Natural Rid of Bed Bug Bites {Home Remedies}

Natural Rid of Bed Bug Bites {Home Remedies}

Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, however, their bodies swell and are a reddish color.

Bedbugs do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. Female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, over a lifetime.

Immature bedbugs, called nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Under favorable conditions the bugs can develop fully in as little as a month and produce three or more generations per year.

Although they are a nuisance, they do not transmit diseases.

Natural Way to Treat Bed Bug Bites

The severity of symptoms associated with bed bug bites varies for each individual. Some people might not even know they were bitten, while others may be so allergic to the bites that they develop a rash and extreme itching. Before you try remedies to treat bed bug bites, make sure a bed bug is responsible.

Inspect the bites carefully.
Bed bug bites commonly resemble other insect bites, including mosquito bites. They typically involve a raised, reddish bump but can also appear as a blister. Bed bug bites are very difficult to distinguish from other insect bites; even a clinical physician cannot usually diagnose bites simply by looking at them.[1]
Bed bugs do, however, have a unique bite pattern. Although some bites may appear alone, most bites occur in a row of three to five bites (termed "breakfast, lunch, and dinner") or in a cluster of red bumps (a rash called bedbug dermatitis). The bites often appear in a zig-zag formation.
Bites tend to occur on exposed areas of the body, such as the neck, face, feet, and arms. In contrast to mosquito bites, bed bug bites rarely occur on the back of the knees or in the folds of the skin.
The bumps or the rash typically resolve themselves within one two weeks. However, although an individual bite or set of bites may heal, if you have not eradicated the problem through pest extermination, then you may continue to get bitten. As long as there are bed bugs, they will try to get at you.

Check your home for signs of bed bugs.
Start with where you sleep. Bed bugs want to be where people are so they can get the warm blood of humans. A telling sign is red spots on the sheets. These may come from a bed bug that was squashed after feeding, or from the bites left on you when the bug finished feeding on you.[2]
Inspect your entire mattress, including the lining and seams. Look for sleeping bed bugs, carcasses, empty skins (their exoskeletons) and feces (this will look like little black spots or smudges). Check your sheets, pillow cases, and pillows as well.
It is very difficult to see and catch a living bed bug. They are tiny brownish insects with broad, oval-shaped bodies. are very good at hiding. However, finding a bed bug is the only way to confirm that that is indeed what bit you.

Wash the bites with soap and water.
Wash the area with mild soap and water; use a bar of soap and enough water to wet surface of hands. Work the soap in your hands into thick, soapy lather. Rub the lather over the affected area liberally. Repeat until the entire area is covered. Leave on; do not rinse; allow the soap lather to dry over the bitten areas. You should experience immediate relief from itching.[4]
Washing the bites with soapy water can help alleviate itchiness and prevent a skin infection.

Natural Ways to Treatment of bed bug bites {Home Remedies}.

Ice Pack on Effected Area
The cold temperature from ice can help numb the nerve endings, thus relieving the itching sensation caused by bed bug bites. It will also help calm the swelling.

Wrap a few ice cubes in a thin towel.
Place it on the affected area.
Remove it after 10 to 15 minutes.
Repeat as needed.

Apply Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, helps neutralize acidic chemicals that could be causing the itching from a bed bug bite. Being an anti-inflammatory agent, it also helps reduce swelling and redness.

Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 3 teaspoons of water.
Apply the mixture generously on the affected area.
Leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off.

Lemon Juice Treatment For Bed Bug Bite
Being a natural astringent, lemon juice helps dry out rashes caused by bed bug bites and keeps itching at bay. Plus, its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties help reduce redness and swelling as well as prevent infection.

Dip a cotton ball in lemon juice.
Dab it on the bed bug bites.
Let it air dry, then rinse the affected area.
Do this a few times a day.
Note: Lemon juice may make your skin susceptible to sunburn. Do not go out in the sun for a few hours after using this remedy.

Witch Hazel
Witch hazel is a liquid astringent that you can get from a drug store. Mostly used as a facial cleanser, it can also help calm itching caused by bed bug bites because it contains tannins that have a mild anesthetic effect.

Soak a cotton ball in witch hazel.
Place it on the affected area.
Remove the cotton ball after 10 minutes.
Repeat as needed.

Aloe Vera Gel for Bed Bug Bites Remedy
Succulent aloe vera gel is soothing for your skin. Its active compounds and amino acids help ease itching and burning caused by bed bug and other insect bites. It also aids healing the skin by keeping it moisturized.

Rinse an aloe vera leaf and slit it open.
Scoop out the gel and apply it on your bed bug bites.
Store the remaining gel in the refrigerator. Apply it a few times a day for a couple of days.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is another effective remedy for bed bug bites as it helps relieve itching and burning, thanks to its acetic acid content with anti-inflammatory properties. If you do not have apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar.