Did you know??

...that bed bugs are a serious - I'm talking serious - problem? And not just for hotel rooms in New York. In YOUR bed; in the depths of YOUR furniture. Ewww. This infestation problem has been sweeping the nation and unfortunately is a much larger issue than what we all think. From an news article written last week on Gather.com, one in five Americans have had an issue with bed bugs or know someone who has. And it's not just low-income families either. Bed bugs don't care about wealth. These tiny little insects, about the size of a grain of rice, will find a place to breed and nest no matter if it's clean or dirty. All bed bugs need to survive is YOU and your blood. They can live exclusively off the blood of humans while you are asleep. Grossed out yet?? O.M.G. After five minutes of feeding the bug will burrow back into it's hiding place and wait to feed again or grow their family in the crevices of your home.

Here are some alarming statistics about bed bugs according to the National Pest Management Association:

• Bed bugs have increased 81% since 2000
• 67% of Pest Control companies have been called to treat hotels/motels
• 76% of Pest Control companies claim that bed bugs are the most difficult pest to remove
• 90% of companies have treated homes and/or apartments
• 4-5% of companies have treated laundry mats and movie theaters
• Since 2006, the money spent eradicating bed bugs has nearly doubled, topping 250 million dollars
• A female bed bug can produce over 400 offspring

But how do bed bugs get in YOUR house? Anything you bring into your house from outside could be carrying bed bugs. Luggage from a hotel, your child's backpack that comes in contact with another child's bag. They will hitch a ride on anyone. Again it has nothing to do with sanitation although there are some preventive measures you can take explained below. Bed bugs can enter between holes, tubes, pipes, etc. Even a bird can carry bed bugs. The biggest indicator of bed bugs present in your home are small red bumps or welts on your skin. They can sometimes take up to nine days to become visible and bed bugs will usually always bite in a row and are very itchy. For some, you might develop an allergic reaction to their saliva. Unfortunately about 50% of people that have been bitten don't show any symptoms at all. Hence how they can multiply so easily.

If you sense you have bed bug activity lurking in your home, immediately look carefully in the creases of the bed linens, seams of mattresses and box springs for bugs and eggs. The eggs will look like tiny, pale poppy seeds. Other places to look for signs of bed bug activity is in the corner of desks and dressers, in drawers and in laundry.

Three ways to keep bed bugs at a minimum in your house is 1) Remove clutter. Piles and excess stuff laying around are perfect places for them to hide and multiple 2) Wash your sheets frequently in super hot water and 3) vacuum often and very thoroughly especially around furniture and in corners where they tend to camp out. And if you do have a known problem, call a Pest Control company immediately.

Rest assured that bed bugs do not carry disease. They are just gross, annoying and will take a lot of time and patience to get ride of them. Do you know anyone with a bed bug problem??