Trouble sleeping? Insect bites showing up on your face, neck, arms, hands or any other body part on a regular basis?
The problem may be bed bugs, the scourge of the early 20th century.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a joint statement this week warning the public the lowly bed bug is making a big comeback.
According to the notice, the CDC and EPA believe the bed bug resurgence is occurring because of “the convergence of three human behaviors: Lack of awareness of the historical and biological link humans have with bed bugs; increased international travel; and past over-reliance on pesticides.”
Bed bugs have evolved. Today they’re resistant to many pesticides on the market.
Although bed bugs are not known to transmit disease, they are vicious and pesky blood-sucking ectoparasites, and many people display allergic reactions to the bug’s bite. Nocturnal creatures, reddish-brown in color, measuring one to seven millimeters in length (or about the size of a pinhead), bed bugs hide in mattresses and furniture during the day and come out at night to feed on sleeping victims.
According to the CDC, the most at-risk population appears to be frequent travelers and anyone who shares living and sleeping quarters where other people have previously slept. Transients, particularly, increase the risk of spreading a bed bug infestation.
