Do Bed bugs Go in Your Ears?

Can bed bugs live in your ears?

Well, there is no straight answer to this. You can, however, find bedbugs in your ears, but this is very rare. However, since bed bugs feed on warm blood and attach to your skin to get their food, you may find them (especially their nymphs) in areas around your external ears but not deep inside, as bed bugs prefer to live near their host, where they can multiply quickly, rather than living on their host, which is against their instincts.

A case study presented by the National Library of Medicine in 2012 revealed the condition in which a bed bug at the nymph stage was found in the ear of a 23-year-old man and adhered to his tympanic membrane. Thus, it is practically possible to find bed bugs in one's ear, but it is very rare.

Based on what you now know about bed bugs, you should understand how they spread and how you can prevent them from invading your home or workplace.

Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on blood. They have a silky body, a flat oval-shaped body with a dark brown colour, and three distinct body parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases, but their bites can cause allergic reactions in some people. Most people think bed bugs are only a problem in low-income areas, but they can also be a problem in high-income areas—hotels and other areas with high rental rates. Even homes with reasonable rental rates can have bed bug problems if the occupants lack knowledge of how to prevent them.

Bed bugs can travel between flats and rooms without any difficulty.

Bed bugs usually enter houses through clothing or furniture brought into someone's home by visitors or residents who do not change their clothing or clean their shoes before entering your home. After detecting warm climates, bed bugs choose to enter homes this way since it is a quicker way to get to their target food source—people. When bed bugs enter your home via clothing or furniture, they are likely looking for a place to wait until nightfall before seeking a human host. After finding a spot to hide during the day, the bed bug will go dormant (diapause), then come out at night before attacking again. When seeking a human host, bed bugs prefer to stay near their host rather than live on them. When they discover their activity, they move closer to the host, injecting their bloodthirsty saliva into our bodies and feeding on our blood.

Maintaining good hygiene is essential to keep your space clean and free from bugs.

People are the best food source for bed bugs since they spread quickly and reluctantly fight back when attacked by them. Maintaining good living conditions will help reduce both types of issues—plus, ensuring your living area is neat will aid you in keeping away these pesky insects and reduce the clutter that could attract them in the first place.

Unlike other insects, bed bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts

Bed bugs have a tube-like mouthpart called a proboscis for sucking blood from their targets. Bed bugs don't have teeth, but they have a similar structure known as a stylet for chewing through their host's skin cells and an appendage at the end of their maxillae to inject toxins into their host. A study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information has revealed that bed bugs can survive outside their host's body and habitat for up to a year without blood; this is where they become inactive, and once they find a dwelling place and a host to feed on, they become active again. 

Bed bugs and their hiding places

Most people will find bed bug colonies in cracks, crevices, drawers, sockets, and most dark areas of the home. Their small size makes it easy for them to hide anywhere in your home. People also tend to find bedbug colonies in bedrooms due to easy access to their host. They also tend to live in crevices and cracks because it provides them with the optimal temperature for reproduction, growth, and survival. These insects don't fly; instead, they use their body weight to push themselves along their resting surface. Bed bug infestations occur when people are sleeping. Due to this, bedbug treatment tends to be more effective during the daytime, when people are awake and active.

Preventing Bed Bugs

Prevention is better than cure! Therefore, you must avoid bed bugs while you can before they begin to infest your home. Lucky you! You are on the right page. The paragraphs below will provide insights into ways to prevent bed bug infestation.

Follow the pest control procedure

One of the best ways to prevent an infestation is to follow proper pest control procedures when buying or occupying the property. For example, before you bring any items from your previous home into your new one, check for bed bugs. Also, ensure all your items are clean before using them in your home—including furniture, sheets and mattress covers. 

Keep your home clean

Keeping your home clean will also help prevent you from being targeted by these pesky pests while you're away from home. Wash all items in hot water after returning from trips you've made away from home. This will kill any bed bugs you may have accidentally brought back with you while out and about.

Get help from a professional exterminator

You can get rid of the bedbugs, but do it right. An exterminator will be able to help with this task. They will know how to kill bed bugs, remove them safely, and get rid of eggs and larvae. The goal of treatment is to eliminate bed bugs without harming anything else (your pets) or disrupting the environment. The medicine may cause a little mess and require you to keep the area around your bed clean for several days.

Check our previous posts for more effective ways to deal with a bed bug infestation.

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FAQs

Where do bed bugs hide your body?

As explained above, bed bugs don't live on the host but feed on the host's blood. However, you may find them in your ear or hair, but it is implausible.

Will I get sick when bitten by bed bugs?

Bed bugs don't spread disease or illness, but their bites may cause some allergic reactions. Several bites and uncontrolled infestation by bedbugs can also cause anemia.

What will happen when bed bugs get into your ear?

The possibility of bed bugs in your ear is infrequent, but when this occurs, they get a sip of your blood. However, they may get trapped by the wax from your ear. In this case, I advise you to visit your doctor to help you check it out.

What do I do when I find too many bed bugs in my house?

I recommend you get a professional bed bug exterminator. But if you can't find one, you can check our previous post on ways to prevent bedbugs or kindly seek help.

Can I get rid of bed bugs?

Although bedbug infestation may be difficult to control, yes, when done correctly, you can get rid of all the bed bugs around you.