The triumvirate of terror is called bed bug, mite and flea. As unwanted bedfellows, these vermin turn the dream of undisturbed sleep into a nightmare. The stubborn parasites will not voluntarily leave the field. This practical and comprehensible guide explains how to identify bugs in bed without a doubt and how to successfully combat them.

Bugs cause itching and allergies

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What vermin?
  3. Where do bed bugs come from?
  4. how to fight
  5. fight bed bugs
  6. fight mites
  7. Get rid of fleas in bed
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Bed bugs bite, are 5-7mm in size, reddish-brown, flat-oval, wingless, nocturnal, and frequent bed bugs.
    • White bed bugs are 0.1-0.5 mm small mites that feed on scales, do not sting or bite.
    • Yellow-brown fleas, 1-3.5 mm in size, bite and can be identified as jumping bugs in the bed.

    What are the bugs in the bed?

    Two types of parasites make life hell for us as blood-sucking bugs in bed. A third type of pest is ubiquitous throughout the home and tends to colonize mattresses and bedding. The more specifically you can identify the vermin, the more effective the countermeasures. How to recognize the three most common pests in bed is summarized in the following overview:

    identifying features bed bugs mites fleas
    size 5-7mm 0.1-0.5mm 1-3.5mm
    color brown, reddish-brown White yellowish, yellowish brown
    body shape flat, rounded oval to oblong laterally flattened
    symptoms + bite wounds + breathing problems + Stitches
    + red wheals + itching + reddish papules
    + severe itching + allergies + itching
    circumstantial + black feces crumbs + tiny droppings + jumping fleas
    + red blood stains + eggs, larvae in bed cracks
    + Shedding residue + dark fecal pills
    odor repulsive, sweet no smell no smell

    Did you put the clues in this table on the right track? Then please take a look at the pictures below. The illustrations show a comparison of bed bugs, mites and fleas. You can read more detailed information with useful tips for a precise determination of the vermin in the following sections.

    detect bed bugs

    Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are nocturnal bloodsuckers and masters of camouflage. The crawling insects have a flat-oval body shape and move forward with 6 hairy legs. The parasites are activated by the outflowing body heat of sleeping people and the exhaled CO2. In search of a blood meal, bedbugs leave their hiding place, crawl around on the skin and bite. Rarely does the bed bug strike a blood vessel immediately. As a result, the characteristic bug streets with bite wounds arranged in rows arise. Uncovered and covered body regions are affected:

    • neck, shoulders
    • face, neck
    • poor
    • legs
    • feet

    Bed bug bites are not painful. However, victims suffer from red swelling and itching the next day. If there are also 0.5-1 mm small droppings in the bed, under carpets or behind wallpaper, there is hardly any doubt about the bed bug infestation. Blood stains and remains of molting are additional indications, but can also have other causes. If, on the other hand, you notice a repulsive, sweetish stench in the bedroom, immediate action is required. Bed bugs stink to high heaven. The larger the population, the more bestial the smell.

    detect mites

    Dust mites are vanishingly small

    White bed bugs are mostly a population of house dust mites (Dermatophagoides). Use a magnifying glass to identify the buggers. The white, tiny body is covered with bristles. A finely striped body shell can be seen beneath the bristles. In the highest concentration, mites cavort in mattresses and pillows. The fecal globules as an aid to identification also require a look through a strong magnifying glass. One gram of house dust can contain up to 250,000 such particles of faeces.

    Dust mites in bed do not sting and cannot bite. Human skin flakes are on the menu of the pests, which can be found in large quantities in mattresses, pillows and duvets. When searching for food at night, there is direct skin contact with the involuntary human donor. For most people, that turns out well. Sometimes white bugs in bed have unpleasant consequences. Allergy sufferers suffer from asthma or dermatitis if they have to spend the whole night in the company of mites.

    detect fleas

    Are jumping bugs robbing you of a well-deserved night's sleep? Then you are dealing with fleas. The main suspect is the human flea (Pulex irritans) from the large family of fleas. Other candidates are the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). Characteristic of the blood-sucking parasites is an impressive jumping ability. The wingless bodies are equipped with powerful hind legs that allow jumping distances of up to one meter.

    A typical distinguishing feature is a robust exoskeleton. The yellowish-brown body wears armor made of shingled chitin plates. Because of this, you can rarely crush a flea between your fingers. Biting bugs in bed are usually fleas because the parasites sting and not bite like bed bugs do.

    Where do bed bugs come from?

    Fighting bugs in bed becomes a vicious cycle if you don't identify and eliminate the cause. You can avoid biting and stinging bugs in particular if you are aware of the following three most common causes:

    Cause #1 - Willingness to travel

    Bed bugs like to travel as stowaways

    Bed bugs are not native to our regions, but they are widespread. The reason is the pronounced willingness to travel. Germany and China regularly go head-to-head for the title of world travel champion. The flip side of the coin is that returnees often have bed bugs as stowaways in their luggage. They caught the beasts in hotels, holiday homes or sleeping cars. Bed bugs are often uninvited travel companions, especially for backpackers who sleep in a different place every night.

