Bed bugs are one of the most common pests to experience inside residential houses. On an estimate, one out of five people has had a bed bug infestation. Since this issue is widespread, you can wonder what effects it can lead to people, pets, and homes. They might be tiny creatures, but they are a pain for every homeowner.
It is essential to understand the behavior and effects of bed bug infestation. As a homeowner, you should know how it can affect your health and safety. Also, you should know its impact on your pets and your property.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous to People?
To answer the question, it is yes. Bed bugs provide a danger to people. There are several dangerous effects on people physically, psychologically, and financially. To further understand, here are the reasons why.
Physical Effects on People
Bed bugs are insects that feed on blood and are drawn to body heat. Bed bug bites are always itchy and leave red marks around the body. You can tell that it’s a bed bug when the biters are in clustered lines, and it leaves some stains on your mattress.
Other than itchiness and bite marks, severe exposure to bed bug bites can also lead to some skin allergies and inflammation. And lastly, the bites may begin to be painful and hard to deal with and can cause skin irritation, especially if you constantly scratch your skin.
Psychological Effects on People
The most common psychological effect is insomnia. Since bed bug bites are painful and itchy, it gives you the urge to scratch your skin even when you are asleep constantly. You can wake up from the itchiness, and it often drives you not to have enough sleep. Most homeowners that experience bed bug bites suffer from sleepless nights.
It takes a toll dealing with bed bugs. Sometimes, it can even lead to anxiety. Due to the constant biting during the night, the lack of sleep can have negative effects, especially when thinking properly of a solution. So, if you are suffering from bed bug infestation, tell someone about it!
Financial Effects on People
You can agree that dealing with bed bugs isn’t cheap. Aside from the mental effects of their bites to being unable to be productive, they are also expensive to treat—the cost of chemicals and hiring exterminators to deal with them.
For homeowners with a tight budget, this is a severe problem. Also, if you are a real estate owner or just planning to sell your house, bed bug infestation can decrease its value, resulting in financial loss. Treating them immediately rather than waiting for them to spread to save some of your money is better.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous to Pets?
Compared to humans, bed bugs don’t stick to your pests long. Unlike fleas and ticks, bed bugs prefer to feed human blood instead of your pets. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are immune to bed bugs.
Physical Effects on Your Pets
Bed bugs can still bite your pets. It can produce stress for your cats and dogs. When stressed, you can notice that they scratch their skin a lot. Constantly scratching their skin can lead to skin irritation and hair loss. You can also see some wounds around the skin that scratch the most.
Since bed bugs’ primary food source is blood, there’s still a chance they suck your pet’s blood. Sometimes, your pets can also suffer from blood loss due to bed bug bites. But despite popular beliefs, bed bugs can still affect your pets.
Other Health Effects of Bed Bugs on Your Pets
While bed bugs don’t directly impact your pets in some cases, the treatment you conduct against bed bugs can affect them. Chemicals used for treating bed bugs are lethal, and while it’s a small dosage of what it can do compared to more giant creatures, you and your pets aren’t immune to it.
Also, bugs, like their beds, carpets, and belongings, can lurk where your pets sleep. While it attracts bed bugs, it can also attract other tiny creatures like parasites and leads to infections in your pets.
Importance of Treating Bed Bugs Immediately for Your Pets
It’s common to see someone saying that bed bugs don’t affect pets; you can never be too sure. It’s always better to have the benefit of the doubt. It’s essential to address bed bug infestation for your pet’s well-being.
Treat bed bugs immediately if you want to prevent them from infections, parasites, and stress. Please get rid of the thought in your head that there won’t be any effect of bed bugs on them.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous to Your Home?
Unlike the effects on pets and your health, bed bugs don’t directly affect your property. Compared to termites and rodents, they don’t negatively affect your home’s structure. Plants and landscaping won’t also be affected by bed bugs.
However, you can find the effect of bed bugs inside your home. Aside from the stressful impact they produce on your home and the unpleasant odor, they also decrease the value of your home. Since the cost of exterminating them is costly, it affects the market price of your house. So they are still a threat to your home.
How You Can Address Bed Bug Infestations
Addressing bed bugs has an easier way to conduct. There are DIY steps that a homeowner can personally do to treat their bed bug situation. Aside from that, you can always hire pest control for bed bugs in Atlanta to help you deal with your problems.
Many methods exist to address bed bug infestations, such as heat treatments and chemical sprays. There are certain chemical sprays that you can buy in stores, but using harsh chemicals requires a professional to do it. Some chemicals can be a health risk, so hiring a professional to do it for you is better than doing it yourself.
Also, a dryer is recommended by exterminators that homeowners can do at home since bed bugs are sensitive to heat. An essential part of addressing bed bugs is it prevents them from happening again in the future.
Have a Safety Home for You, Your Pets, and Your Property
Bed bug infestations often lead to health risks. It takes a toll on you psychologically, physically, and financially. They are small, but they have a significant effect on your house. As a homeowner, you should address them immediately to prevent financial loss, sleepless nights, and health-related problems.
Taking proactive measures is essential when you see signs of bed bug infestations inside your home. Bed bugs are resilient and tough to deal with. You should take preventive measures if you don’t want to suffer from a significant infestation. It is excellent to keep your enemies away from your home rather than fight them inside your home.
Lastly, having an expert or a professional to guide you in your home is recommended when dealing with these creatures. Chemicals can also produce dangers to your health and to your pets as well. If you want to keep your home safe and away from these creatures, you can always hire the best bed bug treatment in Atlanta. It will save you trouble and can save you financially too.
