Night Night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.
I can remember hearing that when I was a child. It never occured to me that bed bugs were real. Then I read about Medieval times and I discovered that bed bugs and lice and all sorts of miserable insects were commonplace. That might have been the start of my interest in herbs. A number of different herbs, including lavender were strewn among the rushes or straw that covered the floor of a castle's common room.
Bed bugs were eliminated in the United States, but they have reappeared.
Signs of bed bug infestation had been reported in 28 states by 2002. Homes, apartments, and even posh, world-class hotels have reported them. It seems that the increase of international travel, coupled with a change in the kinds of pesticides available to us account for the infestations. At one time we used pesticides which killed the bugs, but we have since found those pesticides to be dangerous to humans. So, the bed bug thrives, and is carried around the world in suitcases and airplanes.
If you find that you have them, you can dispose of your mattress, or you can set it outside for a few hours this winter. Bedbugs can't survive temperatures below 25 degrees F. With severe infestations, clothing, sheets, bedding and curtains should be doused in boiling water, and washed regularly in hot water. Carpets should be steam cleaned, and vacuumed frequently. Look for pesticides that contain pyrethrin as an active ingredient.
Bed bugs suck human blood. They are a pale tan insect about a quarter of an inch long, and as they feed, they turn a dark red, and can swell to the size of a ladybug. The bugs are drawn to human breath and emerge at night, so the bedroom is the logical place for them to strike. You will realize you have an infestation when you notice small blood stains on walls and sheets. They are able to hibernate up to a year in cracks between floorboards, long after the exterminator is gone.
Even if you are not an international traveler, you could still come in contact with these beggers. Many of the hotel chains in the US are fighting infestations. Orkin offers training seminars for hotels to teach their workers what to look for to head off infestations.
Okay, I've done my duty by spreading the alarm. Just writing about it has made me itch! I think I'm going to go check my bed....
Comments (28)
The story goes that my Great Grandfather lived in an old log cabin that was infested with bedbugs. He saw an ad in a paper for a 'sure cure for bedbugs.' He sent for the miracle cure and got a package a few weeks later. When he unwrapped it he found a tiny little anvil and hammer. No false advertising in those days!
Posted by Roberta | October 1, 2003 1:44 AM
Posted on October 1, 2003 01:44
omg... I itch now after reading that! Thank goodness for my very very new bed!
Roberta, you have me grinning with your story! (is it true?)
Posted by Desiree | October 1, 2003 1:58 AM
Posted on October 1, 2003 01:58
Thanks for giving me the heebie-jeebies!
Posted by bogie | October 1, 2003 6:57 AM
Posted on October 1, 2003 06:57
*scratching all over now* geee thanks!!! Luckily we have a brand new matteres however I'm sure my darlin' pooches do their share of bringing us bed bugs....
Posted by Jamie | October 1, 2003 3:23 PM
Posted on October 1, 2003 15:23
Oh yuck. I remember my father in law telling me that when he was a kid they used to sit the bedposts in can's of kerosene so the bedbugs wouldn't crawl up and get you.
Now you tell me they are back. Ugh.
Posted by Dawn | October 1, 2003 6:35 PM
Posted on October 1, 2003 18:35
I'm really sorry I made all of you itch! I had the same reaction to that story.
Roberta, your story gave me a laugh. I was expecting him to open the package and find matches! lol
Dawn....did that work? I would have been scared to death to sleep near open cans of kerosene, but I understand that the infestations can be so bad they simply make you wild.
Posted by Buffy | October 2, 2003 11:40 AM
Posted on October 2, 2003 11:40
I have these in my home, if someone offers you a 5,000 dollar leather sofa someone "did not want anymore". pass on the offer... I have 26 welts on just my left arm...alone they are back!!! not like I ever knew of them, I am 26. The leather sofa set is gone, however my house is infested!!! orkin man coming monday..till then sleeping on my areobed in the guest room!
Posted by bed bug case1 | October 19, 2003 2:23 AM
Posted on October 19, 2003 02:23
I have these in my home, if someone offers you a 5,000 dollar leather sofa someone "did not want anymore". pass on the offer... I have 26 welts on just my left arm...alone they are back!!! not like I ever knew of them, I am 26. The leather sofa set is gone, however my house is infested!!! orkin man coming monday..till then sleeping on my areobed in the guest room!
Posted by bed bug case1 | October 19, 2003 2:24 AM
Posted on October 19, 2003 02:24
I have found these horrible pests in my apartment and they are discusting. My legs have rashes from the bites and I itch so badly. I finally figured out what they were and am trying to get rid of them but I actually didn't even know there was such a thing and had been itching for well over a month when I found them. Also I live in an expensive apartment in san diego so I never would have expected something like this
Posted by dan | November 13, 2003 3:29 AM
Posted on November 13, 2003 03:29
I have had these disgusting things in my apartment since the day I moved in, almost 5 months ago. I've tried EVERYTHING to eliminate these things, to no avail. I'm so tired of worrying about bites & having to throw away furniture. Like others, I didn't even know these things existed & suffered with hives for 6 very long weeks before finally discovering the source. This is a neverending nightmare. I can't afford to move right now, and even if I do, I'm terrified I'll bring these with me.
