment and treatment. To relieve itching and prevent the penetration of infection through wounds, it is recommended to treat the wound with warm water and alcohol. You can treat the affected areas with herbal infusions, tea tree oil, fir or sea buckthorn, pharmaceutical preparations that have an antiseptic effect, or homemade remedies. It is impossible to comb the damaged areas.

Folk remedies

In case of purulent discharge, mucus from the wound, prolonged healing of the affected skin areas, you should contact a medical institution.

What to do if bedbugs bite

While extermination tactics are planned to scare off bedbugs and reduce the likelihood of their bites, the following measures must be taken:

Preventive measures

So many. They can get into a house with purchased furniture, no matter if it is antique or new. It is very easy for a person to grab a couple of individuals and bring home from travel. Hotel rooms, dormitories are potential habitats for bloodsuckers.

Considering, it is enough for only one fertilized female to enter the house, so that in 3-4 months the population will be in the hundreds of individuals. Under favorable conditions and good nutrition, the female can lay up to 5 eggs per day. After 4-5, the larva hatches from the egg, and after 30-40 days it becomes an adult full-fledged individual.

To reduce the chances of intruders entering, travelers are advised to carefully inspect hotel rooms. Brown bloody spots on mattresses, pieces of furniture can signal the presence of bedbugs. Having discovered alarming symptoms, not to mention that the bugs began to bite at night, if possible, do not take things out of the suitcases and keep them closed.

Residents of apartment buildings need to periodically treat ventilation openings, door and window openings with prophylactic drugs, and seal the baseboards. Avoid high humidity and ventilate the premises, even in severe frost. Periodically do wet cleaning in hard-to-reach places with chemicals.

In order to get his natural food, the bloodsucker has a body designed so that he carries out his manipulations the most unnoticed by the victim.

In order to get to the food source, blood vessels, the insect has sucking organ, which vaguely resembles the proboscis of a mosquito.

With the help of this proboscis, he does not bite, but pierces the outer layer of the epithelium man and gets to his capillaries.

The bug's proboscis successfully copes with human skin. But, despite the fact that it is thin and durable with a rougher skin, it is more difficult for him to cope, for example, with the skin of a dog. That's why children are most often susceptible to "attacks" by bloodsuckers than an adult, because a child's skin is softer and not as coarse as his adult parents. You can read more about bedbug bites in a child.

Reference. The bug's proboscis consists of two channels. The insect injects a special secret through one channel at the time of piercing. The secret contains painkillers. Therefore, the very moment of the bite cannot be felt. And through the second channel, blood flows from the capillaries into the digestive tract of the bloodsucker.

How bedbugs bite. Photo

How much blood does it take to be full

Carefully. Young individuals (larvae) are not yet able to produce enzymes for pain relief, therefore, when they pierce the human body, pain is felt.

But this amount is not enough for saturation. And he is forced to move further through the body in search of food. An adult bug needs up to 7 ml of blood to get enough. Therefore, one "trip" is accompanied by several bites.

Once full, the insect significantly increases in size and becomes rounded. The received portion of food will be enough for him for a week.

Attention. The larvae will bite the victim every day. They cannot absorb large amounts of blood. Their digestive apparatus is not completely formed.

When bedbugs bite

Their active phase of life occurs in the early morning, approximately at four o'clock in the morning when a person is in deep sleep.

Daylight hours do not scare off bedbugs. Although they are nocturnal, then only for their own safety. In order to hide their presence in a human dwelling from the victim for as long as possible.

But when the colonies of bedbugs have multiplied strongly and at night they do not have time to drink blood, they can satisfy their basic instinct during the day.

Carefully. If a person sees bugs moving around his body, then this is a powerful signal to sound the alarm. We should urgently deal with them.

What part of the body do bugs bite

• hands;
• legs;
• face;

If a person sleeps without pajamas, then the bites can be located all over the body.

Signs of bites

If you find bites characteristic of bedbugs on your body, lubricate the affected areas with alcohol. And if an allergy appeared after "visiting" bedbugs - drink an antihistamine... You can learn how to treat bedbug bites.

The bite sites should not be scratched with your fingers, in order to avoid introducing infection into the puncture site. You can read more about the consequences of bites.

Useful video

How domestic bugs bite can be seen in the video below:

Understanding when bed bugs bite is not at all difficult. The fact is that the period of their activity occurs at night, it is then that they begin their attacks. While a person is immersed in deep sleep, insects are unimpededly saturated with his blood. Most often this is the period between two and six hours.

The secret of their survival, in addition to night forays, lies in the way bed bugs bite. The process itself is absolutely painless, while one individual can bite through the human body three times.

It is not difficult to understand where the bugs bite, most often these are open places - arms, legs, face. Therefore, those who are worried about whether bedbugs bite through their clothes need not worry.

