Но сама я уже не смогу понять, как отличить укус комара от укуса клопа. Привыкла считать, что красные пятна на теле – это следы летающих кровососов. Из памяти стерлись подробности, как должен выглядеть истинно комариный укус. Общие признаки ничем не отличаются, а специфических я не знаю. Помогите разобраться, пожалуйста, как понять, кто меня кусает. Лилия.
The author of the portal answers the question:
What a bedbug bite looks like
When an apartment is infected by insects it is not always possible to immediately understand who is attacking. The reason is the similarity of the bites. However, there are a number of differences. However, you need to know the difference between a bedbug bite and a mosquito bite, flea bite, lice bite, gnat bite. Even if they look similar, there is a difference in the timing of the attack. For example, bed bugs bite mostly at night. This is due to the peculiarities of life - these insects have photophobia. They are active at night, but during the day, on the contrary, they do not get out of shelters, seeking to hide from sunlight.
They do not attack in the evenings, because people at this time of the day are still inaccessible - constantly moving around. In addition, when the light is on, it creates unacceptable conditions for the parasites to feed. Linen (bedding) The pests attack between 2 and 5-6 a.m.
To understand how to distinguish between bedbug bites and mosquito bites, it is necessary to understand the signs that occur. The difference lies not only in the nature of the negative manifestations, but also in the symptomatology (human condition).
Photo of domestic bed bug bites on humans
Signs that occur when such parasites attack people:
- Strong itching, sometimes the bite itches so much that the skin in the area is damaged (there are scratches);
- redness - its size varies from 5 mm to 5 cm, depends on the degree of exposure of the body to external substances (allergens, which are introduced by the bite);
- swelling;
- painful sensations;
- often leaves a red dot in the center - a trace of damage to the outer skin, dripping blood.
How many times a bedbug bites
The parasite inserts its proboscis under the skin several times in one meal. In this way it gets a sufficient amount of blood. In some cases it is not able to reach a blood vessel at once. Bug will take as many bites as he needs to get 7 mg of blood (larva 1/3 of a mg of bodily fluid is required). For these reasons, several punctures remain on the person's body. Their number varies, may be 2-7, but more often remains 3-5.
Larvae leave fewer bites. The number of punctures on the skin also depends on how hungry parasite.
Who is more likely to be bitten by a bedbug
It is believed that the insects mostly attack children, women.
In fact, this is a misconception. Parasites do prefer gentler skin to coarser skin, but they are able to find suitable areas on the bodies of different people. We need to understand how house bugs bite - they do not choose their prey by blood composition, age or gender. The most important thing for them is the food source.
Attacking blood-sucking insects on people who are closest to the place where the pest lives. If one nest is formed in the room - inside the couch, and 2-3 people sleep, the first person to suffer is the one who sleeps next to the cluster of pests.
The main differences between bedbug bites and other parasites
Traces of the attack blood-sucking insects are often similar. A cursory examination may reveal redness, faint swelling, and a puncture point.
However, a closer look reveals that there are many differences between the bite marks. This allows you to immediately determine the type of parasite and start combating it.
What are the differences between mosquito bites and bedbug bites
Sometimes you can catch Insect at the ingestion of food. To understand how to tell the difference between a mosquito bite and a bug bite, you should also remember that the former attack at any time of the day or night (but more often after dark) and the latter only after midnight and before dawn.
Appearance
Body length (3-7 mm) in both parasites The number of legs is the same (6 in both species), but there are a number of significant differences:
- the limbs of bed bugs are shorter;
- The body shape of mosquitoes is more elongated, narrower, and has a longer proboscis;
- bedbugs have no wings, they have a wider back, there are pronounced transverse stripes;
- The color of mosquitoes is brown, bed bugs are brown, changing to red-black after eating.
Localization of bites
Representatives of both species (mosquitoes, bedbugs) prefer to attack on areas that are not covered with anything. Most often these are the neck, hands and shins. Bites of mosquitoes and bed bugs can be found in the same places. You should pay attention to the difference in the nature of the lesions. If a person sleeps without a blanket and night clothes, bed bugs and mosquitoes will attack on different parts of the body.
It is possible to confuse the attack marks of each of them if you are not aware of the other signs.
How an insect bites
A mosquito makes a single puncture in the skin. This immediately causes unpleasant symptoms: itching, redness, swelling.
We need to understand how to distinguish between bites bedbugs from mosquito bites to make sure which one is attacking. Thus, underwear parasites make several punctures, but the itching occurs later. A person does not immediately detect signs of an insect attack, which gives the pest an opportunity to escape.
Sometimes, however, mosquito bites and bedbug bites are difficult to distinguish. In both cases, the itching can occur immediately when the skin is punctured. Thus, if the larva of a laundry parasite attacks, symptoms occur quickly.
The reason is that young specimens of such insects have not yet developed the function of anesthetizing the victim on contact with it.
How to tell if it's a bedbug bite or lice
It is possible to determine who exactly is attacking, if you know what the differences are:
- lice do not leave a semblance of tracks after themselves, they bite on different parts of the body without any system, which depends on the localization: head lice - only on the head, pubic - in the intimate areas, and platypus - everywhere, mainly on the body, upper limbs, but only where infected clothes touch the body;
- swelling and redness after contact with lice is not as pronounced as after an attack by louse parasites;
- Lice carry pathogens of dangerous diseases, which can lead to infection of the wound;
- multiple lice bites cause lividity in the areas where the puncture marks are the largest.
How Not to Confuse Bed Bug Bites from Common Pimples
Neither a mosquito, bedbug, or anyone else's mark on the skin will cause much pain. If you have a rash, it can, especially if the pimple is closed and subcutaneous. In addition, bite A house bug does not contribute to a pustule (a white body on top of a pimple).
