What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs have been around for at least 3,000 years. Imagine living with them in an age before pest control! They are a small, almond-shaped parasite that feeds off of human blood and live to eat and breed. They hide in areas like mattress covers, headboards, and any furniture creases. And since they usually come out at night when you’re sleeping, people rarely see them until there is a real problem. Having bed bugs does not mean that your house isn’t clean or that you are messy. They’re found everywhere. From movie theaters and cruise ships, to hotels buses, and many areas where people congregate. Bed bugs used to be more of a problem in developing countries but now they have found their way to the United States. Also, Europe and Canada, where they are becoming more prevalent.
They serve no purpose in the food change or ecologically so there’s no reason they shouldn’t be eradicated. The problem is, they’ve evolved. In the Twentieth Century, they were almost eradicated. Yet, the bed bug became immune to the forms of pest control used on them and they came back with an extreme resurgence.
What makes it worse is that the bed bug is tiny and often hard to spot until there is a heavy infestation. Since some people aren’t as allergic as others, an infestation often becomes out of control before a person realizes they have one. Another issue is that even those who are allergic to the bites may have no clue what the welts on their body are or what is causing them to itch. And yes, they can feed off of our pets too but prefer humans.
As notated by the CDC:
It is hard to tell if you have a bed bug bite unless you find bed bugs or signs of infestation. When bed bugs bite, they inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents a person from realizing they are being bitten. Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating.