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Tracing Bed Bugs
The number of reported cases of bed bugs in schools, hotels, motels, cruise ships, dormitories, shelters, homes, movie houses and apartments are rising. And the authorities are somehow already alarmed and concerned over the issue. In the United States alone, it is reported that six out of ten apartments have bed bugs. Because bed bugs are not known to transfer or spread out any form of disease, the alarm is somehow flamed down. Origins Bed bugs are tiny, wingless creatures that are scientifically labelled Cimex lectularius Bed bugs are organisms that come from the world of insects. There are millions of species of insects, both small and large, and it is a wonder how each has its own noteworthy attribute or characteristics. In the United States, statistics and pest control authorities claim that bed bugs ceased to exist after the World War II in the 1940s. Before the World War, cases of bed bugs were so rampant, but people’s cooperation and breakthroughs in controlling pests helped curtail bed bug infestation post war. So people might be asking, if the bed bugs did not exist in the country during that time, where do our modern bed bugs come from? Good and logical question. Theories have it that modern-day bed bugs might have come from Asia, Africa or Europe. If bed bugs can only crawl, are tiny and with only one-year lifespan, how did they cross borders? Because bed bugs can thrive in furniture, clothes and baggage, it is believed that American travellers over time have contributed to the current spread of the pests. Several travellers might have travelled to one country and stayed in a hotel that was unknowingly infested with bed bugs. The bed bugs might have figured out ways to get inside the luggage and voila! They have travelled across borders! As soon as the unsuspecting traveller unpacks his or her luggage the bed bugs might come out and spread out. Races Bed bugs can come from different countries and like humans they seem to have races. For example the American bed bugs are usually pale compared to counterparts in Africa who have a deep brown color. Vampires There is a myth that bed bugs are undeveloped grandchildren of vampires. What a funny and amusing myth! The notion might have come from the fact that bed bugs, like Dracula and all other vampire characters suck blood for nourishment. When they do that, their appearances change somehow too. Bed bugs that have been fed recently feed change from a brownish to dark red or reddish color. Some appear like having a black mass inside their stomach. So where do bed bugs really come from? Science always has ways to determine where organisms come from. But there are more important subjects that deserve attention than tracing down where bed bugs come from. Who really cares if bed bugs come from Alaska, Pakistan or the United Kingdom. The main concern, if you are infested, is how you get rid of them. The important issue to consider is how to effectively curtail their spread. The use of pesticides and insecticides is one sure option, but you may wonder and think back how safe they are to you, your family and even your neighbors. The next time you see another bed bug crawling in your bed, ask yourself, “How can I kill this one”, instead of “Where do bed bugs come from?”
Gretha Filak
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