There A Bit Smaller Than A Cricket And Give Me The Creeps!

Now that I have your attention, let's talk bugs. Teeny tiny nearly invisible bugs. Bed Bugs! Okay, this is not my favorite topic either, but the more I read and listen, the more I discover you may care about these little critters. Or at least how to avoid them. Thanks to an article in the USA Today last Friday, I have a grasp on the little feeders. The first thing that I discovered is that they are a lot bigger than I originally thought. I am not sure why, but this fact made me very happy.

Knowing the bed bug is not necessarily invisible gives me security that I will be able to detect them. I used to think that they were this invisible enemy lurking in a bed waiting for me to fall asleep. Now I feel comfortable with the idea that I will be able to seek them out before they dine on me.

The USA Today article offers tips or a survival guide as they called it to help us avoid meeting these popular foes.

• If you eat dinner out, put your handbag on your lap instead of the chair or floor. (bed bugs love wood)
• When flying just say no to the pillow and blanket they offer and carry on your luggage.
• Keep your bags in the bathroom of your hotel, the little fellas are less likely to be in there.
• In the hotel, don't use the drawers. (this is a bummer for me as I am a bit ocd and always unpack at hotels)
• Remember that a five star hotel won't keep you safe, bed bugs have no preferences on where they stay.
• Inspect your bed, at home and away. Use a flashlight to look in the stitching of the mattress for signs they have been there.

Here's a fun fact: women are more likely to show signs of being bitten. And due to an anesthetic they inject into you before biting, you may not know right away that you were even bitten. And that makes it hard to determine where the little critter came from.