I recently watched a YouTube video of an exterminator killing a really bad batch of bed bugs with heat. I was itchy all day after that. No bed bugs in my home but just the thought of them made me squirm.
Out on my deck, reading a book. Feel something, look down, and there is a bug crawling across my leg. I swat it off, and for the rest of the afternoon I imagine bugs crawling across my leg.
Hah! I must have mistook this one a bit. I was thinking in the last panel that Janis was reaching under the covers to swat away Arlo’s roving hand that he was pretending to be a bedbug.
According to the Oxford English DictionarySleep Tight“It seems that tight in this expression is the equivalent of the only surviving use of the adverb tightly meaning ‘soundly, properly, well, effectively’. The 20-volume historical Oxford English Dictionary labels this adverb ‘now dialectal’.”.(and lest ye wonder:.Dialectal
“In linguistics dialectal, not dialectical, is the term more commonly used to denote regional or social language variation: Dialectal variation is more marked in the South than elsewhere in the United States.In general writing either term may be found.” (As the Good Lord intended, dhg) )
Having had bedbugs in 2009, I can tell you that hotels are only one source of them.
Libraries – people take stuff home, it sits around in their house, bed bugs like paper it is comfy, they take the stuff back to the library – you take it out or read it in the library and take home bed bugs.
Theaters (plays much more so than movie theaters, but both are possible) – especially ones with more than one performance a day – bb’s like to be where people are sleeping as that is when they feed – actors and staff take naps between performances…
Cardboard boxes, especially corrugated, paper items, fabric items, all are sources of bedbugs as they like same.
Apartments and offices – when same are treated if all adjacent units are not treated at the same time the bbs go into the other units instead of dying,
People’s homes.
Malls.
Any place there are people – they can have them on their clothes and transfer them to your clothes, floors, seats, etc.
In our case we had not been in a hotel for almost a year before we had them. Our best guess is that I got them at a business client when I was in his office which was in an apartment building.
Or when my sister who had not mentioned that her apartment building always had problems with them and I gave her a ride in my car – which when tested our car had them also.
Ohio has 8 cities with bed bug problems, so don’t think it is just NYC.
In Janis’ case she probably does not have them as they bite when one is asleep. The even breathing while one sleeps is what attracts them. Often when one is bitten overnight one does not know as the horrible,horrible itch may not show up until hours late. When we had them I thought I was being bitten during the day as that is when the bites showed up – and husband asleep next to me was not bitten for a couple of months (yes, due to the pattern of when the itching started each day it took us that long to figure it out). Then again getting rid of them was so much work, cost so much (1/4 of our income for the year) and involved so much rearranging of our stuff for treatment (anything which can burn, melt, or explode has to be taken out of the house, anything fabric – and I sew – has to be heated on high heat in the dryer for 50 minutes and then sealed in a plastic bag until after the house is treated, anything which can break or fly around – like those papers on the fridge – have to be packed or otherwise stored, then strange men come into your house – you leave and they have full run of everything of value and privacy in your house as you can take only the clothes you are wearing which you heated in the dryer the night before and kept in a bag until you put them on) that I would be sorely tempted to just let them keep biting us as I am not sure which is worse. Our house is still not back together yet. Oh, and don’t throw anything out or you spread them. And yes, we are still sleeping on our same mattress as it was treated and then we sealed it in a cover made for this.
We no longer go to anyone’s house (people insist they don’t have any bbs, as I would have before I found out I did, and I have pointed out to some of them who said this shortly after we had them, that they were at high risk for them as we had been there while we had them!
Having had bedbugs in 2009, I can tell you that hotels are only one source of them.
Libraries – people take stuff home, it sits around in their house, bed bugs like paper it is comfy, they take the stuff back to the library – you take it out or read it in the library and take home bed bugs.
