According to The Statesman Journal this resurgence is mainly due to “an increased resistance of bed bugs to available pesticides, more frequent domestic and international travel, a general lack of knowledge regarding bed bug control, and the decline of effective pest control programs at the state and local level.” Contradictory to there name bed bugs are not found in just beds alone, they are found in airplanes, movie theaters, restaurants, at work, and especially in hotels.  These bedbugs will cling on to your clothes until they eventually make their way inside your house. According to Scientific America once in your house bedbugs spread away from the beds into living areas and can be seen on any surface. It is extremely important that once you spot these varmints that you call your local exterminator IMMEDIATELY, because bed bugs can live for up to a year without a blood meal so they will hang around and reproduce unless treated. However, It is possible to treat the bugs yourself, but personally when dealing with chemicals around my living area I’d rather leave that job up to the trained professionals. 

I for one was personally effected by these pests just like millions of americans, however my home was never infested with the bugs. This is mostly thanks to my mother who treated every trip to the movie theater, a hotel stay, an airplane ride, or even just a night out to eat as a potential spot for an unwelcome visitor to tagalong back home with us. Whenever we would stay in a hotel, our luggage would go right into the bathroom where it would remain until our stay was over. After a night at the movies we were not allowed back into the house until all of our clothes were taken off, except our underwear of course, and after a vacation all of our clothes would have to sit out in the sun in trash bags for a few hours until the bedbugs were “killed” at which point the clothes would then be thrown in the washer. Of course my mothers methods had holes in them, and probably didn’t do much at all but annoy my dad, brothers and I, but we did it to make her happy, and who knows maybe one of her crazy tactics actually did prevent us from getting infected. However, the more I research the more I start to realize that maybe there was a method to her madness, so for that I thank you mom! 

Truthfully the best way to prevent bedbugs is to not get them in the first place because according to Real Simple once your home it will cost approximately $1,200 to completely rid them from your home. So just remember the next time you are our staying at a hotel inspect the bed, and check your clothes before reentering your house after being around a dirty urban environment. If you follow these two simple steps you and your family should remain bedbug free.