The real-life vampires that might be in your bed!

I was shocked to find that Baltimore, the city I call home, has achieved a rather dubious (and icky) distinction.

It seems that we’re currently the bedbug capital of America.

No one is sure how this came about, although some suspect it could be because of our proximity to Washington, D.C., which now ranks No. 2!

But the fact is that bedbug belts seem to be popping up just about everywhere these days, without any particular rhyme or reason. Another area is Ohio, where Columbus and Cincinnati rank No. 5 and No. 6, respectively. The top 10 most infested places also include the country’s three largest cities — New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

And while these carnivorous little critters might not be a public health menace in terms of spreading disease, they are a lot more than just a small nuisance, as their bites can cause you to have an allergic reaction or asthma attack.

But just the idea that you may be harboring them in your home — where you sleep — and that they’re emerging at night to suck your blood is a nightmare in itself.

Luckily, there are precautions you can take to protect your home — and your bed — from being invaded. And if they’ve already cozied up in your furnishings, there are some non-toxic methods you can use to evict them.

Bloodsucking hitchhikers
Problems with bedbugs are nothing new.

In fact, you probably remember hearing that little rhyme about “sleeping tight” and not letting “the bedbugs bite” from your childhood!

But for several decades, these tiny, reddish-brown insects ceased to be a problem in this country, and we stopped even thinking about them. Then, around the start of the new century, they suddenly began reappearing (likely brought here from abroad). This time, they were a pesticide-resistant strain — and before we knew it, they were everywhere.

And if you think they can’t make an appearance in your home because you keep it fastidiously clean, that’s not true!

It’s easy as can be to bring these little hitchhikers back from someplace you’ve been — whether it’s a movie theater, a train, a five-star hotel, or a luxury cruise!

But once you’ve let them in, you can bet they’ll be making a beeline for your bed or someplace close to it, because these aptly named mini vampires like to feed on us when and where we sleep.

Bedbug expert Michael Potter from the University of Kentucky says that, while some of us “don’t react at all” (to being bitten), others can get delayed reactions that appear days or weeks later.

Plus that, the bugs inject both an anti-coagulant and a chemical that numbs the sting — meaning that you may not see or feel anything!

But while they may be sneaky little varmints, there are still some good ways to outwit them and keep your bedroom bedbug-free, such as:

• Whenever you check into a hotel (no matter how expensive!), use a flashlight to look for evidence of these creepy crawlers on the bedding, such as black or rust-colored spots or bedbug skins that have been shed — and if you see anything suspicious, don’t settle for just a change of sheets. Request another room.
• Keep your clothes sealed inside plastic bags in your suitcase and only unpack on a luggage rack or desk, rather than on a bed.
• Wash and dry all of your clothes immediately once you get home. And make sure that the drier is turned up high. All it takes is one garment with bedbug eggs (a single female can lay up to 500) to cause an infestation.

But what if you’ve already been infested?

There’s no doubt that they’re a real pain to get rid of, but the last thing you want to do is fill your home with toxic chemicals that won’t even guarantee you’ll be done with them.

A much better plan of action is to wash all bedding regularly, vacuum thoroughly and frequently, and steam clean whenever possible, especially around cracks and crevices.

Another method to try is using dry ice as a lure, because bedbugs are attracted to the CO2 it gives off. They actually use the CO2 you breathe out to find you when you’re asleep — yuck!

For that, simply put some dry ice inside a bowl and cover it with cloth or paper. Once they’ve been lured inside, they won’t be able to escape.

But whatever you do, never ever let an exterminator talk you into fumigating your home. That requires the use of deadly gasses that have killed entire families even after they were told it was safe to go back inside.

“LA’s bed bug problem is worse than New York’s, experts say” Paige Austin, January 8, 2018, Hollywood Patch, patch.com