Good night, sleep tight…wait…I’m scared those bed bugs will bite!

 

Until now, I have successfully ignored recent news reports of bedbugs by reminding myself - a self-proclaimed Germaphobe - that I am far too clean and nice and sweet for bedbugs to get me. That is, until I heard that the most recent outbreak shut down the Nike flagship store, Niketown, in New York. I couldn’t ignore this story- it was preposterous! Everyone knows bedbugs don’t wear shoes, so why they were shopping at Niketown, I have no idea. 

 

Wait…reading more news. The bedbugs aren’t shopping? They are infesting?! This is even more outrageous as I thought bedbugs were in your…well…bed. And I’m pretty sure the last pair of Nikes I purchased made better running shoes than a mattress.  

 

Yuck. I’m itchy just thinking about this stuff.   

 

The point is, I, like many other people, have no idea how bedbugs bug us- that while they’re normally found within 8 feet of where humans sleep, these little buggers can travel. They make us red and itchy, can cause allergic reactions and can even lead to secondary infections and anxiety. And they are stubborn. Did you know bedbugs can live for one year without eating?!   

 

Gross.  

 

Luckily for us (and knock on wood please), St. Louis hasn’t seen the alarming resurgence of these pesky pests the way New York has. But it’s never too soon to play it safe. If you are traveling, being prepared, or just trying to sleep at night, check out what our friends at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have to say. 

 

Good night, sleep tight…and, well…you know the saying. 

 

Lindsey