After news of infestation of bed bugs at the NAIA Terminal 2 and 3 blew up at the start of the year, a lot of people have been curious and cautious about what they are and probably thought of possible scenarios on how to eradicate them. So what are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, brownish-red bugs that are usually seen in beds and feed on humans while they are sleeping. They only feed on blood and should have regular blood meals in order to survive and develop. Although a lot of people think that they only feed on humans, they can attack other warm-blooded animals such as poultry and other birds.
While there are no indicators that bed bugs transmit disease, they can have negative effects on one’s mental and physical health.
The effects of bed bugs include:
- Allergic reactions from their bites (some have no reaction but can lead to a rare case of anaphylaxis which is severe and has a whole-body reaction)
- Secondary infections to the skin from the reaction of the bite (impetigo, ecthyma, and lymphangitis)
- Mental health impacts such as anxiety, insomnia, and systemic reactions
Most of the studies conducted with bed bugs often mention that they are hard to eradicate due to their resistance to different families of insecticides. The main issue as to why they keep coming back is because there is a lack of effective control methods and the behavior of these insects can use this opportunity to hide in the human environment so that they can reproduce.
In order to protect your home from bed bugs, here are some precautions you can do:
- Clean and get rid of the clutter in your house most especially in the bedroom.
- Move your bed away from walls or other furniture.
- Use a vacuum or other cleaning equipment readily available to clean the windows, floors, and moldings. Also look into cleaning the sides and seams of your mattresses, and furniture. Empty the vacuum or the bag immediately and dispose of it outside in a sealed container or bag.
- Wash your sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and bed skirts and place them in the hot dryer for at least 30 minutes.
- Make sure that the cracks and crevices in your house are sealed.
Bed bugs are very vicious as they can bite you at any moment, but with proper measures in place, you can ensure that you are safe even in your own home.
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