Theaters (plays much more so than movie theaters, but both are possible) – especially ones with more than one performance a day – bb’s like to be where people are sleeping as that is when they feed – actors and staff take naps between performances…
Cardboard boxes, especially corrugated, paper items, fabric items, all are sources of bedbugs as they like same.
Apartments and offices – when same are treated if all adjacent units are not treated at the same time the bbs go into the other units instead of dying,
People’s homes.
Malls.
Any place there are people – they can have them on their clothes and transfer them to your clothes, floors, seats, etc.
In our case we had not been in a hotel for almost a year before we had them. Our best guess is that I got them at a business client when I was in his office which was in an apartment building.
Or when my sister who had not mentioned that her apartment building always had problems with them and I gave her a ride in my car – which when tested our car had them also.
Ohio has 8 cities with bed bug problems, so don’t think it is just NYC.
In Janis’ case she probably does not have them as they bite when one is asleep. The even breathing while one sleeps is what attracts them. Often when one is bitten overnight one does not know as the horrible,horrible itch may not show up until hours late. When we had them I thought I was being bitten during the day as that is when the bites showed up – and husband asleep next to me was not bitten for a couple of months (yes, due to the pattern of when the itching started each day it took us that long to figure it out). Then again getting rid of them was so much work, cost so much (1/4 of our income for the year) and involved so much rearranging of our stuff for treatment (anything which can burn, melt, or explode has to be taken out of the house, anything fabric – and I sew – has to be heated on high heat in the dryer for 50 minutes and then sealed in a plastic bag until after the house is treated, anything which can break or fly around – like those papers on the fridge – have to be packed or otherwise stored, then strange men come into your house – you leave and they have full run of everything of value and privacy in your house as you can take only the clothes you are wearing which you heated in the dryer the night before and kept in a bag until you put them on) that I would be sorely tempted to just let them keep biting us as I am not sure which is worse. Our house is still not back together yet. Oh, and don’t throw anything out or you spread them. And yes, we are still sleeping on our same mattress as it was treated and then we sealed it in a cover made for this.
We no longer go to anyone’s house (people insist they don’t have any bbs, as I would have before I found out I did, and I have pointed out to some of them who said this shortly after we had them, that they were at high risk for them as we had been there while we had them!
LuvThemPluggers almost 8 years ago
The power of suggestion!
Richard Howland-Bolton Premium Member almost 8 years ago
LuvThemWe hope that’s what it is!!
stlmaddog5 almost 8 years ago
Arlo and Janis doesn’t travel a lot, so I doubt that they have bed bugs. It is a testimony of the power of suggestion, I’m sure.
Nicole ♫ ⊱✿ ◕‿◕✿⊰♫ Premium Member almost 8 years ago
I recently watched a YouTube video of an exterminator killing a really bad batch of bed bugs with heat. I was itchy all day after that. No bed bugs in my home but just the thought of them made me squirm.
ScullyUFO almost 8 years ago
I never understood “sleep tight”. I sleep better when I “sleep loose”.
Varnes almost 8 years ago
Oh great, I’m propped up in bed, with my laptop…and now my butt itches….
linsonl almost 8 years ago
Out on my deck, reading a book. Feel something, look down, and there is a bug crawling across my leg. I swat it off, and for the rest of the afternoon I imagine bugs crawling across my leg.
sacldczoo almost 8 years ago
If I get an ant on me in the morning, I end up scratching all day.
3pibgorn9 almost 8 years ago
Maybe they like me but not my wife. sigh
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member almost 8 years ago
Hah! I must have mistook this one a bit. I was thinking in the last panel that Janis was reaching under the covers to swat away Arlo’s roving hand that he was pretending to be a bedbug.
