Several of my nieces and nephews are in college now. This summer, while getting things ready for their kids' apartments, my sisters went out and purchased new mattresses and furniture. I thought they were a little nuts for spending that money. When I think back to my first college apartment, my roommate and I had a couch we bought for $10, an entertainment center we found on the side of the road, and a chair we found abandoned at the apartment complex. After reading this article about bedbugs, however, I think my sisters did the right thing by not letting their kids go garbage picking for furniture.

College campuses and dormitories are like a luxury resort for these blood-sucking little critters. Students frequently visit each other's rooms (possibly transporting little friends as they do so). Universities like Texas A&M, Ohio State, Stanford, and the University of Florida have had to deal with outbreaks of bedbugs.

Bedbugs are hard to spot. Waking up with small, red welts is one tell-tale sign. You may also spot tiny black or reddish-brown spots on your sheets.

Source

"Don't let the bedbugs bite!" I teased my astute four-year-old once. "BUGS?" She was alarmed. Oops. I assured her there were no bugs in her bed, but then I read this article and thought, maybe I shouldn't tease so lightly.

Bedbugs, which were thought to be eliminated by pesticides like DDT, are making a strong comeback, and no area of the country seems to be immune. Big cities, small towns, even dormitory rooms can be infested with the pests, and they aren't easy to exterminate.

You'll know you have bedbugs if you wake up with extremely itchy red spots, black spots in your bed, or even squashed bugs. You might find them by lifting up your mattress, but they can live in walls, cracks, and crevices for up to a year without food. If that isn't enough to make you stop reading so you can itch and squirm, read more about the bugs and how to eliminate them here.

Source

There are all kinds of medical oddities that many of us share but very few of us understand. Like what the 'funny bone' really is, why yawning is so contagious, and the science behind a 'brain freeze.' Well WebMD is clearing up those mysteries, along with a few others such as whether or not you can pop an eye out if you sneeze too hard (you can't, by the way). The biggest surprise to me? Bed bugs. I always thought they were real, but I was under the impression that they were some kind of practically microscopic organism that didn't actually bite. But in reality they're 1/4" long (that's HUGE!), reddish colored, and they DO bite. Yuck!!!

Source

Just looking at the photo makes my skin crawl. It's an adult bedbug, a nocturnal insect that feeds off the blood of its sleeping host.

Bedbugs have been virtually unheard of in the U.S. since before World War II, but now they're making headlines with their alarming comeback, especially in New York City. New York's bedbug infestation was first widely reported in the Brooklyn and Queens areas, but it's an admitted problem elsewhere in the city and beyond. Despite the stereotype, bedbugs don't favor dirty conditions or hosts with poor hygiene. Recently, they've even found their way into some of the most upscale homes in New York City.

Although they don't spread disease, bedbugs cause itchy, sometimes painful bites and are extremely hard to get rid of. They travel to new buildings through clothes, mattresses, and other furniture. For tips on dealing with bedbugs and the latest in the fight to eradicate them, check out the Bedbugger blog.

Source