Bed bug bite symptoms

Symptoms after bedbug attacks can be similar to mosquito bites or food allergies. However, according to some features, the wounds left by these bloodsuckers are different:

• in one night, you can notice a large number of bites on the body;
• there is constant itching in the affected area;
• the damaged area turns red, and a point is visible in the center;
• the presence of edema is possible;
• bedbug wounds are usually located along one line.

If there is very severe itching, then it is better not to touch or scratch the affected areas, as there is a risk of infection.

Who do bed bugs bite and who do not

Thus, it becomes clear that neither the blood type nor the sex in any way affects the choice of a victim for these insects. They are only interested in how quickly and easily get to the power source. That is why those who are easier to bite through suffer the most.

1. Application of insecticides. The most common and reliable one. The result is visible after the first treatment. Modern poison is absolutely safe for humans and their pets.
2. Elevated temperature. Based on the use of a steam generator directly on the foci of habitation of individuals. In rare cases, a burner is used. In addition, you can heat the apartment up to sixty degrees and then the pests will die in a couple of hours.
3. Lowered temperature. Freezing is suitable during the winter season. In this case, upholstered furniture, mattresses and bedding are brought out in the cold for several hours.
4. Physical impact. Insects are destroyed with the help of improvised means.

It should be remembered, since bedbugs are constantly moving from one room to another, then you can completely get rid of them only by etching all neighboring apartments at the same time.

Prophylaxis

It is quite possible to reduce the risk of bed bloodsuckers in the house. This is facilitated by the following simple rules:

• regular change of bed linen, as well as cleaning upholstered furniture helps to detect the pest in time;
• after visiting hotels, hotels, it is imperative to wash all clothes at high temperatures;
• in order to protect yourself from pests from neighboring apartments, it is necessary to carry out thorough insulation: put a fine mesh for ventilation, fill the empty space behind the outlet with foam and repair cracks in the walls and ceiling;
• do not wash things and bed linen in other people's washing machines, especially for general use;
• regularly inspect and wash pets, which on their fur can bring insects into the apartment;
• when buying new furniture, carefully inspect it, check all the folds.

If you follow preventive measures and keep your home clean, bedbugs can be avoided. And if they were found, then only special services should be entrusted with the processing of the premises.

This food is enough for a bug for a week. But this does not mean that you will sleep peacefully, because there can be hundreds or even thousands of pests in an apartment.

How a bug bites - signs

It is very easy to distinguish traces from a bug bite:

How a bug bites - the danger of bites

• allergic reactions. If a person is susceptible to an enzyme that introduces an insect after a proboscis piercing into the wound site, an allergy may appear. The bite site turns red, itching and burning begins. Anaphylactic shock is possible, but this is very rare;
• the appearance of inflammatory processes. Do not scratch the affected areas, otherwise damaged skin will become an excellent gateway for infections. Staphylococcus and other dangerous microorganisms can enter the body through damaged skin;
• the development of anemia. In an apartment with a large number of bedbugs, small children suffer greatly. The bloodsucker sucks a lot of blood from the baby and he may develop anemia due to a lack of iron in the body.

How bedbugs bite - bite treatment

If bite marks do not bother you, do not heal. But if you feel pain and unbearable itching, use the following treatment methods:

• Treat skin rashes with any liquid containing alcohol. This is a tincture of celandine, propolis and the like;
• take antihistamines for allergies. A doctor's consultation is required, he will advise a medicine such as Susprastin or Zodak;
• use oils to reduce inflammation. Apply tea tree, sea buckthorn, or rosehip oil to the affected area. Balm "Zvezdochka" or gel "Fenistil" is well suited for this purpose.

If there are a lot of bedbugs in the apartment, carry out pest control of the premises. Take care of the health of your household, because insects bite any person, regardless of gender and age.

This insect is small in size. The length of an adult insect is usually 4-5 mm, the color is brown, which changes color after feeding. Bedbugs lack wings, as can be seen in the photo, but this does not prevent them from planning from walls to floors and pieces of furniture.

The type and size of the bed bug.

Bed bug larvae are almost invisible on the bed - they are the size of a needle's eye and have a pale color. The larva, under favorable conditions, turns into an adult in a month, but it can grow even after three months. The eggs are covered with a sticky secretion that keeps them on the surface.

The photo shows the eggs in the nest:

Larvae

Bed bugs are very tenacious and fertile. The female lays a couple of eggs daily, and the bedbug colony grows exponentially. At a temperature of 10 °, the bug may not eat for about 5 months, and the larva - up to 12 months. But at temperatures from -17 ° and below and above + 45 °, they die within a day.

Bite symptoms

Bed bugs are insects that feed exclusively at night. Only a very strong hunger can force him to attack under artificial light. The proboscis of an adult bug contains an anesthetic that prevents a sleeping person from waking up from a bite. The larva does not have such a secret, so its bite can be quite painful. An insect in one feeding can make 6-7 bites at a distance of several centimeters from each other, which appear in the form of a path, as in the photo.

