Can bedbugs live in clothes and how can they be treated for pests?

How do parasites bite?

Understanding how bed bugs bite is not difficult. These parasites feed through a mosquito-like trunk. They find a capillary on the human body, focusing on the pulsation of blood, make a puncture with their proboscis in the thinnest area of the skin and suck out up to 1.5 ml of blood. Since this amount of human blood is not enough to nourish an adult, the pest moves several centimeters up the skin and bites the person repeatedly, several times until completely saturated.

Important: it should be noted that at the time of the bite, the bug injects a special enzyme under the human skin that acts as an anesthetic. It makes the skin puncture almost invisible. A person pays attention to traces of this parasite only in the morning, when they begin to itch.

However, not all representatives of these insects will have painless bites. Thus, the larvae of this species lack a channel through which pain-relieving enzymes are supplied, which is why their attacks are sensitive to humans. Their appearance indicates that the colony of pests has reached quite large sizes.

What time do bedbugs bite?

Despite popular belief, bedbugs are not afraid of daylight. Evolutionary processes have made bedbugs nocturnal parasites, since at this time their food source lies dormant in bed and does not pose a risk to life. Having drunk blood, the parasite seeks shelter.

During the day, insects prefer to hide in hard-to-reach places. And although the vision of bedbugs is designed for the infrared spectrum, the feeling of hunger can force bedbugs to bite the victim even in the light. They will benefit from a sunny day and artificial lighting. Therefore, sleeping at night with the sconce on, in the hope of preventing parasites from leaving bites on the human body, is mostly pointless.

What kind of bites do pests leave?

These pests leave round bites, much like mosquito marks. Their size depends on the body's reaction to the insect enzyme. If a person tolerates it well, the bites will be small, less mosquito bites, as in the photo. Often they are only small red spots, which may not even bother the victim with itching or other unpleasant sensations.

In children, as well as in people who are allergic to the substance administered by this pest as an anesthetic, the bites will swell very much. In such cases, it is extremely difficult to distinguish them from traces left by other blood-sucking insects. What do insect marks look like on such people? Ponies usually present with large, red, round swellings.

Do these bites itch? In most cases, yes - this is the body’s reaction to poison injected under the skin. The intensity of itching varies from person to person.

When do they bite most often?

As a rule, fresh bites of domestic bugs on the human body appear from 3 to 7 am. At other times of the day, bedbugs are less likely to attack humans. If the home is heavily infested with these parasites, the bites will not stop during the daytime. This fact indicates the need for professional pest control in the apartment.

How often do these parasites bite? The activity of these insects depends little on the level of illumination in the room. For these parasites, light is a deterrent, but rather weak. If in the first days it reduces the activity of insects, then after a few days they get used to the new conditions and practically do not react to it.

Important: it should be noted that the frequency of bites from these parasites usually increases when larvae appear in their colonies. Why is this happening? The fact is that the larvae themselves are forced to feed on human blood every day (usually an adult does this once every few days). Accordingly, the number of wounds on the body during the period of their appearance will increase significantly.

Do clothes need to be processed?

At the first signs of bedbugs appearing in an apartment, every person has a desire to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Have you brought insects back from vacation and noticed their presence immediately upon arriving home? What to do in this case? Do I need to treat my clothes or is it better to get rid of them right away? You can apply a chemical to the item of clothing or use high temperature. This will destroy all individuals on the tissue and prevent their further spread.

The small size of clothing allows you to use different methods of baiting bedbugs. At home, it is easy to organize the death of parasites by exposure to high temperature:

Hot steam treatment. You can use a steam generator or an iron.
Wash at high temperature.
Boiling.

An alternative option is exposure to cold. Residents of private houses can leave their clothes in the yard for several days. The death of bedbugs at a temperature of -15-20 degrees occurs within 24-48 hours. Apartment owners can place clothes for long-term storage in the freezer.

Another effective and proven method is the use of chemicals. It is convenient to treat clothes with an insecticide in the form of an aerosol, but you can also purchase a concentrated solution. After applying the toxic composition, the product is placed in a plastic bag and hermetically sealed so that the bedbugs do not scatter in search of a safe place. After a few hours, the treated clothing is carefully removed from the bag and washed thoroughly. This allows you to eliminate unpleasant odors and get rid of traces of chemicals. It is recommended to dry clothes in the fresh air.

Opponents of insecticides prefer to use folk methods and household products. These are aromatic fresh and dried plants, tinctures and decoctions, vinegar, turpentine and alcohol. A pungent odor can repel blood-sucking parasites, but not destroy them. For this reason, traditional methods are better suited as preventive measures. In the closet with clothes and throughout the house you can place bunches of mint, lavender, tansy, wormwood, and use decoctions of these herbs to wipe the walls, floors and interior items. Plants can be purchased at the pharmacy or collected in the summer. An alternative option is to use essential oils.

