Do You Have Bed Bugs?

Have you found mysterious red bites on your arm or torso that you don’t remember getting?  Could it be Bed Bugs?

Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a growing issue in the United States and something you do not want.  Not only are they difficult to diagnose but they are insanely difficult to find.  Bed bugs are expert hiders that avoid light and become active at night.  When you are fast asleep, bed bugs are having a buffet dinner – literally on you!

Bed bugs do not discriminate.  They seek out humans of all sizes, shapes and colors equally.  And just to be as gross as possible, a bed bug can remain dormant and very much alive for up to a year’s time between feedings.  Even if a dwelling has been vacant for months, they could still be lurking, waiting, anticipating the next clueless victim.

Here is another reason they are so hard to diagnose – the evidence may not show up for weeks after the incident.  You could be traveling - spending the night at various locations and one day you wake up with red, itchy bites.  You automatically assume they came from the night before which is reasonable... You didn’t have bites when you went to sleep, and now you do.  Clearly, it was from last night, right?  Uh, no.  Not with bed bugs.  You could have been in bed with these blood suckers up to two weeks earlier and your body is just now reacting.  The more places you have been, the more difficult to figure out where the bites occurred.  The bed bugs might have been from the business trip two weeks ago and since then, you have been to visit Aunt Mary, gone to the beach for the weekend, and stopped in for one night to see your son in college.  And you could have unknowingly been transporting bed bugs everywhere you have been since!

The time between a bed bug getting a full stomach off of your blood and when (and if!) you react to that with itchy, scratchy welts depends on how allergic you are to their saliva.  The worst thought is if you aren’t reactive at all – you could be wallowing in bed bugs and not even know it!

If you think you have been a victim of bed bugs and aren’t sure what to do, have no fear – Greenbug to the rescue!  Here is a link to steps you can take to control bed bugs.  You can prevent, you can treat, and you can rest assured, you have the upper hand on Bed Bugs with Greenbug!