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Bed bugs aren't just coming to a bed or hotel near you, these sneaky buggers are getting everywhere. From the most exclusive hotel rooms, to the item you just bought on eBay. And because these things are masters at the art of concealing themselves in darkness, there is virtually no place they can't get to. Even something that appears to be clean and sanitized can be harboring bed bugs in the tiniest crevice. They can travel by bus, train, plane, or automobile. They can hitch a ride on our clothes, luggage, shoes, or handbag. They can be sitting with you at the movie theater, cruising with you on a ship, or even laying with you in a hospital bed.
Contrary to what you may believe, bed bugs do not discriminate between the rich and the poor, or the neat and the messy -- We are all equally vulnerable to these infestations. What is even more scary is that these bugs are becoming more and more immune to the chemicals used to kill them. The only good thing we know about bed bugs is they don't seem to carry any diseases. But that doesn't change the fact that they are disgusting, unwanted, blood-sucking parasites that attack when we are at our most vulnerable, asleep.
Warning: If you're already a little sicked-out by this post, you may want to skip this video.
From Battling Bedbugs Is a Brutal Business...
There are two useful early warning signs of a bedbug problem: bites and blood spots. Unfortunately, while itchy bug bites may draw attention to the problem, they aren't the best indicator. To begin with, between 30% and 50% of people aren't allergic to bedbug bites, and they often remain blissfully unaware that they've even been bitten. Of the remaining 50% to 70%, most will only show small welts that are indistinguishable from mosquito bites. In fact, the main difference between mosquito and bedbug bites is that the little redcoats often leave a line of two or three bites -- a formation that some experts refer to as "breakfast, lunch and dinner."
An even better indication that the critters have arrived is brown or black spots on bedding. Bedbugs often defecate while eating, leaving behind smears of partially digested blood. Later, when they return to their lairs, they excrete even more, depositing telltale collections of dark spots. If either dark spots or the three-bite formation show up, chances are good that bedbugs are nearby.
This is from a BlogHer post by Chris Olson - What You Need to Know about Bed Bugs...
A Joint Statement on Bed Bug Control in the United States from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) was issued in August. Although the exact cause of the resurgence is not known, according to the CDC:
"Experts suspect the resurgence is associated with increased resistance of bed bugs to available pesticides, greater international and domestic travel, lack of knowledge regarding control of bed bugs due to their prolonged absence, and the continuing decline or elimination of effective vector/pest control programs at state and local public health agencies."
Recently, I spoke to someone in the extermination business to get a better sense of the bed bug problem. Here are a few surprising things he told me ...
- Bed bugs are not so tiny that we couldn't see them (they are actually about 1/4 inch long), we just don't see them because they are that good
