About The Recent Infestations Of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have had quite a day in the press in the last couple years. These parasitic creatures which have bothered human populations since prehistoric times were practically obliterated by prevention and extermination efforts during the twentieth century in most advanced countries such as the United States. Recently the nation has been swept by reports of bed bug infestations in hotels and family residences which had previously never experienced such problems.

The cause for this resurgence is mysterious but some researchers have posited certain theories to explain it. The increased frequency of foreign travel is blamed by many thinkers. Others point out an increased exchange of second-hand furniture. Resistance to pesticides or years of neglect when it comes to treating for bed bugs may also be responsible.

These creatures which are almost microscopic in size are the subject of much fun in entertainment and children's cartoons. However they are much more than a nuisance and can cause lasting damage to the people they bite. Besides the skin rashes that can develop as a result of multiple bed bug bites many people suffer from allergic reactions to their presence. In severe cases people have developed prominent blisters on areas of their skin where bed bugs have fed on their blood.

There are psychological reactions to bed bug infestations as well. Many people suffer from insomnia due the fear that they have of falling asleep when they know that bed bugs will attack them in the night. If the bed bug infestation is severe they may even experience the bites before they can manage to fall asleep. There is a great deal of anxiety associated with this circumstance because people often feel shame due to living with an infestation that is normally associated with drastically underprivileged conditions. Bed bugs can however infest almost any human environment no matter how elegant the surroundings. Fear of these creatures has even developed into a mental condition known as delusional parasitosis.

Treatment to rid a location of bed bugs is very challenging. These creatures are incredibly resilient. They can survive up to a year without feeding so leaving a domicile unoccupied for shorter periods of time will not rid it of a bed bug infestation. Their eggs are much smaller than they are and adhere to all sorts of surfaces. The newly hatched young need blood meals in order to molt and grow but they can go without blood meals for months as they wait an opportunity to grow.

Bed bugs prefer to stay close to the areas where they can feed such as a bed. However they are also capable of movement and seek shelter in crevices found anywhere in a residence or an apartment. They can easily migrate from room to room without help from human transport.

Presently there are a number of awareness programs springing up that address bed bug concerns. One primary goal of these educational efforts is to reassure people that bed bugs are not known to carry diseases. Their effect is primarily bothersome.