Bed Bug Pandemic
05-09-2010
Bed bugs are on the rise, and are biting back with vengeance. A recent global study led by the University of Kentucky and United States National Pest Management Association have found that cases of bed bugs are increasing. These findings have sparked a sudden rise of legislation being passed especially in the United States regarding hotel bedroom cleanliness, even the introduction of a sniffer dog in Britain, capable of seeking out the creatures. This is the biggest wave of concern regarding bed bugs since the early 1930’s when nearly every house in London was infested, but now climate change and a great variety in travel destinations are being looked at the source of the growing problem.
How do we get bed bugs? Where do they come from? People transport bed bugs from place to place, as they are unable to fly, so whether it is a trip to an infested house, a stay at a hostile hotel or if you’re already living in a bed bug ridden home. Bed bugs readily move from room to room, mattress to mattress and pillow to pillow, so in a short space of time an entire flat or house can become infested. Bed bugs live in cracks and crevices in the mattress and pillows, especially near the springs where it is dark and warm. This is the perfect environment for these creatures which bite humans when their natural prey is unavailable.
So it is not a case of ‘making sure the bed bugs don’t bite’, bed bugs will bite you and it is unavoidable. Thorough cleaning is needed to eliminate the infestation of bed bugs in a traditional spring mattress, where bed bugs find comfort in the dark, amongst the springs and box foundation, now that they now have a strong resistance to insecticides and other cleaning products. However, if you own a memory foam mattress, then bed bugs can not live inside it. A memory foam mattress apart from giving you a relaxing night’s sleep can also help you defeat bed bugs, so long as all bedding is regularly cleaned and checked bed bugs will not be bothering you during the sudden rise of the bed bug pandemic.
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