“Good Night…Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite”
Posted: Saturday, October 01, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
That is not the best of titles. It isn’t very humorous, is Illogical, and many may not even get the point. If you were born after somewhere around 1945-50, you have not a clue as to the problems the little insignificant appearing bug could cause you.
During the years of slow recovery from the great depression, the notorious Bed Bug (Chinch) flourished. It seemed that just about everyone had at least a slight infestation of bed bugs in and/or around their home. They are a tiny bug about 4 mm long and half that width. They survive on blood. It matters little to them what the source is of the blood so long as they can get too it. It was common to find them in crevices of chicken houses or nests and frequently could be found in homes.
My mother worked diligently to keep them under control. There was no effective pesticides at that time. She took the time each morning, to lift each mattress, one corner at a time, to examine the springs and the mattresses. She found one fairly often and of course would destroy it. I imagine it was her diligence which enables me to say that I never was bitten by one. They had a peculiar offensive smell, but fortunately, it was not very strong until one was crushed. But they were a nightmare for the housekeepers.
But World War 2 brought about the discovery that an 1894 formula called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), was an outstanding pesticide and was used heavily during the war to help control malaria and typhus for our troops as well as civilians and it’s use became widespread for the ridding one’s home of insects, especially the despised Bed Bug. And sometime in the 1940’s was the last time I remember seeing one of the little varmints.
Now, all of a sudden, those despicable things are making a comeback, or so they say. I still have not seen another nor have I heard of anyone who has, but according to the news, they are again gaining in numbers and worst of all, in resistance to pesticides. DDT was outlawed here in the U.S. in 1972.
Rachel Carson’s best seller book, “Silent Spring”, in 1962, got the attention of officials and brought on a 10 year debate of the pros and cons of this formulation. It was finally determined that the residue was getting into our water supplies and that birds were eating insects with the poison in or on them, which led to it’s ban as a commercial pesticide. Pity. It was indeed a great, unsurpassed I would think, insect eradicator. But it was also capable of extreme damage to the environment.
Here is a blurb from an article which is disturbing:
As more people in the United States are feeling the bed bug's bite, there has been a spike in sickness from pesticides used to kill the insects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday. From 2003 to 2010, 111 people were sickened and one died from bed bug insecticide, the government agency reported in a study that is the first of its kind in the country. (Study finds bed bug pesticides making some people sick: Reuters) (Read the article)
If you should find a bed bug in your home or on your clothing, certainly you should kill it and look for more. But, they are not a fast spreading bug unless overlooked or neglected. As I said they must have blood to survive so with real diligence you may be able to remove them without the deadly insecticides. There are probably some more harmless chemicals which would deter their establishing a residence. I don’t know that. But I remember my mother would, periodically, brush a coat of kerosene on our bedsprings and lightly on the corners of the mattresses. It caused a brief odor but not too repulsive. But not you know where the phrase comes from when mothers were putting the little ones to bed. “Good night, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Hardly a good replacement for “I love you.” But, Oh well. Some of us just weren’t all that lovable, I guess.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Joel,
Now that was an interesting article and I think your title is great. Your title piqued my interest.
It is a shame about DDT. It did great things to the mosquito and could be of such benefit in those areas where malaria is widespred. [I wish I could get a couple of canisters of it for my backyard. I'm fighting mosquitos from May through September.]
Thanks for a good read.
Thanks Nancy for reading and commenting.
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