Angie's LIST Guide to
Bedbugs

A bedbug is a parasitic insect from the Cimicidae family known to wreak havoc in bedrooms around the world. The common bedbug, known as Cimex lectularius in the scientific community, feasts on human blood and takes its name from its preferred living space -- YOUR BED.

The tiny bugs are red or brown in color and have a flat, oval-shaped body. Adults can grow up to 5 millimeters in length. They thrive in climates similar to human beings, but can be killed by extreme, hot or cold temperatures.

Bedbugs use their stylet fascicle to pierce the skin of their hosts to extract blood, often without being detected. As a result, many people experience skin rashes, allergies and other infections from bedbug exposure.

Aggressive efforts after World War II nearly wiped out the common bedbug 60 years ago. The invasive pest re-emerged around the world, but nobody's quite sure why. Experts suspect increased travel, lack of public awareness and resistance to modern pesticides all play a role.

The good news about bed bugs is they are not a serious health threat. Their bites can cause large red marks and swelling in some people, but they are not known to transmit diseases.

It is hard to tell exactly how bed bugs are brought into the home, but there are several possible ways. To avoid contaminating your home, be careful with your luggage and other belongings while traveling or using public transportation. Also, do not pick up any furnishings you find on the street.

While traveling, experts recommend inspecting a hotel bed's headboards, mattress and box springs, as bedbugs can survive for months without feeding. Pull down the sheets and fitted sheet. Look along the seams of the mattress and the box spring for little reddish/brownish tick-sized insects. There also might be small, blackish spots, which are actually dried bedbug droppings. If you don’t see any of these signs, it should be safe to unpack and settle in. However, you do want to inspect your belongings and clothes before coming home.

Service providers say many people are ashamed of bedbugs because they think it means their house is unclean, but dirt has nothing to do with it. The critters live only on blood, so they go to wherever people are - hence their propensity for sleeping spaces.

Bedbug infestation has nothing to do with whether your house is clean, nor whether you live in an expensive home or a cheap one.  Bedbugs have evolved into extremely effective hitchhikers that can hop onto clothing or luggage and travel back to your home undetected. Just one pregnant female can lead to an infestation.