Every time you go to sleep,
there could be thousands
of these thirsty critters
sucking your blood.
Growing and growing.
And yes,
they will kill you if you let them.
So, you need to watch this.
These little suckers are only the size
of an apple seed,
but each one
eats up to three times
its weight from your blood.
And they are almost everywhere.
Up to a tenth of an average pillow’s weight
is not fluffy feathers
but bloodthirsty bed bugs.
In the past decade,
bed bug infestation has increased
in high-income countries
like the United States, Canada,
and Europe.
And they hide so well
that you don't notice them
until it's too late.
So, you might want to look
under your mattress.
Even if you're a spotlessly clean person,
the bed bugs only need you
to sleep in a hotel
or unpack your luggage on the bed,
and they can jump into it,
enter your house,
and infest it.
But you can avoid this.
When you're traveling,
do not put your luggage on the bed.
And wash your clothes immediately
when you return home.
Some of the first signs of infestation
can be dark or rusty spots
on your mattress and pillows.
Also, look for the small feces
that bed bugs may shed
in the corners of your bedroom,
under the rugs, or carpet.
Yes, my friend,
those little poop balls
were once your blood.
And if you notice any of these signs,
you cannot just take it easy.
In 2016,
a woman in Pennsylvania
died of sepsis
due to a bed bug infestation
in the care facility she lived in.
So, look carefully.
Using common pesticides
on bed bugs
will only make things worse.
They are evolving,
and can resist
many pest control chemicals.
So, you'd only kill a few of them.
And the rest will scatter
over other furniture and fabrics
all over your home.
Each female bed bug
can lay five eggs a day,
and hundreds of eggs in her lifetime.
And 4-12 days later,
her babies hatch.
And they're thirsty.
So, you need to call
pest control experts to get rid of them.
They know how to treat these suckers.
If you call a professional,
make sure everyone in the building
knows the pros are coming.
In 2017,
an 82-year-old woman
in Houston died
after her apartment building's owner
called in pest control experts
without telling her.
The experts heated her apartment
to more than 60 °C (139 °F)
to kill the bed bugs.
But they did not tell the lady
how long she had to stay away
from the apartment.
She came back too soon
and died of hyperthermia.
So, call in the professionals.
And make sure everyone in the building
knows when they're coming
and what to do.
A severe bed bug infestation
can be extremely distressing,
and you may need help
coping with it.
In 2013,
a woman committed suicide
after repeated infestations
in her apartment.
In her suicide note,
she directly blamed the "vampires"
and her fear of being
"eaten alive".
If you experience nightmares,
flashbacks,
and anxiety
even after an infestation,
seek professional help
to cope with it.
But if you think those were bad,
wait until you see what
these other tiny creatures can do.
Find out here,
on How to Survive a Tick Bite.