Bed Bugs

That cute little bedtime rhyme, "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," is turning into a modern day nightmare. Bed bugs are big news, and for good reason. The crafty creatures are making an alarming resurgence after being on the decline for more than 50 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Why they are a problem is still unclear. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), their return might be associated with more national and international travel. That's not all. EPA says the lack of knowledge in how to manage bed bug infestations could also be a reason. On the bright side, you don't have to cancel your travel plans. Bed bug bites are not considered deadly. According to CDC, bed bugs aren't known to carry any disease people are susceptible to. And there are ways of finding out if they have checked into a hotel before you.

What are bed bugs?

Cimex lectularius is Latin for bed bug. In plain English, they are blood sucking external parasites. CDC likens them to head lice. (Read about "Head Lice") EPA and CDC, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) do consider this nocturnal nuisance to be a public health pest. The good news is these oval shaped creepy crawlers are fairly easy to identify. Here are some traits that might help you to find out if you are dealing with a bed bug:

• reddish-brown color
• wingless
• range in size from 1-7 millimeters
• small and flat
• hide out in areas where people sleep

Bed bugs also have their own set of unique skills, making them expert hiders and hitchhikers. EPA lists the following traits:

• feed on blood of sleeping people and animals
• hide during the day in cracks and seams, crevices and clutter
• can live without a blood meal for several months
• can travel 100 feet in a night
• live within 8 feet of where people sleep
• travel in the seams and folds of luggage

Bed bugs like to hang out in any location where people sleep. They have been reported in apartments, rooming houses, dormitories, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, cruise ships and public modes of transportation.

Health threats

Bed bugs can cause different reactions in different people. Sometimes the impact is physical and sometimes it's a mental reaction. A bed bug's bite can lead to anything from small bite marks, to secondary infections. Here are just some of the ways a bed bug may leave its mark, according to CDC:

• small bite marks usually on face, neck, arms and hands (Read about "Insect Bites")
• itchy welts resembling hives (Read about "Hives")
• allergic reaction (Read about "Allergies")
• severe allergic reaction; anaphylaxis (Read about "Anaphylaxis")
• secondary infections of skin like impetigo (Read about "Impetigo")
• anxiety (Read about "Anxiety")
• insomnia (Read about "Sleep")

Usually people don't even realize they've been bitten until a bite mark appears. EPA says bed bugs inject an anesthetic and anticoagulant that prevents you from feeling the bite. The bite marks may be random or in a straight line. Sometimes the bite marks take as long as two weeks to develop, according to EPA.

Treatment

If you do find a bite mark and believe a bed bug is to blame, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that you wash the bite area(s) with soap and water. Ice can help control swelling and a no itch cream or antihistamine can relieve the itch. Should you suffer a rare allergic reaction or infection, AAD suggests you seek immediate medical help. Signs of infection include tenderness around the bite, and discharge from the wound.

People at risk for bed bug bites are those who travel frequently and share sleeping quarters with other people, according to CDC.

How to detect bed bugs

If a bed bug finds you, you become the host. However, if you find the bed bug, you can check out before you become its next meal. There are several ways to tell whether the bed bug is in the boudoir, according to AAD:

• Lift and look - check under sheets and mattresses. Bed bugs often leave pinprick size drops of blood or brown droppings in these areas. As they grow, bed bugs shed their skins. These too will be quite visible to the naked eye.
• Take a deep breath - if the room smells sweet and musty, it could be the bed bug leaving behind a chemical called pheromones. These chemicals help them locate one another and are a sign of heavy infestation.
• Inspect each corner - bed bugs like to hide near beds, and can be in the carpeting and corners of the room. Check in any areas that can be considered good hiding places.

AAD admits that even the cleanliest of rooms can play host to bed bugs. If you don't find any trace of some, but want to play it safe, you might consider keeping your luggage off the floor. That will help prevent a bed bug from hopping aboard and hitching a free ride to your home. If you do find signs of life, AAD says don't hesitate to check into another room, or check out completely.

Prevention

Keeping the bed bug from moving into your house or apartment is one of the keys to keeping this pesky problem under control. AAD has some suggestions as to how to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home:

• wrap your suitcase in plastic bags before taking it home
• machine wash everything in hot water and dry in a hot dryer
• if luggage cannot be washed, vacuum it before storing
• use a crevice tool to clean nooks and crannies and empty the vacuum outside
• if you do find a bed bug at home, call a pest professional

Pest management

Bed bug control can be somewhat expensive, but CDC, EPA and other federal agencies are working together to better understand the resurgence of the pest in the United States. CDC believes the current bed bug infestation has to do with human behavior.

The three most likely reasons, according to CDC, are:

• lack of awareness of bed bugs
• increase in international travel
• over reliance on pesticides

CDC reports that over time, bed bugs have developed a resistance to many chemical pesticides. The federal agency supports integrated pest management in controlling the outbreak. This kind of pest management uses common sense practices as well as life cycles of the pests to control and manage bed bugs in a safe and economical way. Some of the approaches to this plan include:

• using monitoring devices
• applying heat treatments
• removing clutter where bed bugs can hide
• sealing cracks to remove hiding places
• using non chemical pesticide
• cautiously using chemical pesticides

Both the CDC and EPA agree that bed bugs will not go away without the intervention of federal, state, local and private people working together. Only then can we all truly get a good night's sleep.

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