Don’t let the bed bugs bite! Keep them out of your home

August 22, 2018

“A to Z from Our Family Medicine Doctors at UT East Texas” column
Published Wednesday, Aug22, 2018, in the Gladewater Mirror

By: Adam Ulibarri, MD

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Bed bugs are blood-feeding insects that can infest homes. Their bites often cause itchy red bumps that appear in clusters.

They infest homes in temperate climates like ours. However, they are more common in places where many people stay, such as hotels, group-living situations, or dormitories.

In the United States, bed-bug infestations have risen dramatically since 2004, studies indicate. Texas is one of the top 10 states when it comes to bed-bug reports.

Bed bugs have flat, red-brown, oval bodies and are the size of a dog tick. They usually hide near where their hosts (us) sleep: beds, couches, and places with small crannies like power outlets.

They feed at night and are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale. Bed bugs are hardy and can lie dormant for over a year.

Bed bugs don’t usually live on us, because they can’t tolerate body heat. They spread via furniture and luggage, not from person-to-person.

To protect yourself, always check your bed when traveling. While you won’t see any bed bugs, you can find their molted shells and feces, which make penny-sized, dark red or black stains on the mattress.

Never place your luggage on a hotel mattress. Instead, put suitcases on the luggage rack, which most hotels store in their closets. When buying used furniture, inspect the cushions and cracks for feces and molting.

If you find signs of bed bugs in your home, contact a pest control specialist to get rid of the bugs. You may have to dispose of infested furniture to end the bed-bug invasion.

Bed-bug bites look like many other rashes. If you have any concerns about possible bites or any other rash, see your family physician or healthcare provider.