No, it's not your imagination. Those red, painful swellings on your skin are from the most unpleasant of nighttime creepy-crawlers. Once considered a pest from the past, these little blood-suckers are making a comeback. Bedbugs are brought into well-maintained homes by hitching a ride on infested clothing and furniture. At night, they'll come out of their hiding spots to feed on you while you're fast asleep.
These nasty people-biters hide during the day in mattresses, baseboards, furniture, ceilings and any little crack or crevice in your home. Much like mosquitoes, bedbugs feed on your blood, although they are only active at night. They leave spots of dark excrement on bedding and resting sites.
Use an insecticide with 2% EPA-registered pyrethrin on baseboard, floor, and wall cracks. An insecticide with 1% EPA-registered pyrethrin is sufficient to control the pests on bed frames, springs, and mattresses. Focus on the seams and tufts of your mattress, and be careful not to soak the fabric. Let it completely air-dry before using, and repeat the treatment in 10 days to get rid of the newly hatched eggs. Properly wash all affected bedding before use. Insecticide is dangerous for infants, so instead, replace the mattresses entirely.
Bedbugs are reddish brown, oval-shaped insects which are about 1/4 inch long. They are not easily found during the day. If you have bites on you when you wake up in the morning, look for them on your skin or bedding once you turn the lights out at night.