Posted by Chrissy | December 22, 2003 10:16 PM
Posted on December 22, 2003 22:16
On Dec 16th, 2003 my body got real achey and I thought I was coming down with the flu. On Dec 18, I broke out in a rash of sorts all over on chest, stomach, armpits, neck, thighs, knees with welts that ranged from a pinhead size to that of a quarter. By Dec 20, this rash or welts had decided to go where the "sun doesn't shine" and it felt like cut glass on my body.
Dec 22, I had an appointment with Internal Medicine physician and he prescribed prednisone for relief and by Jan 2004 all welts/rash gone.
As to what caused it, was my 2 pet roosters. My family and I decided to strip down the house and since we are allergic to alot of pesticides and chemicals we used Tea Tree Oil diluted with water and sprayed the house, backyard, bird aviary, trees and plants.
Check with your local pharmacist about Tea Tree Oil. And also check with your physician.
Posted by katey | January 12, 2004 9:39 PM
Posted on January 12, 2004 21:39
'bout time to haul the infested bed outside!!
Posted by Brad | January 24, 2004 8:00 PM
Posted on January 24, 2004 20:00
I forgot to mention the forecast is for a nice chilly zero* F
Posted by Brad | January 24, 2004 8:01 PM
Posted on January 24, 2004 20:01
Ok I have a doctors appt today because I have this big ass bump the size of my 1 year olds hand on my cheek! what is it? well its not a pimple because it wont pop. and to make matters worse I have a pretend commercial shoot on camera for tomorrows acting class!!! How do i get away with that one? anyway please people if you think what you have is a bed bug bite.... make sure you see a DR. for antibiotic treatment because they double and triple in size if you wait and its an unbelievable pain and itch next to your face all the way to my limph nodes. PAIN and more PAIN. BEWARE IT HAS NOTHING to do with being dirty. read up about it and lets get educated. thanks best luck to all.
Posted by Krys | February 3, 2004 4:44 PM
Posted on February 3, 2004 16:44
Ok I have a doctors appt today because I have this big ass bump the size of my 1 year olds hand on my cheek! what is it? well its not a pimple because it wont pop. and to make matters worse I have a pretend commercial shoot on camera for tomorrows acting class!!! How do i get away with that one? anyway please people if you think what you have is a bed bug bite.... make sure you see a DR. for antibiotic treatment because they double and triple in size if you wait and its an unbelievable pain and itch next to your face all the way to my limph nodes. PAIN and more PAIN. BEWARE IT HAS NOTHING to do with being dirty. read up about it and lets get educated. thanks best luck to all.
Posted by Krys | February 3, 2004 4:45 PM
Posted on February 3, 2004 16:45
Hello
I have read most of these comments on this site and I seriously think I too have these little annoying noctural creatures crawling around at night... ITs soooo bloody annoying ( no pun intended) I wake up with new welts on my body and the itch is crazy. I am getting ready to exterminate my home. I moved into this apt in October of 2003 and it wasn't until my boyfriend moved in Jan that I noticed a month later... I started getting the bites. I later learned my boyfriend stayed at some hostels... before he moved in with me.... Some advice to all.. make sure your stuff is stored properly and not in some dingy old storage place with a lot of old shit because this can happen to you a nd trust me its the most annoying thing ever... every minute you wake up thinking somethin is crawling on you... Its quite tiresome... so now i have to spend more money and get this place fumigated... aaaaaaahhhhh.
marz.
Posted by Marz | March 19, 2004 3:52 AM
Posted on March 19, 2004 03:52
Hello
I have read most of these comments on this site and I seriously think I too have these little annoying noctural creatures crawling around at night... ITs soooo bloody annoying ( no pun intended) I wake up with new welts on my body and the itch is crazy. I am getting ready to exterminate my home. I moved into this apt in October of 2003 and it wasn't until my boyfriend moved in Jan that I noticed a month later... I started getting the bites. I later learned my boyfriend stayed at some hostels... before he moved in with me.... Some advice to all.. make sure your stuff is stored properly and not in some dingy old storage place with a lot of old shit because this can happen to you a nd trust me its the most annoying thing ever... every minute you wake up thinking somethin is crawling on you... Its quite tiresome... so now i have to spend more money and get this place fumigated... aaaaaaahhhhh.
marz.
Posted by Marz | March 19, 2004 3:52 AM
Posted on March 19, 2004 03:52
so upset. not sure if it is bed bugs or not but I caught one sucking on my skin its narrow little head bobbing up and down I am so upset thought I had bed bugs before and had thought I got rid of them is there anything I can put on my face to stop them from biting me? aghhhhh!!!
Posted by K | June 23, 2004 3:30 AM
Posted on June 23, 2004 03:30
Dear all, I've been another victim of bed bugs and I tell you, its one of the worst things that could ever happen. Its been over a year since it first appeared in my home, I've throwed infested beds away, and bought new beds. I cleaned the room before my new bed arrived. But now, I'm in the middle of the night writing this to all of you with no where to sleep because I just found I've got bitten. Should I get an exterminater, will it really solve the problem? God help me.
