“Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite!”

When I was a small child, my mother tucked me in at night with the words “Night-night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” And I had no idea what a bedbug was, then. Fifty years ago, at medical school, we learned about bedbugs as an indicator of unhygienic conditions, but they were never accused of carrying serious diseases to man. They’ve been almost extinct in Western countries since the 1950s – largely thanks to the widespread use of DDT.

But now-a-days bedbugs are not so rare. They’ve re-emerged in big cities across America , Europe , and Australia . The most common one, Cimex lectularius, is flat, wingless, and a blood-sucker. It can be found in cracks and crevices in walls, furniture, behind wallpaper and wood paneling, or under carpeting, as well as in its favorite spot – bedding. They’re usually only active at night but will feed during the day when hungry. They produce an oily odor, and may leave black spots on the bedding (their feces!).

Bedbugs don’t cause human disease, but their bite can leave a mark, an itch, or a welt. The bedbug will live anywhere it can. Good sanitation and a clean house is not enough to stop an infestation; in fact research shows they prefer cleaner homes. It is even said that they live in electrical appliances like your alarm clock or bedside radio, as the gentle warmth and seclusion is an ideal resting and mating ground.

Now you know more than you wanted to about bedbugs, let’s hope you sleep tight tonight.