Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep — and blood. Here’s what to do about them

NEW YORK (AP) — Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood. Generations of children have been told: “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Well, bad news: Bedbug infestations are increasing.

This is the time of year when they tend to be at their worst. And some scientists think the reviled pests might be capable of spreading an antibiotic-resistant infection called MRSA. For centuries, the bugs have horrified homeowners and occasionally panicked the public.

That happened in New York City in 2018, when at least a half dozen city buses were taken out of service after reports of bedbugs crawling on seats. It happened again in Paris in 2023, when reports of bedbugs at a movie theater, on trains and on buses popped up in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics. “They certainly are out there,” said Christopher Hayes, a North Carolina State University assistant professor who has been bitten by bedbugs more than 50 times in the course of research.

“And if you’re unaware, if you’re not on top of your game, it’s easy to bring them into your home.” Bedbugs really do come out at night Bedbugs are reddish-brown bloodsuckers about the size of an apple seed. Some researchers estimate they date back to the time of the dinosaurs, but they are best known for their unfortunate ability to live with — and prey on — humans. They can hide in narrow crevices in furniture and lurk in clothes, linens and mattresses.

They are hard to see but can be detected through the small dark excrement stains they leave. The pests can be year-round problems but they have traditionally thrived in the summer. They tend to emerge at night, crawling onto people and using a beaklike body part to pierce human skin and suck blood for several minutes.

Some people develop itchy red welts a day or so later, but others have no reaction. That’s a problem, because people unaware that they are repeatedly being bitten can quickly find themselves victims of an infestation. One of the more gruesome stories about bedbugs and human health was detailed in a 2020 medical journal case report from France.