Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are intensely irritating blood sucking insects that are found worldwide. They hide in cracks and crevices in the wall and come out to feed at night. People are very much on the move and so are bed bugs. They hitch rides on clothing and luggage. They can now be found everywhere from night shelters to five-star hotels to backpacker lodges to public transportation. They are moved from room to room on infested objects.

Anyone can get an infestation of bedbugs, and this does not mean a lack of cleanliness. Be alert. They hide during the day in such places as seams of mattresses, bed frames, behind wallpaper or any objects in close proximity to a bed.

Bed bugs are wingless, reddish brown flattened insects about the size of an apple seed (4-5mm long). A bed bug can easily climb a polished surface but cannot fly or jump. Most would stay within a few feet of where people sleep but they can travel over 30 metres in a night! Female bed bugs lay about 200 eggs in a lifetime. Adults usually live for about 10 months and like temperatures between 23C and 28C. They don’t have to feed all the time.

Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, however skin irritation from a bite can cause excessive scratching increasing the risk of a secondary skin infection. People respond differently to a bed bug bite. Many will have no physical sign while others can manifest a serious allergic reaction. Tell-tale bites can be anywhere and can take up to 14 days to develop. Raised red lumps in a row may indicate bed bugs rather than mosquito bites.

• Consider travelling with a plastic sheet to cover a mattress.
• Use a sleep sheet impregnated with permethrin.
• Remove clutter about a bed thus removing a staging point for their trip to the bed
• If you have been in high-risk locations, check your luggage and belongings for bed bugs before bringing them inside. Place your dirty clothes directly into a washing machine with water above 60C.
• Consider washing second hand items of clothing before using them.

Antiseptic lotions are a useful first step to avoid a secondary skin infection. Antihistamines (non-sedating during the day) and stronger ones (Avil, Phenergan) at night may help reduce the irritation.