Evil comes in many forms and nothing seems more evil today than the common bed bug.

This little darling from time immemorial has resurfaced with a vengeance and may not be found in private homes, hotels, motels, furniture stores, hospitals, nursing homes and almost everywhere there are enclosed spaces and human hosts to feed upon.

We are told by many medical authorities not to worry too much, however, because the bed bug does not seem to have the capability of transmitting diseases among humans. So, don't fret too much about contacting Hepatitis or HIV from a bed bug bite.

I remember that scare about mosquitos a few years back and everytime I got a mosquito bite I just knew I was going to die of AIDS. Well, it didn't happen despite hundreds of such bites and now we are being told that the bed bug cannot transmit these horrors either. That is some consolation I guess.

Bed Bugs can hide in drapes and curtains, in cracks in walls and along base boards. They can hide in folds of bed linens along the edges of rugs and carpets and almost everywhere.  If you are going to go looking for these pesky critters, you had better be prepared to spend quite some time.

In dealing with bedbugs, some folks are rushing out and purchasing all kinds of poisonous insecticides and trying to handle the problem themselves. Medical Authorities have warned that this is a dangerous practice because some insecticides can be dangerous if improperly handled or applied. The solution is said to be the hiring of a professional exterminator to handle the bed bug problems. This can cost upwards of a thousand dollars per session according to some news sources I have read.

Landlords may not be of much help sometimes either---especially if they attempt to handle the spraying for bed bugs themselves. It is alright if they are professionals at de-bugging, but if they are not, they may be putting their tenants into danger by trying to de-bug their units themselves.

I always check the bed first thing when I check into a motel or hotel. The one thing I cannot stomach is the thought of going to bed perfectly fine and waking up in the morning covered from head to toe with small, intensely-itching little red welts from bed bugs.

So, the bed bug thing has had a resurgence recently and is said to be approaching epidemic proportions in some areas.

I am personally very wary of things I buy at yard sales and estate sales and used clothing is never an option for me. (Used bedding is definitely out of the question.).

I have written a more extensive article about this problem on my blog, "The Liming Liberal Digest" which may be viewed at the following: http://thelimingview.blogspot.com/

The picture accompanying this article is a Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons and depicts the common bed bug. Ugh!