Beastly Bedbugs

Until not so long ago, most of us thought “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite” was just a catchy rhyme originating in earlier times. Well, now we all know that not only are these diminutive demons still around, but they’re on a coast-to-coast rampage. The reason is twofold:

• Bedbugs that survived the onslaught of now-banned pesticides in the years following World War II have rebuilt their populations.
• Thanks to today’s nonstop-movement of people and goods around the globe, bedbugs that have never been eradicated in other countries can hitch free rides to here, there, and everywhere.

Bedbugs dine mostly on human blood, and they leave welts that itch like crazy. The good news is that bedbugs don’t transmit diseases — at least, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), none that we know of yet. The bad news is that the pesticides in use today have very little effect on the beastly buggers.

If they’ve come a-calling at your house, follow this good riddance plan:

Get help. Bedbugs are highly creative at finding hiding places. They also move at lightning-like speed. So at the first sign of trouble, call an exterminator who uses integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. These pros know where to look for the wily devils, and they will use the least toxic methods possible to actually get rid of them — not merely send them scurrying to other hidey-holes, as any DIY attempts are likely to do.

Go on a cleaning spree. To minimize the amount of pesticides the IPM crew will have to use, give your bedroom a thorough cleaning. Take your bed frame apart, and scrub it with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs. Clear out and clean everything that was stored under the bed, and take them elsewhere. Vacuum carpets and furniture, and vacuum and seal cracks in walls and floors that allow the bugs to move from room to room. Wash your bedding in hot water, and dry it on high heat.

Seal up your mattress. Special casings will kill any bedbugs inside your mattress and box springs and keep their relatives from moving in.

Make your bed an island. Move your bed to a spot where no part of it touches a wall, and keep it isolated until you’re absolutely certain that all the bedbugs are gone. If you have a bed skirt, remove it, and tuck your sheets and blankets securely under the mattress so they have no contact with the floor.