Health Network News

Bedbugs are small insects that live on human and warm blooded animals blood. They are from the cimicidae family. The insects like to live in areas where people sleep and are mostly active at night as they try to avoid sunlight hours. People who have been bitten usually have an itchy red rash on their skin.

The cimicidae family is thought to have around one hundred different species of insects. The human blood sucking species is the most common but there are some species that prefer to feed from bats and poultry. Some species also prefer warmer tropical climates.

It is usually easy to tell the age of the insect by its color. When they are first hatched, they start off a transparent pale color and as they get older their color changes to a darker brown. A fully grown adult usually measures around five millimeters long and three millimeters in width. They are flat and oval wingless insects.

They feed by sucking the blood of their prey, they pierce the skin with their two feeding tubes. One of the tubes sucks the blood from its host, while the other it injects an anti blood clotting agent and anesthetic through its saliva. The insect usually feeds of its host for about five minutes before it goes back to its hiding place. It is normal for the insects to feed once or twice a week but they can go for many months without feeding.

It is usually many hours later before the human realizes they have been bitten, due to the fact that it takes time for the body to react to the chemicals that have been injected through the saliva. Usually the bites appear as a rash that the hosts feel like scratching. Sometimes, usually in rare cases, the human can develop an allergic reaction to the bites and become very ill.

Products to help deal with the itchy rash are available on the market, these have ingredients which calm the itch and reduce the urge to scratch. The products are available in creams, lotions and sprays. Medications to be taken orally are also available for people who suffer from the chemicals causing a bad reaction.

If you notice marks on your bed sheets that look like feces or blood spots, these could be marks left by these pests. You may have to call in the exterminators if you discover an infestation. To help prevent these insects from invading your home, you should clean and vacuum daily, and as part of your cleaning routine you should include a thorough vacuuming of the mattress. Homes with pets also need to treat these pets as the insects could be feasting off the animals.