If it hasn’t already been affected by bed bugs, it will be. It’s just a matter of time. At the EPA’s inaugural National Bed Bug Summit in April 2009, experts at the time referred to the situation as a ‘pandemic.’
These parasitic creatures were almost eradicated by DDT. Then we discovered that DDT was catastrophic: wreaking havoc on the environment, driving creatures to extinction, bioaccumulating in our bodies, and causing disease. DDT was banned in 1972. They started their resurgence when pest control companies started using stronger and more deadly toxins in their pesticides. Well, these pesticides lose potency every time they are used because the pests become resistant. So there is the answer. Pesticide resistance: the main cause of the skyrocketing bed bug population!
Every time pests are exposed to pesticides, a certain percentage live and pass on that immunity to their offspring. Then successive generations are not controlled by that pesticide and soon the entire population is resistant, that is, pesticide resistance. The real danger is that the stronger and more toxic pesticides used bioaccumulate in the environment and in the human body. Why do you think we have such increases in autism, ADHD, etc? Well, that’s another story.
So there is no solution in the synthetic chemical arsenal. These monsters can live a year between feedings, reactions sometimes don’t show up for up to two weeks, and they’re adept at hiding, clinging to basically anything. People bring them home and don’t even know it. Therefore, we have a problem.
Next question: how can people protect themselves? That is the easiest question to answer: prevent! It all comes down to Bed Bug Education 101: what they look like, how they find you, how you can avoid them, etc. These cunning creatures are so adept at hiding that they are unwittingly carried everywhere on luggage, clothing, furniture, and artwork, carried by anything that surrounds humans. An adult is about half the size of an apple seed and ranges from nearly translucent to the color of a dried crust.
The first line of defense would be a repellant. There are many products that repel, but to my knowledge the most successful are those that contain cedar, such as cedar chests and cabinets where you never see a pest. Regardless of the repellent chosen, it needs to be green or else it’s only a matter of time before bed bugs are immune to that pesticide and you’re back to square one.
Protecting yourself requires some diligence, but the effort is overshadowed by the hassle, emotional labor, and financial mess that an infestation brings. Take special care when entering a vulnerable situation such as a theater, traveling by bus, taking the subway or going to work. If you travel, apply a repellent before you go and when you get to the hotel room, thoroughly check each layer of sheets up to the mattress. Look behind the header. If you see any evidence, be it adult bugs, eggs (can look like a bunch of dead skin), small streaks of dried blood, or small dark spots, let management know and get another room!
When you buy things for your home, inspect! Bed bugs come in new clothes, in boxes of imported tile, and in grocery folds or bags. They hate light and burrow into the smallest spaces. Keep a bright flashlight near where you enter your home so you can thoroughly examine your belongings. If you find a lone bug, kill it, but don’t panic – you’ve done your job and protected your home, for now.
This is how you protect yourself and your loved ones, by being diligent. Bed bugs are being documented in more places every day and it’s a numbers game – you’ll be in the same place as them soon if you haven’t been already. Protect yourself and prevent bed bugs so you don’t get them in the first place!