Sleep tight.  Don’t let the bed bugs bite!  Many of you probably have childhood memories of your parents reciting this rhyme as they tucked you into bed.  Perhaps you even say it to your own kids. In fact, the other night my mom ended our phone conversation with that exact phrase! As I lay in bed that night, I started to wonder if there was any truth to the phrase.  Turns out, there is!

Although bed bugs are more of a nuisance than a health hazard, they do exist.  They can be found in hotels, dorms, hospitals and your own home.  Entomologist Richard Pollack, PhD, with the Harvard School of Public Health and Cindy Mannes, vice presidents of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association explain that bed bug bites can cause distress, some people have allergic reactions and scratching a bite can lead to a secondary infection. 
Fortunately, bed bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases such as hepatitis B or C, malaria, or HIV to humans.  So, who the bug may have fed on earlier doesn’t matter. 

According to Pollack, “Bed bugs do become a public health burden if people go ballistic trying to get rid of them.  Many people, whether they think they have bed bugs or truly do, will attempt to apply insecticides in their homes and on their beds.”  Unfortunately, few people understand what insecticide they are applying, how to mix it, how to apply it and what the risks are. Bringing in a professional to handle a bed bug infestation is your best bet.

Similarly, if you are a renter and suspect an infestation, don’t allow your landlord to handle the problem alone.  Generally, landlords, owners and building managers cannot legally apply pesticides. 

What do bed bugs look like?
Adult bugs are wingless, oval insects about one-quarter inch long.  After molting, their color is nearly white and then ranges from tan to burnt orange.  After a blood meal, they appear black or dark red.  Because they have flat bodies they are able to nest in cracks and crevices in beds, baseboards, sofas, drawers, behind wallpaper and behind electrical switch plates.  During the night they come out and find their host.  If they draw blood from you, in the morning you’ll see lesions that resemble a mosquito or other insect bite.

Identifying bed bugs.
If bites occur while you are sleeping, it could be a bed bug infestation, but don’t jump to conclusions.  It’s hard to tell if the biter was a beg bug just by looking at the bite.  To identify the culprit, take the following steps. 

1. Examine your bedroom for bed bugs and signs of bug activity.  Search in the folds of mattresses, box springs, curtains, behind loose wallpaper, in spaces of wicker furniture, behind cove molding, and in the corners of drawers.  Search for dark-brown or reddish fecal spots on mattresses, bed linens, or walls near the bed.
2. If you do find an insect, compare it to a good reference image, such as the one on the Harvard School of Public Health website.  You can also place it in a plastic bag and take it to an entomologist. 

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