Bed bugs – we have all heard about them and we all know just what is lurking in our beds, however clean and tidy they might look on the surface. Bed bugs are here to stay, and in America in particular it looks as if they are winning.
Bed bugs are always going to be around, but in the US they are proving to be a real problem in recent times. You can’t really see them ordinarily, but you can certainly see the damage they do to your skin. They bite when they find a source of human blood nearby, and this leaves red marks that can be incredibly itchy.
So why don’t they just get rid of them, I hear you ask? Well unfortunately it isn’t that easy. It would seem that this new 21st century breed of bed bugs is not so easy to get rid of. And they are spreading more readily too, given the high incidence of travel as people go from country to country, apparently bringing the bugs over the borders and into the US as a result.
There have been no similar news stories relating to a similar problem in the UK or anywhere else though, so could we be seeing a relatively isolated event here with regard to the world as a whole? Let’s hope so, because bed bugs aren’t exactly the nicest thing you want to be sharing your bed with.
The advice being given is to check your bed thoroughly before using it if you are planning to travel to the US anytime soon. And of course you can check out your own bed too, just to make sure you aren’t at risk from anything nasty.
Bed bugs aren’t easy to get rid of, and that is part of the problem. You can see them with the naked eye though, even though they are pretty tiny. They also helpfully leave their droppings about the place, and if the bedding is of a light or white colour that makes them easier to see.
You are probably more likely to see them in hotels and other lodgings than in your own home. But even if you do find bed bugs in a five star hotel in New York on a weekend visit, this doesn’t mean the hotel itself is dirty. Bed bugs are very unfussy – they don’t much care if they have pristine clean surroundings to enjoy, or filthy dirty ones.
In the end, being vigilant during a US holiday is the best way to avoid getting bitten by the bugs. It won’t solve the problem but it might mean you don’t end up sleeping with it.
And remember too that there is no alternative to looking for them. Bed bugs don’t like insecticides and similar products, but that’s no good given where they actually are.
So it seems the infestation is taking America by storm at the moment. Will it continue like this or will it be solved sometime soon? We’ll let you know…