I always talk about loving animals and being accepting of all beings. But, darn it, there are exceptions to the rule, and I am pretty sure bedbugs are one.
Several years ago, I had to deal with an episode of bedbugs at my parents’ house. Mom and Dad were both nearing 90 years of age. They had health care workers coming in and out of their home on a regular basis, and I’m fairly certain this source was the culprit.
It was a horrendous affair, and the process of removing those horrible bedbugs was exhaustive. At the height of things, I had to take my parents to a hotel for two nights while the house was being heat treated. Mom had dementia and did not have much in the way of mobility. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
Things eventually were resolved, and we eliminated the bedbugs from their home. But it heightened my awareness of these little beasts. I keep a watchful eye, especially when I travel.
I’m not the only one who does this, though, as we have a bedbug problem here in America. And every year, the Orkin Pest Control Company lets us know which cities are the worst.
In 2022, if you travel up to the Windy City of Chicago, you might run into a bed bug or two, for they hold the trophy for the worst bed bug city in America. Chicago is a repeating champion, having won the top spot two years in a row.
From there, head to the east coast. Philadelphia is number two, and the Big Apple, New York City, rounded out third place.
Here are the top ten cities on Orkin’s 2022 list:
Chicago
Philadelphia
New York City
Detroit
Baltimore
Indianapolis
Washington, D.C.
Cleveland, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Cincinnati
Oh, good old Ohio. Our three biggest cities are teaming with bed bugs. I wonder if they wear little OSU jerseys on their little buggy bodies in Columbus? Everyone else does.
Anyway, the main cause of bed bugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is that they travel well. Bed bugs often come into contact with people by way of luggage, bags, clothes, bedding, furniture, or anything else where they can hide or hitch a ride.
They don’t stay put, in other words.
When I’d get home at night from working on my parents’ problem, I would leave my car closed and parked in the hot sun (heat kills bed bugs). Then, I would strip naked in the driveway before coming in the house, dropping my clothes directly in the washing machine for a load filled with super, duper hot water.
It was a good thing I didn’t live in a city. It is also a good thing that no neighbors can see our house. Otherwise, the full moon would have been out for a LOT of days in a row.
Bed bugs have been with humans for a long time. They date back to ancient Egypt. And how about those European colonists? And all their other dirty ways? They brought them bedbugs to the United States.
Bedbugs can live for around six months. But some bed bugs might live for up to a year in the right conditions.
So there it is. Creepy. Crawly. Bite you in the butt. They will.
Be safe out there. You never know who might REALLY be under your bed.
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“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
― Plato
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“It is forbidden to kill. Therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
― Voltaire
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“War does not determine who is right — only who is left.”
― Anonymous
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Creepy. Bite you. Crawly. Bite you. Woot Ohio.
