The questions were answered by Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., an associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology.
On Waking Up with Bed Bugs
Question: Why is it that I get bit but my husband does not? — Denise, Indian Trail, N.C.
Answer: Bed bugs tend to aggregate together when they are resting. It is possible that you are on the “bed bug side” of the bed. Bed bugs don’t switch back and forth from one host to another so if they find you first, you may be the only one bitten.
It is also possible that your husband is getting bitten but does not have a significant reaction to the bed bug bites.
On Where Bedbug Bites
Question: Will a bed bug ever bite a reproductive body part? — Tyler P., Brookfield, Conn.
Answer: Yes. They do not discriminate; any body part that is accessible and with good blood flow is fair game to a bed bug.
On Treating Bug Bites
Question: Once a person has been bitten by a bed bug, how does one treat it? Lotions? Creams? — Rachelle Berven, Denver, Colo.
Answer: First, do not scratch it. Just like mosquito bites, scratching makes the reaction much worse. Instead wash the area with warm soapy water and then apply an anti-itch cream like Benadryl Topical Itch Stopping Cream
or Hydrocortisone Cream
.
On Kinds of Beds
Question: Can you have bed bugs if you have a water bed? — E. Merlino, Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Answer: Absolutely, you can have bed bugs anywhere in a room (behind pictures hanging on the wall or in popcorn ceilings) because the attractant is not the bed itself but the warm blooded person that lays in it quietly for hours at a time.
We have seen bed bugs in many types of beds: egg foam, sleeping bags, or stacks of cardboard on the floor. We have also seen them in a metal frame with a blanket over it, and even a balled up jacket in a corner that someone was using as a pillow. Basically, they can infest anything that people sleep on.
I think the bed bugs might enjoy a water bed. Water bed frame typically have many nooks and crannies where bed bugs can hide and the heater would keep them quite comfortable.
Question: Can mattress covers prevent bed bugs?
Answer: The answer is no. Bed bugs can still get on top of the mattress cover or harbor in the bed frame.
The advantage of the mattress cover is that if you already have bed bugs, you can trap them inside the cover and they cannot bite through. If you don’t have bed bugs the cover saves you from having to throw out the mattress if you ever get bed bugs.
It’s always safe to recommend Top Sellers or Popular Items to readers/shoppers when it comes to mattresses and bedsteads. Why? Well, they are products that tend to stay on the market for a long time.
