By :
Mark Etinger
Bed bugs are bad news. They are parasites, like mosquitoes. Bed bugs have been around for a long time; they were noted by Aristotle. They were rare in Europe during medieval times but became prevalent in England in the late 17th century, possibly after foreign wood was brought in to rebuild London after the Great Fire. By the 20th century in England they were almost everywhere. They were a problem in WWII. But, the developed world had largely extinguished bed bugs by the '50s. It is likely that falling bed bug populations are linked to the usage of DDT to kill cockroaches. Then, many pesticides were banned. And with more people traveling around the world and increased resistance to insecticides, bed bug populations have rebounded. About fifteen years ago they came back. Some believe that it is in the cyclical nature of the organism. Others believe that the vacuum cleaner and simpler furniture designs prevented them from running rampant. No one knows where they went for fifty years but when they got to New York in about 2005 it set off a big scare and an entire bed bug detection industry bloomed. People couldn't take trash off the sidewalks any more for fear that there would be bed bugs. Dumpster diving became much less popular and an era ended. Bed bugs have also been known as wall louses and crimson ramblers. They take about five minutes to feed on and engorge with blood. They hitchhike in zippers and suitcases, travel through air ducts or on birds and bats and can be found on suspect people and furniture. Since bed bugs are nocturnal they are hard to spot. Often they nest in screw holes of bed frames, and they lay their eggs in fabric seams of mattresses. Bed bug detection usually involves bed bug sniffing dogs, as well as the use of extreme heat and carbon dioxide. Bed bug dogs often know almost immediately if there are bed bugs present and so are the best way to detect these parasites. Typically, pesticides are not used in treatment due to worries about long term health side effects for humans. Instead, heat treatments and mattress wrapping are common. Cockroaches and spiders eat bed bugs, although most people prefer non-biological treatment. If you suspect that you have bed bugs, call for bed bug detection today. These critters only get more powerful with time, reproducing and biting you and leaving ugly marks on your face. Plus, the problem can become embarrassing and if you don't call for bed bug inspection as soon as possible, you may lose friends who want to stay away from bed bugs.
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