Are Bedbugs Dangerous?
One of the most popular questions about bed bugs is if they are poisonous or even dangerous if bitten. The short answer; no. The long answer depends on a few different things. For instance, if a bed bug bites you, it won't kill you or even hurt you, but if you keep scratching that area you could cause an infection in your own right. Or maybe you have bed bugs that are shedding i.e.; molting, this is not dangerous, however, if you or your kids have allergies it can worsen them or turn into asthmatic symptoms. So you see, while they are not directly dangerous, they can lead to dangerous outside conditions and issues. Can You Feel a bite? Unlike getting stung by a bee, bitten by a snake or attacked by a scorpion, you probably won't even feel yourself getting bit by a bedbug. In fact, when they do bite you they excrete a chemical that is just like anesthesia and it numbs the area they decide to feast on. This is the exact reason why dozens or even hundreds of them can feast on you while you are sleeping and you might not even feel it. Oftentimes though the anesthesia will numb the feeling of them biting you, it will also have different effects for different people. Some people don’t get bothered by it at all, while another break out in a rash - this is actually one of the reasons why bed bug bites are sometimes misdiagnosed. It’s not because the doctor doesn't know what he or she is doing, but it’s because the rash could look like, well, a regular old rash. The rash will be incredibly itchy but it should disappear in a few weeks’ time. Are Bedbugs Contagious? Even though the feeling from these bites and the rash is like that of chicken pox, it’s not contagious, so this is not something you need to worry about passing to others. The thing you do have to worry about is transferring bugs to them! Make sure that when you get bit you don't scratch the areas where the rash is or the bites are. Essentially, as mentioned earlier, bed bugs are not poisonous, but if you continue to scratch that area, similar to a mosquito bite, it could end up getting infected and can then lead to other issues like scarring. If necessary you can buy anti-itch creams; Benadryl has one specifically for
itching. If you are having more difficulty than others, consider calling your doctor to ask for something much stronger. Bedbug Paranoia Another effect of bed bugs is the mental part of it. As mentioned, you can't feel them biting you, however, you can feel them on you and chances are if you know you have them your mind will start to play tricks on you even after you hire a company that deals with pest control to get rid of them. It’s just natural, like seeing a spider and feeling like its crawling on you hours or days later. Rest assured that if you have a pest control company in Northern NJ to come in to get rid of them, they are probably gone, but just in case, they should come back again and again to make sure. Prevention of Bedbugs People automatically assume that you are dirty if you have bed bugs, but that isn't true at all. In fact, you can live a very cleanly lifestyle and still get these. Here are a few tips to keep them out of your home: -
Make sure that if you are out somewhere with something like a laptop case, backpack or purse, that you don't put it on the seat or on the floor, especially if you are outside on the sidewalk (we) or you are somewhere public with mass amounts of people like the train, bus or subway.
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When traveling, even to a nice hotel, always check the room and the bed before unpacking. You never know.
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If you buy things at flea markets or garage sales, things like furniture, mattresses or bedding, always check it before you bring it home
Hopefully, some or all of these tips and pieces of information can help you better understand these types of bugs and keep them or get them out of your house. If you do have an infestation the best thing to do is find a pest control company to help you get rid of them and keep them away.