Posted by Ryan Wong | August 17, 2004 4:01 PM
Posted on August 17, 2004 16:01
I came to US from Turkey. in Turkey they used to make fun of the people who have bed bugs at their house because it was a sign if not being clean. I said "used to" because my generation rarely knows those bugs. There are some old sayings about them. To tell the truth no one in Turkey could imagine that there was a bed bug problem in US, me neither!!! It has been 3 weeks since we moved to NH. My wife is in a pretty bad condition. And the things I read today are not appealing. Lets see what happens.
Posted by Fatih | August 18, 2004 12:38 AM
Posted on August 18, 2004 00:38
can you carry them around, what does it take for them to go on someone by you ?
Posted by lori rubin | September 16, 2004 12:22 PM
Posted on September 16, 2004 12:22
Lori,
Go to the site listed below. It has extensive information on the bed bug:
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef636.htm
How Infestations Originate
It often seems that bed bugs arise from nowhere. The bugs are efficient hitchhikers and are usually transported in on luggage, clothing, beds, furniture, etc. Outbreaks can often be traced to international travel from countries where the bugs are common, such as Asia, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, or Central/South America. This is a particular problem for hotels, motels, and apartments, where turnover of occupants is constant. Bed bugs are small, cryptic and agile, escaping detection after crawling into suitcases, boxes, and belongings. The eggs are almost impossible to see when laid on most surfaces. Purchase or rental of secondhand mattresses, box springs, and furniture is another way that the bugs are transported into previously non-infested dwellings.
Posted by Buffy | September 16, 2004 2:14 PM
Posted on September 16, 2004 14:14
i have read all these comments and i also have bedbugs in my apt. i'm coming to the conclusion that i may have to move and bring absolutely nothing with me as they will just come back. after reading all available on the internet on bedbugs i am very discouraged that they may never be gone....they can hide so easily. my apt has been exterminated twice and their back more than ever...tonite i am throwing out my matress, box spring and my bed and even pictures and posters (as they hide their too) as it is wooden and bed bugs love wood. i am then going to have my landlord steam clean my carpet, fumigate again and seal any cracks and crevices and then i'm getting a metal framed bed (because they can't climb or hide on slippery surfaces), new mattresses and a 'dust-mite' mattress cover as bedbugs supposedly cannot bite through them and are stuck under in your mattress. i'm telling you all this because this is the worst bug i have ever heard of, worse than ants and roaches... and the ironic part is my friends think i have 'OCD' because i clean so much. doesn't matter how clean u are, bed bugs like clean mattresses just as much. hopefully my landlord will pay for all my troubles and i don't end up in court. If anyone has any further advice, pls write. thanks.
Posted by Barbara | September 21, 2004 11:46 AM
Posted on September 21, 2004 11:46
Barbara, I'm sorry to hear that someone has shared these nasty critters with you. I don't have anything else to suggest. It looks like you've searched the same places on the web that I have, in an effort to learn more. I wish you the best, and hope you succeed in your efforts to eradicate them.
Posted by Buffy | September 23, 2004 1:08 PM
Posted on September 23, 2004 13:08
I just found out my five year old daughter has been bitten up by bed bugs. I am crying I feel so bad. both my husband and I thought they were insect bites. We just got a new bed for her and I I belive the mattres was referbished. Ipulled out a bin from under her bed and found them dead.they look like tiny ones. Im so hurt just to know those nasty bed bugs are biting up my daughter.
Posted by jessi | October 3, 2004 11:06 PM
Posted on October 3, 2004 23:06
I just found out my five year old daughter has been bitten up by bed bugs. I am crying I feel so bad. both my husband and I thought they were insect bites. We just got a new bed for her and I I belive the mattres was referbished. Ipulled out a bin from under her bed and found them dead.they look like tiny ones. Im so hurt just to know those nasty bed bugs are biting up my daughter.
Posted by jessi | October 3, 2004 11:06 PM
Posted on October 3, 2004 23:06
spent the summer being told it was insect bites then my husband saw them in the bed have just had the house fumigated. but they are still running around. sorry to tell you the kids have metal beds and they are still getting to them. please help me dont want to go to bed now.
Posted by karen | October 6, 2004 8:28 PM
Posted on October 6, 2004 20:28
Jessi,
I am sorry to hear that your doughter was bitten. I have a 9 months old babygirl and they bite her too. I know how bed it is.
I want to tell you: Take appropriate actions fast. It has been 2 months and probably We gopt rid of them. Throw out the bed you bought for her, wash and dry hot all the clothes and beddings. Get your apartment exterminated making sure they know what are they exterminating for. And be patient because it takes a while for them to die.
If you have some items you can not hotwash you can put them in the freezer (We did like that but I can not guarantee if it works-logically it should)
And pray. Those thing are meant to remind us we are needy and there is God most mercifull.
Take care
Posted by Fatih | October 10, 2004 12:42 PM
Posted on October 10, 2004 12:42