| If your parent or grandparent ever tucked you in | | | | in between, from hospitals and dorm rooms, |
| at night, you may have heard this common, yet | | | | hotels and motels, apartments and even town |
| somewhat curious, chant. Most children never see | | | | homes, single family homes and on cruise ships - |
| or hear of bedbugs and never have any idea | | | | anywhere there's good eating for these hungry |
| what their ridiculous parents are talking about, | | | | little bugs. The higher density the population, the |
| drifting off to sleep without any concern of the | | | | happier they are with no regard to income or |
| attack of the so-called 'bedbugs'. But, what they | | | | social status. |
| are blissfully unaware of is that there actually are | | | | Immigrants and travelers have been blamed for |
| bedbugs, scientific name cimex lectularius, and | | | | their recent re-introduction into modern and |
| they would love to dine on the delicate flesh of a | | | | developed countries in recent years. With no place |
| tender young offspring, if given the chance. | | | | on earth outside a couple days travel, we could |
| These creatures were most common when our | | | | potentially see other interesting parasites make it |
| ancestors were dwelling in caves, unprotected | | | | onto US turf as well, if customs has no way of |
| from the creatures preying on all the common | | | | detecting and eliminating them. |
| wildlife of the day, but almost unheard of in the | | | | There is one additional variety of bedbug, cimex |
| modern world of developed society. | | | | hemipterus, that prefers tropical settings, that is |
| Approximately the size of a small apple seed as | | | | said to be in up to 65% of homes located in |
| adults, these creepy-crawlies are notoriously | | | | those regions. These have also made their way |
| difficult to find. They, like the common tick, are | | | | into Australia, but not yet to the US, most of |
| thin enough to slip between floor boards, under | | | | which were directly linked to travel to Asia and |
| outlet covers and into the smallest spaces one | | | | other Pacific countries. |
| could imagine, only emerging at night to feast on | | | | One of the reasons sited, but not confirmed for |
| their unsuspecting prey. | | | | the recent proliferation of these pesky intruders is |
| The result of their bite and feast is no more or | | | | their increased resistance to certain pesticides. In |
| less harmful than that of a spider or dedicated | | | | the past pest-control chemicals tended to be |
| mosquito - swelling and itching usually - and can | | | | broad based, aimed at wiping out cockroaches, |
| only carry live disease, such as HIV, for up to an | | | | ants and the like but also wiping out the |
| hour on its mouth parts so is not well know for | | | | populations of bedbugs at the same time. Now, as |
| passing disease in the modern world. And adult | | | | chemicals are refined to target very specific |
| bedbugs can survive up to one year without | | | | species, the bedbug is not affected by them, |
| feeding on blood, so their survivorship of hard | | | | even immune to their effects, thusly given the |
| times is quite amazing. | | | | opportunity to breed and flourish. |
| The last decade has seen an unprecedented | | | | If you have a concern about bedbugs or even |
| increase in reported bites in highly developed | | | | suspect them to be in your own home, the best |
| countries - Australia in particular, reporting a 700% | | | | thing to do is alert a pest-control company. |
| increase from 2000 to 2004 compared to the | | | | Typically they will make some recommendations |
| previous 4-year period. There however, the vast | | | | to you and even visit to inspect the area and |
| majority of the cases were reported from | | | | apply some chemicals to eliminate the parasites |
| lower-end lodging such as back-packer hotels, | | | | from the area. Do not be alarmed by them |
| people camping or in less than standard dwelling. | | | | however, because besides the itchy bite mark, |
| But even here, in the good old US of A, there are | | | | these little critters are fairly benevolent to you |
| increased reports on both coasts and everywhere | | | | and your children or pets. |