    Cause #2 - Used goods

    Used furniture, antiquarian books, old carpets and second-hand clothing are often contaminated with vermin. Fatally, fleas can starve for many weeks and months without suffering harm. Bed bugs can even survive up to 1.5 years without a blood meal. The parasites wait patiently until a careless buyer takes the used goods home without being checked and cleaned.

    Cause #3 - Pets, bird nests, nest boxes

    Jumping bugs in the bed are usually brought home by your pets. Cunning fleas use dogs and cats as a convenient means of transport into the house. People can catch the pests while gardening, because bird nests and nesting boxes are popular retreats for bed bugs, fleas and mites.

    tips

    The major airport in Frankfurt shows how it's done. Trained four-legged sleuths are available for worried travelers to track down bed bugs that have been brought in. On request, dog handler Larry Hudson can come with his tracking dog team. With combined forces, the specialists carefully search for suspicious pieces of luggage. In Berlin, pest controller Adam Tesmer has his terrier, Taylor, in tow, who has an unerring instinct for detecting the presence of bed bugs.

    How to get rid of bugs in bed

    Vacuuming significantly reduces the number of mites

    Identifying bugs in bed is just the prologue to successful combat. Have you spotted the culprits robbing you of your night's sleep? Then you have specific methods available as a counter-offensive. The following table provides an overview of how to successfully combat bed bugs, mites and fleas:

    bed bugs mites fleas
    exterminator airing Vacuum with HEPA filter
    Heat (50° Celsius) Wash at 60° Celsius Washing with washing powder, salt, vinegar
    Cold (-18° Celsius) Freeze pillows Clean the mattress with a steam cleaner
    Vacuum with HEPA filter treat pets
    Treat the mattress with a steam cleaner Set up a flea trap
    New mattress every 7 years
    waterbed

    The control measures mentioned deliberately do without the use of all kinds of pesticides. A chemical spray against vermin in the immediate living environment harbors health risks for you and your family that go far beyond reddening, swelling and itching.

    digression

    Bed bugs do not transmit diseases

    The good news for those affected is that bed bugs are not disease vectors. Bite wounds, skin swelling and itching are very unpleasant. However, the beasts do not have viruses in their luggage like ticks. Bed bug bites can usually be treated with over-the-counter ointments. Excruciating itching is relieved by active ingredients such as cortisone. If, on the other hand, massive swelling and unbearable itching occur, it may be an allergic reaction. In this case, the family doctor should be contacted.

    fight bed bugs

    In the event of a severe infestation, an exterminator should be called

    Have you been able to identify bed bugs as bed bugs? Then you are dealing with hardened opponents. The experts from the Federal Environment Agency strongly advise against private experiments with home remedies or pesticides. Reputable researchers have found that bed bugs are now resistant to a wide range of commercially available insecticides. To make matters worse, the countless eggs in your bed cannot be destroyed by any known means. In the face of such a stubborn squadron, laymen are at a loss.

    In an emergency, please contact a certified pest controller or exterminator. The professionals use a sophisticated combination method to combat bed bugs. With the help of a special device, the room temperature in the bedroom is heated up to 55° Celsius. At temperatures as low as 45° Celsius, the metabolism of bed bugs breaks down and the bugs die.

    Areas in the bedroom that are difficult to heat, such as carpets, laminate or PVC, are first heated to 35° Celsius to mobilize hidden bed bugs. This trick uses the knee-jerk mechanism with which the bug reacts to moderate increases in temperature because it smells a human blood donor. Instead of a blood meal, however, the exterminator is waiting in front of the hiding place with a special spray that has a deadly effect on bed bugs.

    The downside of the coin is that the hidden eggs cannot be destroyed with the combination method. It is therefore necessary to wait some time until the larvae hatch and to use the control again. This is the reason why exterminating vermin in bed can take many weeks and months.

    Support professional pest control

    With effective immediate measures, those affected by a bed bug plague can support the professional in combating it. This makes sense because you are helping to reduce the use of insecticides and get rid of the plague faster. The experts from the Federal Environment Agency recommend the following methods, among others, in a comprehensive flyer:

    • Freeze: Freeze infested objects at -18° Celsius for 3 days
    • Warm up: put contaminated mattresses, pillows and bed linen in the sauna for 1 hour at 50° Celsius
    • Suck: Vacuum up bed bugs, seal bag tightly, freeze for 24 hours and discard

    It is important to note that you do not bring items from the bedroom into adjacent rooms. By doing this, you make the bug infestation worse because the bugs can spread explosively there.

