In Biblical Lore the patriarch Noah was directed to take two of each kind, male and female into the Ark so that each species would survive the flood.Hence one of those species was the Bedbug along with its cousin the Roach, for they have survived and thrived till this day.

The Bedug is a six legged, brown, .2 inches long insect which sleeps during the day in your bed, only to come out at night to feast on us if we are unlucky enough to have been infested. Once they infest a home and commence to eating you for dinner, it takes almost magic to get rid of them.

How they do what they do is amazing. First they bite us and release something like an anesthetic so we won't feel them while they're nibbling, then they inject an anticoagulant so our blood won't clot and stop the flow of blood thereby stopping the feast.

If nothing goes awry and you don't get major complications the symptoms are welt like rashes and itching. However major complications are clusters of inflamed red bumps, dilation of the capillaries under the skin, formation of pus-filled blisters and hives; there is also a risk of an allergic reaction but is rare.

The Risk Factors For Bedbug Infestation Are:

1. Living in a tropical environment-but the critters can thrive and survive in any area.
2. Living in apartment buildings and homeless shelters as opposed to one family homes.
3. Owning a dog or cat who are infested
4. Buying and Using refurbished mattresses

The Signs of Bedbug Infestation Are:

1. Bloodstains on bed linen and mattresses
2. Specks of blood behind wallpaper or other sites
3. Insect excrement hiding in furniture and this place and that

There has been an explosion of infestation in New York City as well as other heavily populated metropolitan areas. Some have blamed this infestation on immigrants from the Middle East, but I don't believe it because they've been in town since the year one. However in recent years some stores have refurbished old mattresses by placing new material over the old one and this may have caused this rise in infestation.

The treatment for bedbug infection is a topical cream to relieve itching, avoiding scratching for the afflicted area and immediate treatment if you have a severe reaction from the bite i.e. can't breathe and swollen tongue.

After you are treated for you must start getting rid of the pest by freezing your clothes, linen etch for 24 hour and/or laundering them in water 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Vacuum the area where they have congregated like the bed and freeze the bag for 24 hours. It may be advisable to get an exterminator if pesticides like dichlorvos, malathion are to be used around cracks and crevices.

You may prevent infestation by inspecting antiques and second hand furniture before bringing them into you home, use the services of an exterminator on a regular basis, use bed nets and mattress covers with the pesticide permethrin, inspect hotel/motel rooms and your luggage while you are traveling and don't buy refurbished mattresses.

Indeed there is a ecological need for all pests and rodents, and they may help us to keep green which is why they ended up on Noah's Ark. However when it comes to feasting on human blood, that's where we should part company. Thus it is sometimes a constant battle between humans and the wilds to dominate a space in time; it is a Prize Fight within nature and as they say, "May the best man win," and/or "Good night don't let the bedbugs bite.t-

Reference-t-The Mayo Clinic