Have you ever heard the saying “Sleep Tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”  In the early days f the Us, only the wealthy had mattresses. Most folks had to sleep on straw that was put inside sheets. And, each night the bedding might sag a little. So before going to bed, one would retie the ropes to hold the bedding in place and hope that the critters (bedbugs) would not come out and bite. Thus, the saying was true.

A couple years ago, the media started picking up on the fact that people were experiencing bed bug bites particularly if you travel and sleep in a motel. Personally, I have never had the pleasure (bugs in beds) but it is a problem and one that is growing. Bugs find their way into a mattress and when you go to sleep at night, they gravitate toward the warm body and then take a bite or two or three. If you have been bitten, you will awake with small red marks and  that itchy feeling.

So, if you need a mattress for a camp and go to a garage sale, be sure it is clean. Bedbugs are blood sucking insects that hide in a mattress, box springs, headboards, furniture and even in clothing. A sign of bedbugs is the look of pepper on a mattress or sheets - the remains of blood from previous victims. The bugs are about 3/16th of an inch long with six legs.

What to do:

Hotel rooms - inspect them carefully upon arrival. Look for this pepper appearance, check seams and headboard cracks.

Travel clothes - when you get home from a trip, wash your clothes - hot water does the trick.

Second hand furniture - check it closely before bringing  into the house.

I know when I check into a hotel, I always check for bugs… even at upscale places. If you find bugs in a hotel room, report it to the manager. If you have bedbugs at home, you may need to get a professional to spray. But, if you are careful about used mattresses and furniture you may never run into one of these critters. Yet another thing to worry about. Sorry