The photo shows how bed bugs bite

A sign of the presence of bedbugs in the house will be precisely these red carpet on open areas of the body that appear in the morning. In addition, they can be distinguished from mosquito bites visually and by touch - they are harder, redder and take longer. The bites may not itch, but some people experience unbearable itching.

Bedbugs arrange their nests in places invisible to humans and inaccessible to sunlight. Despite the name, bedbugs do not only live in bed. Their nest can be found behind wallpaper, paintings, window frames, or household appliances.

Photos of places in which there may be bedbug nests

Who is more likely to be bitten by bedbugs?

Often a situation arises when these insects prefer to "feed" on one person. Naturally, the question arises: "Why did the bugs choose me?" The answer is not blood type or body odor.

Bed bugs are more likely to bite those with delicate and thin skin. After all, the paths of bites are a trace of how the pest is looking for a place convenient for feeding. That is why children and women are more often attacked by bedbugs.

On children's sensitive skin, the bites are much more painful and swell more, so it is important to relieve the symptoms.

The photo shows what bites look like in children:

According to statistics, up to 70% of victims do not feel the bite itself, so they do not always understand who to get rid of. Bedbugs have a developed sense of smell and easily find clothes (preferring synthetics) and so move to other dwellings.

Do bed bugs bite pets?

Bed bugs rarely pay attention to dogs and cats as a food source. There are several reasons for choosing the owner:

Animals have a rather thick coat. This pest will easily get on the coat, but getting through the thick undercoat is quite problematic. By the way, although Sphynx cats do not have hair, they do not become victims of bed bugs, since they have very thick skin.

Larvae and juvenile bugs do not have a sufficiently developed mouth apparatus to bite through the skin of a dog or cat. This can only be done by an adult, large insect, subject to severe hunger and the absence of people. Among pets, the only exception will be birds and rodents, whose skin is delicate and thin.

The pet's coat interferes with the smell of the skin, which makes them less attractive. A person can be sensed by a bed bug several meters away.

If there is no access to the human body, the bug will try to get to any animal.

If you suspect that pests are attacking a cat or dog, then first of all you need to check the belly and axillary region - there is little wool and insects will most likely choose them. If the bugs nevertheless made their way to the skin under the coat, then it may begin to fall out at the site of the bite.

Allergy to bedbug bites is not uncommon in animals, so it is necessary to use topical preparations, for example, "Unisan" or "Colaflox". If the animal's health deteriorates, the best solution would be to go to the veterinarian.

Who except bedbugs can bite at night

In addition to bed bugs, there are other equally unpleasant insects.

They can bite in bed at night:

• Mosquitoes... These common insects are familiar to everyone. Mosquitoes live throughout the country and there will be no problems with their identification. You can get rid of them without pest control.
• Linen lice... These insects live mainly on the seams of clothing. Their diet does not depend on the time of day, but at night they are especially gluttonous.
• Fleas... These insects also like people lying calmly more. A flea is quite difficult to catch, since in case of danger it makes a large jump to the side. In a house where there are animals, fleas appear much more often.
• Red cockroaches... These insects can eat the skin around the lips of sleeping people, especially young children. The lack of water pushes them to this.

How to treat bed bug bites

The bites are quite uncomfortable. They look unpleasant, hurt and itch. In addition, there are frequent cases of severe allergies and complications caused by these particular insects. This is especially true for children. In any case, it will be useful to have drugs for allergies and bites in the medicine cabinet. In the photo, the symptoms of an allergy in an adult:

Usually bed bug bites pass quickly enough, from 1 to 3 days. The healing rate depends on the sensitivity of the skin. In children, wounds take a little longer to heal. But with large skin lesions, the itching can be unbearable.

Large skin lesions from bites.

Children rarely restrain themselves and comb the bite site. An infection can get through the wound and the consequences will become unpredictable.

How to speed up the healing of a bite?

You can use available tools or buy readily available drugs at your nearest pharmacy.

The simplest treatments are:

• Wash the wounds with soap and water or wipe with a soda solution;
• Apply ice;
• A regular warm bath will relieve symptoms after the bite;
• Apply a half of the onion with a cut to the bitten place for the night;
• Rub bites with parsley or potato juice;
• The well-known Zvezdochka ointment will not only reduce itching, but also help to avoid infection;
• Alcohol tincture of propolis disinfects the wound and reduces inflammation;
• Menovasit will help relieve allergy symptoms.

In addition to remedies that help get rid of irritation, it is worth taking antihistamines. The required dosage is difficult to calculate on your own and it is better to consult a specialist.

It is better to temporarily relocate children from the habitat of these insects. Since children have a small body weight, they have much less blood than an adult. That is why when bedbugs invade the nursery, babies can develop iron deficiency anemia.

The most acute complication of bedbug bites will be anaphylactic shock. This is the body's reaction to a strong allergen, which without hospitalization can lead to the death of the victim.

Usually, in addition to treating bites, victims are looking for sleeping pills and sedatives. This is due to the depressed state caused by stress. Especially the psychological side concerns the younger members of the family. Children develop fear, cry and refuse to go to bed.