That's right, we're living in a Charles Dickens novel. I mean honestly, when was the last time you heard about someone having an infestation of bedbugs in their house? Well, you might hear it more often, since bedbug populations are increasing and they've become resistant to pesticides.
It's actually kind of funny because the study shows that the insect kingdom has its own regional differences. Researchers compared bedbugs found in New York City with bedbugs from Florida. The tough, urban bugs from NYC were better at surviving the pesticide than the softer, weaker bedbugs from the more hospitable climate of Florida.
I actually had a coworker come back from a trip recently and he thought he had picked up some bedbugs at a shady hotel he was staying in. It turns out that they weren't bedbugs (the exterminator didn't know what the hell they were), but he had done a lot of reading about them in the meantime. Have you ever gone to a party where the host puts all the coats in a big pile on the bed? That's what my parents used to do when they had company, but it turns out that it's a terrible idea. My friend was telling me that bedbugs can get into your clothing, so they can either move from an infected mattress into the pile of coats to get taken to all the guests' houses, or from one guest's coat into the mattress and all of the other guests' coats. It makes me cringe just thinking about it!
2 comments:
I worked in group homes for developmentally disabled adults. Many employees were came from third world countries, and went back to visit frequently. More than one of the homes became infested over the last few years I worked there.
Hi, Da Old Man!
That's equal parts sad and disgusting. Bedbug infestations are disgusting, but it's sad that they were in a group home like that.
It's a challenge for fully-developed adults to cope with (and eradicate) bedbugs. I can't imagine what a nightmare it would have been with developmentally disabled adults.
Post a Comment