Another difference is the formation of a large red spot with pronounced swelling after contact with the bedwetting parasite.
How to recognize a flea bite
When a person is awake, fleas attack in the area of the lower extremities. During sleep bites appear on the neck, arms, and other parts of the body that are exposed. Flea attack marks are externally less pronounced - small tubercles without a central dark point remain, they form in groups. By comparison, bites from house bugs are less painful than from fleas.
The risk of developing allergies is higher when the last of these parasites are attacked.
Gnat bites
Traces of contact with these pests are more pronounced. There is swelling, the size of the hyperemic area is much larger - often more than 5 cm in diameter. Pain is felt. Such symptoms are caused by more severe trauma (the skin is cut by the pest's mouthpiece).
What is a bedbug bite dangerous for humans
Home danger is the high risk of developing allergies. When a bedbug bites a person, it first injects a substance that helps reduce the intensity of the painful sensations. This causes not only itching, but also swelling, redness, and pain.
In severe cases (with multiple skin lesions), anaphylactoid reactions and Quincke's edema may develop.
What infections and diseases a bite can cause
Laundry parasites can be carriers of various harmful microorganisms.
They carry typhus, tularemia, tuberculosis, and hepatitis, but the risk of infection is extremely low. Bed bugs do not spread infection when bitten because pathogenic particles are not contained in their saliva, but in the digestive tract, where they come out with their feces.
It is believed that the risk of infection is only possible by crushing bedbug on the injured skin when attempting to bite. In this case the blood just received from the other host will get on the exposed tissues.
But, again, the likelihood that a bedbug will go in search of another host immediately after attacking one person tends to zero.
Bed bug bites in children and pregnant women
The main danger in both cases is an intense reaction and limitations in the choice of drugs for symptomatic treatment. If bitten bedbugIn children, negative processes develop more often: the hyperemic areas are larger, the itching is stronger due to high sensitivity. Not all medications are suitable for pregnant women.
In addition, negative processes can affect the fetus, so it is desirable to avoid contact with parasites.
How to get rid of bed bugs in the house
If there are bites on the body, a specific smell in the apartment, it is important to determine the type of insect that is attacking. Then a decision is made as to what should be done in such cases. Different methods of extermination are considered. The choice is made taking into account the degree of infestation of the object: assess the condition of furniture, look for nests inside the sofa, bed, chairs.
Methods of action against house bugs in the house
To get rid of parasites, consider two main options:
- Treatment of premises with household bedbug repellents;
- professional pest control.
The first group includes drugs:
They all contain insecticides. It is recommended to choose those that are characterized by contact or intestinal action. Intestinal agents alone have no effect on bed bugs. The most effective: concentrates (used as sprays after preparing a working solution), aerosols. Powders and crayons/crayons are used in addition to the basic agents.
Professional methods of influence:
These variants differ in the temperature of the working solution and the particle size of the fine suspension.
Thus, hot fog is more effective. Atomization releases microscopic droplets up to 90 microns in size. And the working solution is hot. As a result, the suspension is kept in the air for a long time. The warm particles do not settle and kill bed bugs through the respiratory system as well as the outer covers.
The particle size of the cold fog is smaller, averaging 30 microns. The working solution is at room temperature, which prevents the particles from lingering in the air. Both methods ensure delivery of the poisoning agent to remote locations.
To open access to the bed bugs' nests, you need to remove the mattress from the bed, remove the bedspread from the sofa, clear the closets of clothes.
Prevention
It is possible to prevent blood-sucking insects from entering the object. To do this, it is recommended to follow the rules:
- repair the room, it is sufficient to restore the integrity of the walls, floor - to eliminate cracks in the joints of structures, fill the leaks between the pipes and the ceiling with mortar, repair the door units, windows;
- herbs with an intense odor are placed around the room;
- regularly treat the object with a solution based on essential oils, vinegar or ammonia;
- When you buy furniture, appliances, things, do a thorough inspection.
What to do with bites at home
When traces of contact with parasites are found on a person in the morning, you should start treating them, as severe itching and swelling will soon appear. Recommendations:
- you can anoint the bite marks with anti-inflammatory local remedies: Fenistil Gel, Spasatel, Bepanten;
- take systemic antihistamines (Allertec, Suprastin, Loratadine, etc.);
- To relieve the condition, it is recommended to smear the bites with a baking soda and water.
Reviews
Expert tips
- observe the appearance of punctures in the skin: what time it happened, how many spots detected, for example, lice, fleas, mosquitoes and midges can attack during the day, and for bedbugs to come out, you have to wait for a strong infestation, but there would be many more bites, so you should still focus on the night time of the day;
- If the allergy is strong, you need to consult a doctor, in other cases you can use products that relieve the symptoms of adverse reactions, inflammation, to prevent the development of infection will help soapy water or antiseptic before treatment with other means.
Conclusion
When an insect infestation occurs in an apartment or house, it is important to accurately determine its species. This will help to fight the pests correctly. Features of bites of bed bugs and other insects, as well as methods of extermination, prevention of infestation of the object:
- Bed bugs have a stabbing-sucking mouthpiece, which means they don't traumatize human skin too much. As a result, the bite marks (red spots, slight swelling, a drop of dripping blood in the center) will pass quickly - in a few days, but provided there are no complications.
- Mosquitoes bite all over the body, if it is not covered with clothes, during the day and in the evening. Fleas attack mostly in the foot area, leaving small bumps that itch a lot, by comparison, bed bugs make several punctures of the skin in one approach - with a visible systematic pattern.
- Bed bugs, unlike lice and mosquitoes, cannot infect people with dangerous infections. They only cause allergies, but this reaction is quite strong in children and pregnant women.
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