Bed Bugs 101

Yuck. This year five Ohio cities made a list no one wants to be on. “Orkin’s 2023 Top Bed Bug Cities” compiled data based on metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2021 – November 30, 2022. It’s important to note, this list does not indicate a bedbug population, but the number of treatments in a metro area. This is how cities in Ohio ranked:

#4 Cleveland-Akron

#10 Columbus

#13 Cincinnati

#34 Dayton

#38 Toledo

So, What Are They?

Bedbugs are tiny insects about one-quarter inch long. They like to hide in bedding, mattresses, walls and furniture during the day and come out at night. Like mosquitoes, bedbugs bite people and animals and survive on their blood. Unlike mosquitoes, bedbugs are not known to spread disease to people.

Bedbugs are cream-colored to brown, but they turn reddish-brown after they eat. People who are bitten by bedbugs may find itchy spots on their skin, which can lead to scratching. If the scratching breaks the skin, the sores can get infected. Some people may have a large skin reaction to the bites, while others in the same home may notice nothing at all.

Where Are Bedbugs Found?

Bedbugs may be found in shelters, apartment buildings, motels and even the best hotels – anywhere large numbers of people move in and out. They can come into your home on luggage, purses, furniture, clothing, pillows, boxes and other objects. Bedbugs like small dark spaces, so during the day they hide in the seams of bedding and mattresses and in crevices in floors, furniture and paper clutter. Bedbugs are not a cleanliness issue—they can live in the cleanest of environments.

What Signs and Symptoms Do They Cause?

Bedbugs leave dark pink or red, itchy, sometimes swollen, bites on the skin. Bites can occur on any body area. Often the bites are clustered or in a straight row. Other signs include:

• Tiny bloodstains on sheets and mattresses.
• Dark marks where bedbugs have left droppings in places like bedding, floors, walls and furniture.
• A strange, sweet odor when there are large numbers of bedbugs.

How to Treat the Itching and Scratching

• It may help to put socks on your child’s hands to prevent scratching.
• Keep your child’s fingernails cut short to stop him from scratching open the skin. Placing socks over the child’s hands may help to keep him from scratching.
• Itching may continue for a while after the bedbugs are gone. If itching bothers your child, ask your doctor to prescribe a medicine to help stop itching.

When to Call the Doctor

Call the doctor if your child has any of these signs:

• An allergic reaction (trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, rash and/or swelling.
• Infection at the itching site: redness that does not go away but gets worse; yellow drainage and increased pain around the bug bite.
• Fever – temperature above 100° F under the arm.

Remember, if you discover bedbugs in your home, you’ll be in good company—after all Columbus is #9 on the bedbug list. If you find them, don’t panic. Simply call a bug-removing service, and touch base with your child’s doctor if you have additional concerns.