The most vulnerable places

Traces from insect bites usually appear unevenly on the body of children and adults. The most susceptible to them are usually the legs (especially the feet), stomach, back, arms, as well as the face and neck of a person. The thinner the skin in a particular place, the higher the likelihood that parasites will choose this particular area to attack.

In most cases, wounds are localized on open parts of the body, since it is difficult for parasites to bite through the tissue. It is less common for bedbugs to sneak under a person’s clothing, for example, under a shirt or pants. If the apartment in which the victim lives is heavily infested, traces of such insects will appear regularly on almost all parts of the victims’ body.

Favorite places for bed bug bites

When choosing a place to bite, bedbugs are guided by two factors: the accessibility of the victim and that part of the body where the blood vessels in humans are located closer to the surface of the skin. Therefore, children and women are the first to be bitten, since they have a thinner layer of epidermis.

If a person sleeps in underwear, then bedbugs are unlikely to try to get under it. It is much safer and faster to use exposed skin.

In the summer, people most often suffer from bedbug bites:

arms and legs;
stomach and back;
neck;
face;
armpits;
groin area and inner thighs.

Much depends on the sleeping position.

In winter, there are fewer choices, so bedbug bites become concentrated:

on the face;
on the neck;
on the wrists;
on foot;
on shoulders.

How to distinguish a bedbug bite from the bites of other insects

How can you understand that it is bedbugs that are biting you while you sleep, and not some other household parasites, including mosquitoes? The attacks of these particular insects are distinguished by the following characteristics:

The appearance of new tracks only at night. Bedbugs are practically inactive during the day.
The appearance of a specific sweetish odor, similar to the smell of almonds. It is one of the signs that an apartment is infested with bed parasites.
Bloody stains on bed linen. Where do they come from? The fact is that a well-fed bug becomes a rather clumsy insect, and a person can easily crush it.
The appearance of small black skins on the bed. These are traces of the vital activity of bedbugs, which are formed in places where they accumulate. If you find them, you can be sure that there is a fairly large colony of pests in the apartment, which has already managed to produce larvae.
Massive nature of bites. This type of pest lives in unorganized colonies, so a person is usually attacked by several individuals at once.
The appearance of so-called “tracks” - several bites located very close to each other on the body. This is the main feature that is important to pay attention to for those who want to know how to distinguish mosquito bites from bedbugs. Typically, such a “path” is a series of 3 to 6 bites.

Video: features of house bug bites:

Important: other symptoms of a human bedbug attack depend on the individual reaction of the human body to the insect enzyme. If the body perceives it normally, there will be no additional symptoms. Otherwise, a person may experience symptoms of intoxication.

Bedbug bites in children

When bites from the parasite remain on the child's body, this is not a serious threat. Minor redness and blisters disappear very quickly, it is important not to scratch to prevent the introduction of bacteria. The desire to scratch goes away and the child no longer has any discomfort.

If the child’s body is susceptible to bites, then the following is observed:

inflammation of the lymphatic system;
manifestation of an allergic nature;
increase in temperature;
headache;
disorder of the digestive structure;
infection of the affected areas.

Are bedbug bites rare and how many bites are left on children’s bodies? Insect bites cannot be isolated; they generally bite up to 10 times, until they are completely full, leaving a trail of red spots. As an exception, a single bite is possible if it is a larva of an individual.

bites in children

Is it dangerous?

Why is the bite of this insect dangerous? In some cases, it can provoke a severe allergic reaction in a person, including anaphylactic shock. However, it will only appear in those people who are allergic to the enzymes that this insect injects when it bites. Otherwise, the marks that the bug leaves on the skin are no more dangerous than mosquito bites.

A few words need to be said about the psychological consequences that an attack by these parasites can have on a person. It can cause fear of sleep, deterioration in general well-being, decreased performance, lethargy, and increased fatigue. These symptoms are especially common in women affected by these pests.

Important: that unlike other blood-sucking insects, bedbugs do not carry any dangerous diseases. In this regard, their bites are practically safe.

It should be noted that in some cases, the bites of this insect after some time may begin to fester and secrete ichor. Why do such consequences appear? The fact is that some people scratch their bites too much, resulting in infection in the wounds. It is this that provokes the appearance of ulcers at the site of bedbug inoculations.

Why is a bedbug bite dangerous for humans?

The appearance of a bed dweller in the room is accompanied by unpleasant manifestations in the form of biting during the night's rest, damage to the epithelium and unbearable itching. The pest is capable of biting its victim up to 5 times a night, which leads to the appearance of spots due to the introduction of a certain substance into the circulatory system.

This element has an analgesic effect, due to which, when an insect sucks blood, a person does not feel pain, prevents blood clotting and drinks blood in the required volume. The body reacts to the bite; it scratches it, causing redness and swelling.

itching

The danger from biting an individual comes from discomfort and a serious impact on the mental state. But parasite bites do not pose a serious threat to humans.

