I just got a spam comment from a (cough cough) “bed bug exterminator” (posted on the “The Swarm” review no less…ah, so clever). Anyway, it got me to thinking about this so called bed bug “epidemic” and my mind fills with questions:
Is it real or is it just because we have become more aware of them?
If it is real, what could cause a sudden upswing of bedbugs?
Is it bed bug or bedbug?
Now I feel really itchy all over…ack.
Yah, I guess that we never had them until the press brought it up. http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/Star+Treks+George+Takei+eaten+alive+by+bedbugs-88592.html
Even Sulu has them!
Actually, there’s been an increase in reports I suspect because the mattress tops are now padding with white fluffy stuff that probably makes for a better home than the old-style mattress covers which were pretty much impenetrable to lots of stuff. In fact, when I was growing up, we’d flipped the mattresses twice a year (once in the spring, once in the fall), and we’d take them out in the summer and let the sun shine on each side for several hours. Maybe our parents and grandparents had a reason for doing that?
With the new mattress covers, you can’t flip them — the “fluffy” side is only on the top.
Good point! I shudder to think about hotel / motel room beds… I might just bring camping gear next time and save some cash.
Yeah, I now also dread sleeping on hotel beds. Here in Norway, we lay our blankets out on the snow all day during the winter..that pretty much wipes out any small-creeps that might be hiding in the fabric. I don’t see how sun would kill anything…I know that they don’t like sun, but I doubt it gets warm enough to kill them…probably makes them just burrow deeper. But, never underestimate the “folk wisdom” of the old people, it’s too bad I didn’t realize that sooner; I would have asked my grandfathers for a lot more advice then I did.
I grew up wondering how my Dad made it to be so old without knowing anything; but the older I got the more I realized he was almost always right about everything. I miss him.
Aint that the truth. It’s like an inverted bell curve. My kids now think I know everything so they are at the high-end of the left side, but they are slowly starting to doubt my wisdom as they get older. I suppose during the teen years they’ll be at the bottom of the “Pappa Knows Best” curve, but slowly work their way up again as they get older. (As long as I keep my mind 🙂 )