"Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite!" is a nursery rhyme to most. Several months ago a New York Times article about bedbugs crossed my computer screen. Bedbugs were things of fantasy to me, but this article made me realize bedbugs are experiencing a resurgence and could come to St. Paul as well as not.
The NY Time article explains that bedbugs are an infestation NOT related to hygiene. The pesky little things (maximum 1/4" long) are carried from one place to another on clothing or in luggage or other carried items. They are flat, brown and wingless. Supposedly they also do not carry diseases. They really sound like a wood tick except their bodies appear jointed. They can hide anywhere and often the first signs of an infestation are the night bites. They can live on one blood meal for as much as a year! They were close to extinct in the US after WWII but the rise in international travel and immigration has brought the little beasties back to our country again.
The bad news: just last week a colleague told of her daughter's apartment being infested with bedbugs! That means they've made their way to the Twin Cities and our pest control guys are going to have to learn how to attack the little insects. They are stubborn and resist treatment by hiding in the smallest cracks and crevices. Cooperation between the pest control experts and the home owners are the only means to eradicate them. With concerted effort, the homeowner and the professional can eliminate the problem without throwing out the bed as well!
Gene, I have no clue where that line came from but I'm guessing it's an old Western and my husband would know right away!
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | February 14, 2007 at 05:32 PM
Oh my gosh, after reading this post "I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree".
I have always wanted an excuse to use that line. Do you know who I have filched it from?
Posted by: Gene Molloy | February 14, 2007 at 04:23 PM