Most Americans’ experience with bed bugs is limited to a familiar but peculiar little saying that parents have long shared with their children at tuck-in time—“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” However, bed bugs aren’t just the stuff of childhood proverbs. They’re a very real problem, and they’ve made a resurgence worldwide. What’s more, once they’ve established a population, these little bloodsuckers can be quite difficult to eradicate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs are reddish-brown in color, lack wings, and can range in size from 1mm to 7mm. These tiny parasitic insects feed by sucking the blood of humans or other animals while they sleep and can survive for several months without a meal.
Bed bugs feed on exposed areas of skin, usually the face, neck, arms, and hands. When biting, they inject an anesthetic and anticoagulant, so they cause no pain to the sleeping host. Often—but not always—the bites produce small, itchy, red welts, which according to the CDC can take anywhere from one day to a few weeks to appear. Bite marks can be random or aligned in a row, and it’s often difficult to discern bed bug bites from a skin rash or the bites of mosquitoes, fleas, or other biting insects.
Reactions to bed bug bites vary considerably, as well. Some people seem to have no reaction whatsoever and may not even notice that they’ve been fed upon. Others may experience an allergic reaction ranging from mild to (in rare cases) severe. Though the CDC reports that bed bugs are not known to spread disease, it’s noteworthy that excessive scratching of bites can lead to secondary bacterial infection, warranting medical attention.
Bed bugs tend to flourish in places where many people share close quarters or there is a frequent turnover of nighttime occupants, such as hotels, motels, hostels, cruise ships, dormitories, apartment complexes, military barracks, hospitals, homeless shelters, buses, and trains. Contrary to popular misconception, infestations are not limited to dirty or unsanitary environments. Even the most meticulously maintained facility can harbor bed bugs as long as there are warm-bodied hosts to feed on and places to hide.
The CDC website (CDC.gov) states, “Bed bugs are found across the globe from North and South America, to Africa, Asia and Europe. Although the presence of bed bugs has traditionally been seen as a problem in developing countries, it has recently been spreading rapidly in parts of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe. Bed bugs have been found in fivestar hotels and resorts, and their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found.”
Bed bugs typically stay in close proximity to a host, so when they aren’t feeding, they drop off and take refuge in nearby nooks and crannies, such as in the mattress, box springs, bed frame, drapery, carpeting, or other upholstered furniture. They’ll even refuge under peeling wallpaper or paint, behind light switches or in electrical outlets, under carpet tack strips, in window or door frames, behind baseboards, behind pictures or other wall hangings, in stuffed animals, or in virtually any other crack or crevice in the vicinity. If you happen to be spending the night in an infested hotel or motel, you might accidentally bring bed bugs home in your luggage, clothing, or other belongings.
Owing to their diminutive size and nocturnal nature, bed bugs aren’t always easy to spot. In addition to telltale bites on the skin, common signs of their presence include rust-colored or dark specks (their excrement) on the mattress, bed linens, or walls; bloody smears on the sheets from crushed bed bugs; and molted exoskeletons near hiding places. If the infestation is severe, you might also notice an offensive sweet, musty odor, which is produced by the bed bugs’ scent glands.
To avoid introducing bed bugs to your home, be very cautious about bringing in secondhand beds (mattresses, bedsprings, frames, etc.), bedding, furniture, or clothing. If you do, inspect it thoroughly for evidence of an infestation. Questionable clothing, bed linens, curtains, drapes, or similar items should be laundered thoroughly in hot water (a minimum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill any stowaway bed bugs. Placing garments or fabrics in the clothes dryer at medium to high heat for a minimum of 20 minutes will also kill bed bugs and their eggs.
When traveling and staying in hotels, motels, or similar lodging, inspect the bed and surrounding areas for telltale signs or the bugs themselves and be sure to store your suitcases on an elevated surface, such as a rack, table, or dresser, not on the floor. Before leaving, double check your luggage and its contents carefully. Once you get home, launder your clothing at the hottest recommended water temperature for the fabric and dry it at the highest recommended setting.
If you suspect your home has become infested with bed bugs, your best bet is to contact a qualified pest-management professional. Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to control once they get a foothold, and homeowners’ efforts to eradicate them on their own often yield unsatisfactory results. A qualified professional will utilize an integrated approach that is not only safe for you and your family, but also effective against these resilient parasites. ✲
