The fact is they’re real. And they’re back. These bloodsucking insects – properly known as Cimex lectularius — are making a worldwide resurgence that has taken scientists by surprise.
Common up until the 1930s, pesticides all but eliminated them from the Western world — until recently. Nobody knows why they’re returning, but it’s possible they’re becoming resistant to pesticides.
Bedbugs are small insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals and humans. 
Wingless, they tend to inhabit the areas where people sleep. About a half-inch long, their flat, coin-like bodies allow them to conceal themselves in the crevices of furniture and floorboards.
Their favorite spots are bed frames, mattresses and box springs — where their victims spend hours sleeping unaware and thus the perfect prey.
Drawn to their sleeping targets, they move quickly to painlessly bite their victim and drink a few drops of blood.
When they do so, they also inject a small amount of their saliva into the skin. Thankfully, they do not transmit any type of disease.
Repeated bites cause an irritation and itching, and this is what the victim first notices. The problem is that these skin lesions look like any other insect bite, so usually the doctor cannot identify the cause unless a bedbug is witnessed and identified by the victim.
Hence, victims can be bitten for months before discovering the cause.
No home is safe from them. They hitch rides in luggage and clothing, and they can be found in the finest hotels and any home, rich or poor. Because they can go a year without feeding, even vacant or clean-appearing homes can be infested.
If you suspect bedbugs, look carefully for clues. Examine the crevices of furniture and beds, and inspect curtain pleats, loose areas of wallpaper, behind molding or in the spaces of wicker furniture. Blood spots from bites, or dark brown or reddish fecal spots, can be often found on bed sheets.
If you travel, beware. Travelers can pick them up in hotel rooms and unknowingly bring them home. It might be wise to inspect the bed at the place you stay.
If you confirm you have bedbugs, thoroughly scrub infested areas with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs. Vacuum bedbugs from crevices in walls and furniture. Turn over furniture and inspect it, and dismantle beds if necessary.
Mattresses can be encased in special covers so that bugs sealed inside die and new ones cannot get in. Launder all exposed clothing and linen. Seal all holes where pipes or wires penetrate walls.
However, unless you’re thorough, it may be necessary to call a professional to make sure they’re eliminated.
Khan is an internal medicine physician practicing in the San Gabriel Valley. He co-founded the UMMA Clinic as a student and currently serves on its board of directors.
