Finding Bedbugs in Your Mattress

By Renee Garcia

Do you know where bedbugs live? I am sure that you already know the answer just by the name of these insects. Yes, bedbugs live in the mattress or sofa " in places that you usually lie down.

Do you know what the first sign of a bedbug infestation is? The bite marks. Bedbug bites have certain characteristics that will help you identify them.

Bedbug bites can either be pink or red, flat or raised. These bites form a pattern, like 3 in a row. Disturbance during feeding causes the bedbugs to move a little farther away from their initial position. Bedbugs feed on the blood of humans and warm-blooded animals.

Bedbug bites are not capable of transmitting diseases. What you may feel with the bedbug bites are burning sensation and itchiness. To get rid of the burning, itchiness, and bite marks, you can apply topical corticosteroids.

If the bite marks are itchy, stop yourself from scratching because this will cause scarring. Antihistamines and systemic corticosteroids are also used to treat the burning sensation and itchiness. But these medicines are not helpful in making the bite marks disappear faster.

Now that you are sure that the bite marks are from bedbugs, the next step is to find the area of infestation. Start inspecting the mattress. Look for cracks or holes and spots that are red or brown. The brown spots are the fecal matter of bedbugs. And the red spots are the blood from crushed bedbugs.

The mattress is the usual habitat of bedbugs. To be sure of the extent of infestation, you must also check anything that is in close proximity to the mattress. Examples are the bed posts, floors, walls, picture frames, and others. If the mattress is the only furniture that is infested, you can spray bedbug insecticides to kill the insects.

After treating the mattress with insecticides, seal the mattress inside a mattress cover. The mattress cover will act as a barrier between the bedbugs and you. The bedbugs will no longer bite you. In 6 months, the bedbugs will die because of starvation. - 30446

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