Perhaps you have had bed bugs and have seen our article about how to get rid of them here. (If not, maybe you want to read it first.) However, bed bugs are not lovely and may leave you wondering, can they get in your hair?
No one likes having creepy crawlies in their bed with them, and even fewer people like the idea of them getting into their hair.
Can Bed Bugs Get In Your Hair?
As I have said, having bed bugs in your hair is something many fear. However, getting straight into the answer, yes, they can get into your hair. Nothing stops them from climbing out of your bed’s nooks and into your hair. However, on the good side, they do not like human hair or skin.
Where Would You Get Bed Bugs In Your Hair?
The most common time you will find bed bugs in your hair is in the middle of the night if they are using your hair to hide. They will do that if they are trying to get from one place to another, and your hair is the fastest and safest way to do it.
Alternatively, if you are in a hotel for the night and have bed bugs, they may use your hair to transport themselves to your home. Not only will you get bed bugs from a hotel or motel, though. They do not care if they are in a bed, a seat, or furnished. So, you may get them from a bus, train, or even an aeroplane journey.
If you think about it, if they can climb into your hair to travel, they can do so in anyone else’s hair, too. So, if the person sitting in the seat before you have them, you may find them in your home shortly after.
Bed bugs are nocturnal insects and do not like being out in the open during the day. So, it is doubtful that you will find them on your skin or hair. If you find bugs in your hair, you are much more likely to see fleas, ticks, or lice. But bed bugs in your hair are still possible if you have been in the wrong locations at the wrong time.
What About The Eggs?
Again, the answer to this is, unfortunately, yes, they can get into your hair and lay eggs. Alternatively, the eggs may fall into your hair from the same places in which you could get them in the first place.
The worst thing about that is that you can transfer them around your home through that means too. So, if you have bed bug eggs in your hair and then get into the car, you may find an infestation issue in your car too.
Any Good Points?
Yes, there is some good news. Bed bugs do not like human hair or skin for long periods. They may bite you for your blood. However, they are unlikely to stay there for any length.
One problem with that fact is that if you find them in your hair, you have a huge problem. You now need to get rid of the bugs.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs From Your Hair
No one wants to have bed bugs in their hair, but I hope that even fewer numbers of people want to be spraying themselves with insecticides to kill them. So, here are some steps that you can take to get rid of them:
- Shampoo. – Regular shampoo should suffice to remove bed bugs and their eggs. They have different anatomy when compared to ticks and lice. Ticks can grip onto your hair follicles and scalp using claw-like legs. However, bed bugs do not have them, so they can not stay in your hair for long. Regular washing should remove all of them.
- Combing. – Using a fine-toothed comb should rid your hair of the remaining bed bugs and the eggs.
- Use bug shampoo. – You can use many shampoos to remove lice, ticks, and other bugs. Using them may help to get rid of bed bugs and their eggs. You will only need to try these if the other two steps do not work.
- Essential Oils. – Adding some of the essential oils that bed bugs do not like, to your regular shampoo will deter them from staying on your hair. Some of the options include:
- Eucalyptus.
- Rosemary.
- Lemon.
- Cedar Wood.
- Peppermint.
Add a few drops of the oil into your regular shampoo, shake vigorously, and use it as usual. If you do not want to use a whole bottle of shampoo, you can add one or two drops to a blob of shampoo in your hand and mix well.
One thing to note, however, is that shampoo is a surfactant. It mixes water and oil to clean your hair. However, if you add oil to it, you will not get much of a lather, and you will have to rewash it.
If you are using the oil to eliminate the bed bugs in your hair, perhaps leave it on for a little while before washing it off again.
Conclusion
While bed bugs do not like living in human hair, or pet fur, you may still find them there. Using the methods that you have seen above should get rid of them. However, you will still have them in your home. For that, you may want to call an exterminator. Use our service here. Alternatively, you may want to try some of the remedies you saw in the other bed bug article about getting rid of them.
Even if you do not find them very often, you still want to treat
You may need to get rid of your mattress and buy a new one if you regularly see them in your hair.