The following are the consequences of a bite:

the resulting wounds itch, after a while they heal imperceptibly;
if you scratch the spots too hard, irritation and possible abscess occur;
the appearance of severe allergies, passing through mild suffocation, rash, anaphylactic shock, with a serious phenomenon.

Whom do parasites attack most often?

According to statistics, women are more often victims of these insects. If we talk about which blood type bedbugs prefer, then statistics show that carriers of the first and second groups suffer most from these parasites, while the size of the bite does not change. Pests allegedly attack people with the fourth or third blood group less often.

Why don't all people get bitten? The answer is actually quite simple. In fact, bedbugs react equally to people with any blood type, but the first and second are more common than the third and fourth, which is why there are more cases of complaints about parasites from such people. The situation is the same with attacks on men and women: in fact, insects drink blood from representatives of both sexes, but women more often notice bites almost immediately and turn to specialists.

Important: it should be noted that the number of marks on a person’s body directly depends only on the level of pest infestation of the home. If it is quite low, several dozen fresh spots will appear on the body overnight. If, on the contrary, it is high, a person will find up to 500 fresh bites on his body every morning in different places.

Does this need to be treated?

If bites on a person disappear on their own within 2-3 days, they are not treated. Patients with such marks on the skin are advised not to touch them or comb them, so as not to introduce an infection into the blood.

If there is a severe allergic reaction to the enzyme of this pest, the person will be prescribed antihistamines. They should be taken if the victim has the following general symptoms:

the appearance of bumps and blisters in areas of skin lesions, the formation of suppuration;
severe itching and painful sensations;
swelling of the mucous membrane;
the appearance of hives, rashes all over the body;
bronchospasms;
severe headaches.

Important: if such symptoms appear, which manifest themselves quite intensely, a person needs to consult a doctor. He may need hospitalization and medication.

If such symptoms are mild, they can treat bedbug bites at home on their own. Fortunately, in most cases it is enough to use ordinary home remedies.

How to treat marks?

How to treat traces of parasites if they bring discomfort to a person? If bedbug wounds are very itchy, you can use one of the following products to treat them:

Alcohol-containing preparations or tinctures. They can be applied directly to the bites. They relieve itching and disinfect the skin.
Soothing ointments. They are recommended to be applied to damaged areas of the skin several times a day to obtain the desired effect.
Pieces of ice. They should be used to wipe the damaged areas with minor itching. They are also good for soothing the skin.
Natural oils. These products help relieve discomfort and soften the skin. The most effective in this case are tea tree oil, as well as sea buckthorn and fir oil.
Soapy water. This product can also be used to treat the skin after bites to relieve some of the itching. It is best to use this product when the marks have just appeared.
Specialized products for skin restoration. They should be taken in cases where there are a lot of bites, or insects attack small children. The most effective drugs of this type can be considered Fenistil, Bepanten, as well as the golden star, which effectively removes discomfort from bedbug bites. If you are thinking about what to apply to bites to make them go away faster, you should focus on these products.

Video: where to look for them:

Important: if your wounds are very inflamed, it is better to take Suprastin or another antihistamine. It is possible that you have an allergy to the bug enzyme, which is why its bites cause a lot of trouble.

If, a few days after the bites appear, they still do not go away, it makes sense to consult a doctor and undergo a full examination. Based on it, the doctor will decide how to treat the skin in your case and how to minimize the risks of new bites in the future.

How to kill bedbugs in clothes

It is important to understand that if these creatures live in clothing, then they can end up in any room of the house, forming nests in a number of places. To destroy them throughout the house, pest control is needed.

To combat parasites that have settled in clothing, only a set of measures carried out in parallel can help. First of all, you need to turn to folk remedies.

Wash contaminated items at temperatures above 55 degrees and for 30 minutes or more. Eggs, larvae and adults die at this temperature.
Boil your clothes if the fabric they are made from allows this. In boiling water, parasites die instantly.
Drying in the cold or in the bright sun also leads to the death of insects.
Having brought things into the house, after drying, it is recommended to iron them with an iron with a steam function, especially carefully smoothing out seams and folds.
Upon returning from a business trip, suspicious items should first be washed as described above, and only then placed in closets.
Bed bugs cannot tolerate strong smelling substances. To combat parasites, folk remedies are used: ammonia, vinegar, turpentine.
If there is a severe bedbug infestation, you can resort to chemical insecticides. The most effective of them are the following aerosol-type preparations: Perfos-P, Carbozol, Raptor, Clean House, Raid, Combat.

If you brought bedbugs on your clothes, and they spread throughout the house, then insecticides such as Get, Executioner, Tetrix, Karbofos will come to the rescue. If this does not help, then contact a specialist.

