Rose here… since I travel on the road around 150 nights a year, I have been lucky enough not to have bed bugs in my crypt. Looking at the Bed Bug Registry, bed bugs are making a comeback here in the United States. Bed Bugs or Cinex lectularius, their scientific name, are found all over the world, but are native to the northern areas. Cinex hemipterus its southern cousin is found in tropical areas.
Not related to dust mites that also live in your bed, bed bugs are big enough to be seen. They are reddish-brown in color with a flat body, they feed at night and hide anywhere during the day staying close to their host. These blood suckers leave rows of welts on their victims and inject an anticoagulant into their bite that works well enough to keep you bleeding after the bed bug is fed. One indication you have bed bugs are the blood stains on your sheets or empty skin (from molting) in your bed.
When trying to get rid of these pests out of your home, make sure that you also check your luggage, clothes hamper and furniture. You can use a really good vacuum like a Kirby to sweep your furniture, mattress and of course your carpet. All clothes and bedding need to be laundered in hot water; luggage can be replaced, if the infestation is bad or sprayed with an insecticide.
As insecticides are not an option to get rid of bed bugs where you sleep, sticky traps can be used around the base of your bed if any try to escape from your mattress. Boric Acid may also be applied to the area around the bed, but never on the mattress itself. Bed bugs usually dwell in the tufts, seams and folds of the mattress where they mature, molt and lay their eggs.
Many insecticides and bed bug treatments are available, but it is recommended to hire a professional exterminator. If you do purchase a spray read the directions and warning label on the bottle.
If you brought bed bugs home from a hotel or bed and breakfast you can let other people know by going to the bedbugregistry.com. You can also use the Bed Bug Registry before you book a hotel room or rent an apartment, it is a free, public database. Their website states that anyone can report a bedbug sighting. They do not release anyone's information without their permission unless legally obligated.
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