Bed Bugs Are Biting Again

The old saying “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” would strike most Americans precisely as that – an old saying with very little relevance to the present day.

As it turns out, these bugs may be closer than you think. Health professionals across the country, in fact, are noticing a dramatic rise in their numbers.

Randall Armstrong, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agent in Lauderdale County, quoted recently in the Times-Daily, cited figures showing a 300-percent increase in bedbugs between 2000 and 2001.

They increased another 70 percent in 2002 and 2003 respectively, he added.

Contrary to popular opinion, no one is safe, not even the most fastidious housekeeper.

The good news, Armstrong said, is that bugs don’t harbor diseases like many other pests. There are also effective control measures to keep these troublesome bugs at bay.

Why have the bugs returned with such a vengeance in recent years? Experts cite the increase and ease of international travel as a major factor.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at February 14, 2004 10:37 AM