Bedbugs were nearly eliminated in first world countries in the late 1940’s, but they’re making a comeback. They’ve even been called a national epidemic. Why is this happening?

Bedbugs are reddish brown, and they’re about the size of an apple seed. They have external skeletons, and they’re parasites that feed on the blood of warm blooded animals. Most varieties only feed on humans when other prey is unavailable, but there are a few varieties that prefer human blood. They generally hide during the day, and come out at night to feed. Adults usually feed every 5 – 10 days, but in cooler climates they can go for as long as a year without feeding.

They feed by piercing the skin of their prey and injecting their saliva which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics. Then they suck the blood of their prey and engorge themselves. Some people have no physical reaction to being bitten by bedbugs. Other people break out in blisters where they’ve been bitten, usually on the face, neck, arms, and hands. These blisters are usually red, with a darker red spot in the middle, they’re itchy, and the pattern is a rough line, or a cluster. Bedbug bites are often confused with bites from other pests.

Bedbugs were largely killed off with the use of DDT. But the EPA banned the use of DDT on 1 January 1973 because of its environmental dangers. The insecticide Propoxur is highly toxic to bedbugs and is used to control them in some countries. But the EPA has been reluctant to approve its use in the U.S. due to the potential toxic effects it may have on children after chronic exposure to it.

Bedbugs are often called “hitchhikers”.  This is because they’ll hide in the seams of clothing and luggage, and they end up traveling from one place to another in this manner. High risk areas for encountering bedbugs include apartment complexes, dormitories, homeless shelters, hotels, motels, military barracks, and refugee camps. They also hitchhike on pets, wild animals, and they can move about on their own.

People have taken these hitchhikers home with them after traveling, and they may not even know that they’ve encountered bedbugs. When staying in motels, or hotels, it’s recommended that clothes get hung in the closet as far away from the beds as possible, luggage can be placed in the dry cleaning bags, and then on the folding luggage racks. Don’t place luggage directly on the beds. It’s a good practice to inspect the room for bedbugs.