Bedbugs Are Back!

Yes, it's true.  Post World War II, bedbugs were for the most part eradicated with DDT--a pesticide that has since been banned because of its toxic effects on the environment. However, they seem to be in the news more and more lately, perhaps due to increased frequency in international travel, immigration and insecticide resistance.

Bedbugs are flat, oval and reddish-brown and tend to hide in mattresses, box springs, headboards and bed frames.  They can also be found in the seams of upholstered furniture, under peeling paint or wallpaper or near baseboards under carpeting.

Bedbugs are more commonly found in crowded places that have a high turnover of people, such as dorms, hotels, shelters and apartment complexes.

In terms of bedbug bites, they are sometimes hard to distinguish from other bug bites.  In general, they tend to be itchy and red, often with a darker spot in the middle, arranged in a line or cluster and located on the arms, hands, face and neck.  Bites from bedbugs do not usually require medical treatment, but if you experience an allergic reaction or develop an infection, you will want to visit your doctor.

If you suspect bedbugs, be sure to inspect your home at night, when they are active.  Some of the signs you can look for include empty exoskeletons (they shed their skin as they grow into adults), bloody smears on your sheets (where engorged bugs have been crushed accidentally) and dark specks along mattress seams (bedbug excrement).

You can treat your home yourself to a point, by washing sheets and other infested items in hot water, but professional treatment is usually recommended.

To prevent bedbugs, be sure to inspect any secondhand items you bring into your home (especially furniture), check your mattress when you sleep in a hotel and eliminate any bat or bird habitats neighboring your home that may serve as a refuge for bedbugs.

Photo credit: Mayo Clinic