Bed bugs don’t hide just on your mattress either. They can hide in the bed frame or even inside the mattress. Don’t forget that bed bugs will often hide outside the bed in furniture, clothing, pictures and door frames, drapes, etc. It can be tough to tell just how many of them there are.

Bed bug eggs are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Even if you think you’ve found all the bed bugs hiding around your room, there is a good chance they have hidden their eggs somewhere. So even if you think you have a fairly good idea of how bad your infestation is, you could be overlooking the eggs.

If you’re in doubt, call a bed bugs exterminator to come assess your situation.

Then along comes The Ethicist at the New York Times.

Somebody asks The Ethicist:

We had our co-op apartment treated for bedbugs. When we informed the co-op board, they said it was up to us whether to alert our neighbors. The management company advised us not to, for fear of spreading panic. I want to give our neighbors a chance to be on the lookout, but I don’t want to scare them unnecessarily or alienate them with bad news. Should I tell?

The Ethicist has a nice response. It basically boils down to:

If you know that people face a genuine, albeit insect-size, peril, you have a duty to let them know so they can protect themselves.

You can read the rest here: The Ethicist – Bedbug Disclosure – Question – NYTimes.com.

It’s not just about the ethics though. Ignoring the problem only makes the situation worse. Communication and cooperation make a positive difference.

How to Build Your Own Bedbug Detector
TIME – Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have created a homemade
bedbug trap using a plastic cat-food dish, an insulated jug and some dry-ice pellets …
Read more »

Doggie Sniffs Out Bed Bugs
MyFox Phoenix – The blood eating pests, bed bugs, are found everywhere from movie theaters to mattresses. Now a local pest control company has a dog to help sniff
them out… Read more »

Don’t let the bed bugs bite
Grand Junction Free Press – BY SHARON SULLIVAN Cathy Palmer breeds and raises Beagles in Cedaredge and more recently has gone into the bed bug detection business as well… Read more »

Bed Bugs 101 Provides a Free Information Resource on Bed Bugs
PR Web (press release) – Bed Bug Central Entomologists have Created New Content to Make Bed Bugs 101 Among the Most Comprehensive Information Resources on the Web About Bed Bugs… Read more »

Bed Bugs Beware: There is a New Sheriff in Town!
Send2Press (press release) – CT Bed Bug Dogs (www.ctbedbugdogs.com) announces
this week the launch of a new business serving Connecticut residents and…
Read more »

Family shares bedbug horror
Regina Leader-Post – Now they get at least six bedbug calls per day and thousands of bedbug calls across the province each year. Gage believes increased travel and second-hand … Read more »

Bedtime comes early in the day for racers
Kenosha News.com – The Bed Bugs’ bed also featured a bathtub-sized inflatable bug surrounded by pink and yellow balloons. “It was Adeline’s dream,” explained Debbie
Hawes of … Read more »

Quigley Begbug Bill to be Considered by Assembly Panel Monday
The Jersey City Independent – “Renters should not have to live silently with bedbug infestations,” Quigley says in a statement. “Tenants who want to live in a clean and
safe environment … Read more »

It just might be the solution to the bed bug infestation that’s exploded in the city the last couple years. And what’s more, you can do it yourself. And the cost? Less than 20 bucks.

So what is this solution? It is similar to the NightWatch Bed Bug Monitor Trap. Scroll half-way down How to trap bed bugs for more information on the NightWatch. Essentially, it uses carbon dioxide to entice bed bugs into a contraption they can’t escape from. It is smart, cheap and easy enough for anybody to make.

But is it a solution to a bed bug infestation? That’s a little hopeful since traps like this have been around and in use for a while. They are thought of more as ways to detect infestations and possibly gauge how severe they are — not as a complete solution.

Dr. Wang believes this system, which works principally as a monitor to detect bed bug activity, can eventually get rid of 80% of bed bugs. He cautions it works best with smaller populations. But, when confronted with large infestations, it may have to be combined with a professional pest control service to wipe out the problem completely.

Still, it is something to consider. The short video is worth watching as you can see how the trap is made.

While this tactic won’t work for large items, it could be a practical (and cheap) method of treating smaller items that are infested with bed bugs. Items like certain electronics, books, clothing and accessories that can’t be washed and children’s toys.

You will have to use good judgment. But this could be a workable piece of a larger bed bug extermination effort.

I live in the state of CT and we are seeing a definite increase in bed bug problems. My PCO friend said that bed bugs are actually becoming a bigger and bigger problem for businesses. People have bed bugs at home and then they bring them to work on their clothes and belongings. From there they spread. So they are doing more and more work with offices and other places of business.

At the same time, he said a majority of the times when they are called out to people’s homes to do an assessment, the home does not have an infestation. That must be a relief to many people! Although recently a house he worked on was so bad they had to fumigate. He said it cost about $16,000 with a crew of 20 people to fumigate a 3000 sq foot house. Big. Bucks.

Bed bug prevention is so important. It really isn’t that hard to protect yourself. It just requires that you learn what to do and take the time to do it. Please read more about bed bug control and prevention to make sure you’re doing everything you can. You don’t want to end up with a $16,000 fumigation bill and I don’t want you to either.

Bedbugs were believed to have been exterminated with the wide use of DDT. However, a banning of the controversial pesticide and the increase in international travel have resulted in the re-emergence of bedbugs across the country.

Trevisol stresses that bedbugs are no longer just a sign of bad hygiene.

Part of the problem with bed bug awareness is the stigma attached to having bed bugs: the thinking that bed bugs come from poor hygiene. Good to see things published to the contrary.

Here’s an explanation of how you get bed bugs.

What is a bed bug infestation like? is a fictional scenario I pulled together from stories people have sent me through this site. A lot of these stories have a few things in common that you’ll see over and over again when people talk about how they came to realize they were dealing with a bed bug infestation.

Home Bed Bug Prevention Tips helps answer many of the questions a reader will have after reading How do you get bed bugs?.

What is causing the current bed bug resurgence? explains why we are in the middle of a bed bug resurgence.