Bed bugs… uh! Just the sound of those words makes me quiver. Living in New York, a highly infested area, you are constantly hearing about bed-bug devastation.

My friend had to throw out all of his furniture.

I know someone who had to dry clean every piece of clothing they own.

Sounds scary expensive, and infestation is on the rise.

After having a bed bug scare about a year ago, I have attempted to learn as much as possible about avoiding an infestation and how to deal with them should your home become infested. But alas! What took me nearly a year to learn, the New York Times has recently packaged into a nice little article. This article offers many invaluable tips on how to identify if you have a bed bug problem, how find the right exterminator (avoid those who will scam you) and tips on preserving you mattress and clothing. I found it helpful, especially since the average infested family spends nearly $5000 getting rid of bed bugs. I can’t afford that on a graduate stipend.

If that isn’t enough bugginess for you, check out this discussion board where people offer their tips and stories of bed-bug mayhem. I only got though a couple of posts before I had to stop, but I did find out some new information about (more) natural ways of killing bed bugs, by means of using diatomaceous earth, which actually wears through the bugs’ shells and causes death by dehydration. It’s loaded with a lot of valuable information if you are bed-bug phobic like me.

I’m glad I got those mattress covers. Picture courtesy of wikipedia.