Bedbugs Are Biting. New Act Set to Be Put in Place

You may not think it is any big deal but if you are the one dealing with bedbugs (sort of "What's the big deal about lice?" when you don't have kids and have no idea) it is a big deal and a creepy crawler kind of deal. It seems that during World War II there was a huge population of bedbugs bugging us but not since then have we been bugged - until now. We are seeing a huge outbreak of these critters especially (as in cockroaches) in apartments and dorms. Yup I remember it well - - I was a college kid in Boston.

These are tiny reddish brown flat bugs. They are so small you can compare them to the size of a grain of rice and they suck your blood. No I am not reviewing a horror movie - this is the real deal. They're found in mattresses in buildings that usually have a lot of mattresses like hotels, nursing homes and the ones mentioned above. They seem to be immune to normal bug killers.

In Charlotte, North Caroline state inspector shut down two homeless shelters because of bedbugs. Trying to find a way to get rid of them short of buying countless new mattresses is a priority. One way is to spend $50 million to train health inspectors on recognizing the signs. Hmm...do they chew the mattress? Do they leave poop?

There is actually an act called The Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009. This would make public housing departments have to write up their bedbug inspection plans and hand it over to the Feds. There is already something in place for cockroaches and rodents. I guess I didn't live in public housing way back when. The bill puts in place research on the impact - ready for this - on public mental health that bedbugs have on us. The research would come out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I am really not making light of this. One apartment in which I lived did have cockroaches and it is horrible to live with. Getting landlords back then to do anything was out of the question. I remember the night (and I had no screens in my windows) that something flew into my apartment. I had no idea what it was. It could have been a bar! I locked myself in my bedroom and called a friend who came over and got the bird out for me.

When we say "Don't let the bedbugs bite" we are now not kidding and they will come with you on a trip in a suitcase and live up to a year without food - I guess blood is enough. I am so happy we have our own trailer we pull. It prevents us having to stay in hotels when otherwise we might. I should have used the debilitating theory on my college Profs because people are being seen with not only medical issues but emotional issues. I know truly that opening a draw and finding cockroaches can be horrific unless you are 20 years old and expect it.

Bedbugs can cause rashes and triggers allergies. The bite is a raised red bump or flat welt. If it causes incredible itching then you've had an allergic reaction to the bite.

Sources

Yahoo
TampaOnline