A friend kept complaining about a rash she had and it was spreading. She scratched and scratched and applied a variety of lotions. Finally, she went to the doctor. The diagnosis was --- she had bed bug bites! Eke!

After some investigation and reading some headlines from cities on the east coast, she discovered these pests are not all that uncommon. In fact, bed bugs spread easily. They have been found in hotels, apartments, condominiums and single family homes. They have even been found in hospitals and nursing homes, just not as often. How did my friend get them? She bought a used bed frame and the bed bugs were on the frame.

Years ago bed bugs were common when mattress stuffing was made of such things as straw. Hence, we have the saying, “Sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite.” From 1955 to 2000 you didn’t hear anything about bed bugs. Now, they are back and their presence is growing.

If you think you have bed bugs, look with an industrial powered magnifier and a flashlight. Go online and look for a picture of the reddish-brown, oval-shaped, flattened bug about 1/4 to 5/8 inches long. They like to hide cracks and crevices in head and foot boards and attached side railings and supports. If the top of the mattress has a rip, the bed bugs may hide in there. Also look for their trails of excrement on a mattress.

How do you eradicate these pests? There are various dusts, sprays and insecticides you can use. Google for information online about the steps and products suggested.

Unfortunately, everything I read says to expect to see bed bugs during some time in your life. They travel easily and multiple. Unfortunately their bites are itchy and uncomfortable and need to be dealt with immediately.

Your BBB of Southern Colorado receives several complaints a year about bed bugs. Have you had any encounters with bed bugs? What did you do?