Don't Lose Sleep Over Bed Bugs

As if you needed something else to worry about, a scourge from the last century is rearing its ugly head. Or, more to the point, its sucker.

Bed bugs, that pest from the old bedtime rhyme (Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.), are making a comeback. More of a nuisance than a health hazard, they are showing up to suck blood from guests in hotels, college dorms, and hospitals.

One thing is certain: You don't want them. WebMD talked to entomologist Richard J. Pollack, PhD, research associate with the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in Fairfax, Va., about what you can do to keep them from becoming a public health issue, how to avoid bringing bed bugs home, and what to do if you suspect you have them.

(View images of bed bugs in WebMD's bed bug slide show.)

Bed Bugs and Public Health

"The bites can cause distress, a few people have allergic reactions, and scratching can lead to secondary infection, but bed bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases to humans," says Pollack. "You don't have to worry about who the bed bug fed on earlier. You're not going to get hepatitis B or C, malaria, or HIV."

He says the critters do become a public health burden, however, if people go ballistic trying to get rid of them. "Many people, whether they think they have bed bugs or truly do, will attempt to apply insecticides in their homes and on their beds. They don't know what they're doing, they don't read the labels, and they can overexpose themselves to something, which, if used properly, would pose minimal risk."

Pollack says some people call in an expert, find out what insecticide will be used, and decide they can buy the insecticide on the Internet and do it themselves. "Few people know what they're applying, how to mix it, how to apply it, and what the risks are if they misuse it. I actively dissuade folks from doing things on the cheap. Hire a licensed professional."

If you're a renter and suspect an infestation, don't let your landlord take matters into his own hands. Massachusetts law prohibits landlords from applying pesticides to common areas and to units other than those they occupy. They must hire a licensed pest control operator. "There are good reasons for this," says Pollack. "Most landlords don't know what they're doing."

A caller to a recent public radio show on which Pollack was interviewed asked about using kerosene to eliminate bed bugs. Indeed, that was an old folk remedy. Some people used to place their bedposts in cans filled with kerosene. We can only hope they didn't smoke in bed.

What about the ionic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic products advertised on TV or the web? "These things are amazingly effective at reducing the thickness of your wallet," he says.

In addition, people spread the problem if they throw out an infested mattress that hasn't been properly treated. "Someone comes along and sees it on the curb, decides it looks better than what they have, and picks it up," he says.