“Good Night. Sleep Tight. Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite."

Picture credit: http://subwayblogger.com

Bedbugs are making a comeback around the world.

One of the reasons often cited for the rise in bed bugs is the presence of millions of guest and non-guest workers in our country and also the increased amount of travelling that we undertake - and the bugs hitch a ride in our luggage. Lack of awareness and precautions and changing pest control products and methods were also responsible for the rise. Some scientists also suggest the insects are becoming resistant to pesticides.

Bed bugs are easy to spot: you don't need a magnifying glass or sophisticated detection equipment, just the naked eye. They are wingless insects, about the same size and colour as an apple seed.

Bedbugs feed on human blood, but do not usually carry diseases. However, some people have allergies to them. The rice-sized bugs give a nasty bite, which can lead to infection. The skin around the bitten area usually becomes swollen and gets extremely itchy. They are most active in the early hours of the morning.

Bedbugs may hide in places such as in and around the bed, in crevices behind chair and couch cushions, and in the folds of curtains because these are also near their food supply: living humans..

Suggestions To Prevent Bedbugs At Home:

• If you're accepting secondhand furniture, carefully inspect it for bedbugs before bringing it home.
• Encase box springs and mattresses in protective covers. Inspect the covers often to look for holes.
• Clean up clutter in your home to give bedbugs fewer hiding spots.
• When coming home from a trip, unpack your suitcase straight into the washing machine. Also inspect luggage.
• When in a hotel, keep suitcases on luggage racks rather than the floor. Inspect the room for bedbugs, which are brown, oval-shaped, and 1/4 inch to 3/8 inches long.

CLICK HERE for more on bedbugs.