A bedbug is an insect that can reproduce quickly in favorable conditions. As we have already found out, parasites are able to live temporarily in human clothing. Therefore, when bedbugs are detected, measures must be taken to destroy them.

How to Avoid an Attack

So, we figured out how these insects bite. Now it’s worth talking about how to avoid their attacks. If for some reason you had to stay in a house infected with these parasites, you should proceed as follows:

First, you should very carefully inspect the bed on which you are going to sleep (it is especially important to do this if you decide to spend the night in a hotel where there may be parasites). If you do not find adult animals or larvae on it, you can consider such a place quite suitable for sleeping. Otherwise, refrain from such an overnight stay.
If there are suspicions that there are pests in an apartment or hotel, if possible, you should place the bed with its legs in basins or large mugs of water. They will create an insurmountable obstacle for this group of pests.
Also, before going to bed, you need to treat your own bed well with deodorant. The pungent smell of this product can repel pests. The same should be done with your belongings, especially your clothes, as insects can get into them and thus move into your home.

Important: remember that such measures will only be truly effective in the first couple of days. After three days, hungry insects will adapt to new conditions and will be able to reach you.

How to get rid of such pests? At home, you can get rid of bedbugs only if your home is slightly infested. In this case, it is recommended to treat the baseboards and all corners of the room with insecticides, and treat soft sofas, chairs and mattresses with steam - it kills the pests. As for sheets, pillows and blankets, they can be exposed to the cold for several days and also treated with steam. Read more about how to remove bedbugs from your sofa.

It should be remembered that all these measures are temporary. In order to forget forever about how bed bugs bite at home, it is necessary to carry out a complete disinfestation of the home, preferably with the help of the SES. Only this step will allow you to get rid of pests quickly and effectively.

Distribution routes

Clothing is the very item through which bedbugs spread. If your clothes have been lying in a room where bedbugs live for some time, there is a chance that upon your return you will bring these parasites into the house with them. You can bring bedbugs into your apartment from the store where you buy new clothes.

If you went to visit a friend during the daytime and stayed there for 3-5 hours, then the likelihood that you will bring bedbugs with you on your clothes is low. At this time, bedbugs sleep in a secluded place, and they have no time for you.

But in the case where you spend the night with a friend or leave your things for 3-5 days, the likelihood of picking up bedbugs increases significantly.

Having settled in clothing, parasites live in it until they find themselves in a house or apartment. Once in the bedroom, bedbugs leave their temporary shelter and settle in the mattress or in the folds of the sofa, where they create a nest.

Bedbugs live longer in dirty clothes than in clean linen. Or when clothes from a suitcase, after arriving from a business trip, immediately go into the closet with other things.

How to prevent pests in your home

If you do not want to treat bedbug bites on yourself or your loved ones, you need to do everything possible to prevent these pests from getting into your home. To do this, follow these simple rules:

Always wash your clothes in warm water after traveling anywhere. Even if pests manage to penetrate them, with this treatment they will simply die.
Wash bedding in hot water from time to time. It is especially important to do this if you have recently had guests.
Pay due attention to pet hygiene. Remember that pests can enter your home in their fur.
Monitor the sanitary condition of your own home. Make repairs in a timely manner.
Always look out for any suspicious rashes on your skin. Remember that dealing with these pests when they first appear in your home is much easier than removing a large colony. If you find welts that look like a bedbug bite, it's time to take action.

Use essential oils and twigs of fragrant plants to repel pests. If you suspect that insects may crawl to you from a neighboring apartment (which is quite possible), place such twigs around the house and treat the crevices with essential oils. Pests do not tolerate the smell of these substances very well and are unlikely to run over to you.

TOP 13 remedies for bedbugs in apartments and houses

Remember also that these pests extremely rarely get on other people's clothes during the daytime. During this period they usually hide well. You risk transferring them to your home only if you inadvertently spend the night in an infected house. It is in such cases that the risk of carrying pests on your own clothes is especially high.

Video: preventing pests:

Characteristic

Bed bugs bite a person, leaving five or six spots located nearby on his body. The feeling of hunger is satisfied by the insect once a week. If one individual has settled in your room, it’s not so scary. But when there’s a whole horde of them... one way or another, you’ll want to think about treating your apartment for bedbugs at home.

In a heavily infested room, there are obviously a huge number of bedbugs. A person waking up in the morning can find up to several hundred bites on his skin. It is extremely difficult to feel the creatures' crafts. But if you sleep lightly at night, you can interrupt their feast. Of course, everyone feels crawling on their body when coming out of sleep. But there is little pleasure in this, and in general people with poor sleep have a hard time.

The best evidence of the presence of bedbugs will be tracks of bites. Judge for yourself: why did the mosquito need so much blood? By the way, here’s what you need to note about mosquitoes...

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