    Fight mites in bed

    Regular airing reduces house mites in the bed

    Fresh air is anathema to mites in bed. Daily airing is therefore a must if you want to get rid of the bugs. The bed may only be made after it has been aired, so that any moisture that has accumulated during the night can escape. The following measures have proven themselves in practice if you want to fight the small bugs in bed without poisonous spray:

    • Fresh linen on the bed regularly
    • Wash used bed linen at 60°
    • Just turn the bed down in the morning, air it well and then shake it up
    • Wash decorative cushions, cuddly toys or put them in the freezer
    • Vacuum the bedroom daily with a vacuum cleaner and HEPA filter

    If the mites get too restless in bed linen and pillows, the pests will retreat to the mattress. To get rid of the rabble here, you can have the mattress cleaned every three months. Of course, this measure only reduces mite infestation. Experts assume that a maximum of up to 1.5 million mites is reached in a mattress after five to seven years, which makes replacement advisable. You can solve the problem more effectively and ultimately cheaper with a waterbed.

    Get rid of fleas in bed

    Identifying jumping bugs in bed as fleas can be done in minutes. The procedure to fight the bloodsuckers successfully and without chemicals takes much longer. The table above lists tried and tested methods that you should use in a sensible sequence of steps and at short time intervals. How to get rid of fleas in bed:

    1. Mix washing powder with 1 teaspoon of salt and a good dash of vinegar
    2. Remove bed linen and wash at 60° with the washing powder mixture
    3. Take the mattress out of bed and treat it with a steam cleaner
    4. Vacuum clean the bed frame, rug, floor, walls and curtains
    5. Take the vacuum cleaner bag out of the device, tie it up tightly, freeze it overnight and dispose of it in the residual waste bin

    Repeat this process at intervals of 3 to 5 days for a period of 8 weeks. Such a long period ensures that the larvae hatch from existing eggs and are caught by the control.

    supporting measures

    Do you share your life with a dog or a cat? Then you probably have your four-legged friend to thank for the blood-sucking bedfellows. In addition to combating bugs in the bed, you should therefore treat your pet with an anti-flea product from the vet. Please also wash dog and cat blankets every few days with the mixture of washing powder, salt and vinegar.

    A flea trap serves as a control instrument and at the same time reduces the risk of infestation. You can build the trap yourself. To do this, fill a shallow bowl with water, add a tablespoon or two of dish soap, and stir the liquid. Place the bowl on the floor by your bed and shine a lamp on it. The fleas are attracted to the light, jump into the trap and sink because the detergent has reduced the surface tension of the water. Experience has shown that lamps with a yellow-green light source attract significantly more vermin.

    frequently asked Questions

    How do you spot bugs in bed?

    Itching in the morning may be caused by bugs

    Bites, stings and itching are the first signs of bugs in bed. Since bed bugs and their ilk are nocturnal, you will rarely catch the pests in the act. You can spot an infestation by carefully checking your bed and bedroom. Be on the lookout for fecal crumbs, red bloodstains, small scales, and tiny eggs or cream-colored larvae in any hidden, dark places.

    Is there a spray against bugs in the bed?

    Insecticides against bugs in the bed are available from specialist retailers in numerous variants. When using it in bed and bedrooms, the partly unclear, chemical and health-endangering components should be considered. A spray against bed bugs, in particular, only works if it is sprayed directly on the insects. Applying the expensive agent to hiding places, nests and walkways is not successful, but only pollutes the air in the room. Furthermore, the eggs are immune to any spray.

    How long will it take for my bed to be bed bug free?

    Combating a bed bug infestation usually requires multiple treatments spaced two weeks apart. Depending on the intensity of the infestation and your cooperation, it can take three to six months for your bed to be declared a bug-free zone.

    What can I do to avoid bringing bed bugs into my bedroom from vacation?

    When you arrive in your hotel room, you should never unpack your luggage in the immediate vicinity of the bed. Any bed bugs are just waiting to crawl into your suitcase. Keep your luggage tightly locked while on vacation. Check the bed and room regularly for clues, such as fecal crumbs or dead bugs in cracks. When you return home, ideally store your suitcases as far away from the bedroom as possible.

    Are bugs in the bed a sign of poor hygiene?

    No. Infestation with bugs in the bed is not directly related to cleanliness. Bed bugs get into the home through luggage, old furniture and junk. Mites are also present where cleaning and vacuuming is done daily. Annoying fleas cheekily invade living spaces, regardless of the hygienic condition.

    tips

    Double-sided adhesive strips are a good tool when you want to identify bugs in bed. Attach adhesive strips to the bed frame, headboard and feet. The parasites stick to their nocturnal forays and can be identified without a doubt.

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Animals in the garden