Good Night, Sleep Tight... But What If the Bed Bugs Bite?

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite… because if they do, it can be really, really annoying. Cimex lectularius, or as you probably know them, bed bugs, are on the rise in Australia. Their population has skyrocketed recently. If you and your family are continually waking up with itchy, irritated skin that has small welts of unknown origin, it might be that as you sleep tight, the bed bugs, in fact, have started to bite. So how can you get rid of these nighttime nuisances?

Know the Enemy

Although your suspicions that something is amiss might be warranted, you should have these suspicions confirmed by a medical professional. While bed bugs might well be the cause, scabies will need to be ruled out. Though the two issues are quite similar, scabies are mites, which in fact burrow under your skin, causing irritation. Bed bugs, on the other hand, merely bite. While treating your home to remove the infestation will be largely the same regardless of the culprit, your specific required treatment (and that of your family) will differ. This means that while a form of insecticide lotion will be required for scabies (to kill the mites that can be hidden under the surface of your skin), the treatment for bed bugs generally just needs to treat the bites (and any subsequent reaction), meaning that an antihistamine will be more appropriate.

Heat is Your Friend

You don't want to have to regularly treat your body for whatever is causing the irritation, but if you don't take decisive steps to wipe the bugs or mites out, they will simply keep attacking. Heat is your friend here, and it's crucial that all clothing and bedding is washed in hot water and then dried in a tumble drier. The intensity of the heat should be enough to kill any adult bugs or mites, their larva, and any unhatched eggs. But this cleaning is only the first step.

Nasties in Your Bed

The severity of the infestation will determine how much further cleaning is needed. Carpets should be steam cleaned, but in extreme cases, insecticide might be needed to prevent re-infestation. It's crucial that you don't neglect your mattresses. Again, steam cleaning should be sufficient to wipe out any nasties attempting to share your bed (which doesn't mean your partner, of course). If you're particularly concerned about any bed bugs or scabies that might have made their way further into the interior of your mattress, you might want to play it safe and replace it.

It's rather unsettling to think that bed bugs or scabies have made their way into your home, and quick, strong action is needed to make sure that they'll only be the briefest of visitors.

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