Beyond Bumps In the Night: The Dangers Of A Bed Bug Infestation
Humans have lived with bed bugs for as long as we’ve been around. No, scratch that; bed bugs have lived on humans for as long as we’ve been around.
Bed bugs are one of those house pests that do little to no harm to your home or its structure. And they’re small enough to go unnoticed.
But even though they’re not deadly, and do not transmit life-threatening diseases, they can be a source of great discomfort. They can impact your lifestyle, and also tend to get inside small holes in your mattress—which makes them difficult to get rid of.
A Bed Bug Background
A bed bug’s body is divided into three different segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have six legs and a pair of antennae at the top of their heads.
Most bed bugs are five to seven mm long and two to three mm wide. They are known to have a rusty to muddy brown color with oval bodies. They take on a red hue after they feed.
They usually like to hide in hard-to-reach locations. Hence, a good rule of thumb is to check if you can slip two sheets of computer paper in the crevice. If you can, it’s small enough for these creatures to crawl into. Window frames, behind doors, crack in the floor or walls and furniture are some of their favorite hiding spots.
The following are some disruptions that bed bug infestations can create:
Infectious Scratches
Bites from bed bugs can be itchy, which can lead to a strong urge to scratch your skin. Moreover, bed bugs feed during the night, meaning we tend to sleep scratch them, which can lead to flesh wounds by the morning.
While small open wounds aren’t that big of a concern, germs and bacteria can attack the wound and cause the infection to grow, if left untreated.
Some common symptoms of bacterial skin infection include redness around the wound, swellings, and bumps that are warm to the touch.
Psychological Effects
A bed bug infestation can be emotionally draining and can take a toll on your mental health. Many individuals have talked about episodes of depression and anxiety when faced with a bed bug situation. If the situation isn’t dealt with at the right time, it may lead to a long-term mental disorder.
This does not mean that bed bugs are secreting a hormone that can trigger these conditions, but this can be a natural response to a stressful situation. While going through a bed bug infestation, people can have trouble sleeping and experience constant paranoia. They’ll keep thinking that they will wake up to bed bugs feeding on them—which is a very scary thought.
A bed bug infestation can cause you a lot of discomfort. The experts at Xterminator Pest Control do not recommend delaying the bed bug treatment.
Get in touch with us to know more about our extermination services in Cambridge, Pickerington and, Columbus, Ohio.