nancy13g almost 8 years ago
If I say the word “lice” I guarantee y’all are going to start scratching your heads ;)
Gracey James Premium Member almost 8 years ago
The power of suggestion
Mema Jean almost 8 years ago
Yep, the itchies.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 8 years ago
According to the Oxford English DictionarySleep Tight“It seems that tight in this expression is the equivalent of the only surviving use of the adverb tightly meaning ‘soundly, properly, well, effectively’. The 20-volume historical Oxford English Dictionary labels this adverb ‘now dialectal’.”.(and lest ye wonder:.Dialectal
“In linguistics dialectal, not dialectical, is the term more commonly used to denote regional or social language variation: Dialectal variation is more marked in the South than elsewhere in the United States.In general writing either term may be found.” (As the Good Lord intended, dhg) )
mafastore almost 8 years ago
Having had bedbugs in 2009, I can tell you that hotels are only one source of them.
Libraries – people take stuff home, it sits around in their house, bed bugs like paper it is comfy, they take the stuff back to the library – you take it out or read it in the library and take home bed bugs.
Theaters (plays much more so than movie theaters, but both are possible) – especially ones with more than one performance a day – bb’s like to be where people are sleeping as that is when they feed – actors and staff take naps between performances…
Cardboard boxes, especially corrugated, paper items, fabric items, all are sources of bedbugs as they like same.
Apartments and offices – when same are treated if all adjacent units are not treated at the same time the bbs go into the other units instead of dying,
People’s homes.
Malls.
Any place there are people – they can have them on their clothes and transfer them to your clothes, floors, seats, etc.
In our case we had not been in a hotel for almost a year before we had them. Our best guess is that I got them at a business client when I was in his office which was in an apartment building.
Or when my sister who had not mentioned that her apartment building always had problems with them and I gave her a ride in my car – which when tested our car had them also.
Ohio has 8 cities with bed bug problems, so don’t think it is just NYC.
In Janis’ case she probably does not have them as they bite when one is asleep. The even breathing while one sleeps is what attracts them. Often when one is bitten overnight one does not know as the horrible,horrible itch may not show up until hours late. When we had them I thought I was being bitten during the day as that is when the bites showed up – and husband asleep next to me was not bitten for a couple of months (yes, due to the pattern of when the itching started each day it took us that long to figure it out). Then again getting rid of them was so much work, cost so much (1/4 of our income for the year) and involved so much rearranging of our stuff for treatment (anything which can burn, melt, or explode has to be taken out of the house, anything fabric – and I sew – has to be heated on high heat in the dryer for 50 minutes and then sealed in a plastic bag until after the house is treated, anything which can break or fly around – like those papers on the fridge – have to be packed or otherwise stored, then strange men come into your house – you leave and they have full run of everything of value and privacy in your house as you can take only the clothes you are wearing which you heated in the dryer the night before and kept in a bag until you put them on) that I would be sorely tempted to just let them keep biting us as I am not sure which is worse. Our house is still not back together yet. Oh, and don’t throw anything out or you spread them. And yes, we are still sleeping on our same mattress as it was treated and then we sealed it in a cover made for this.
We no longer go to anyone’s house (people insist they don’t have any bbs, as I would have before I found out I did, and I have pointed out to some of them who said this shortly after we had them, that they were at high risk for them as we had been there while we had them!
mafastore almost 8 years ago
Having had bedbugs in 2009, I can tell you that hotels are only one source of them.
Libraries – people take stuff home, it sits around in their house, bed bugs like paper it is comfy, they take the stuff back to the library – you take it out or read it in the library and take home bed bugs.
Theaters (plays much more so than movie theaters, but both are possible) – especially ones with more than one performance a day – bb’s like to be where people are sleeping as that is when they feed – actors and staff take naps between performances…
Cardboard boxes, especially corrugated, paper items, fabric items, all are sources of bedbugs as they like same.
Apartments and offices – when same are treated if all adjacent units are not treated at the same time the bbs go into the other units instead of dying,
People’s homes.
Malls.
Any place there are people – they can have them on their clothes and transfer them to your clothes, floors, seats, etc.
In our case we had not been in a hotel for almost a year before we had them. Our best guess is that I got them at a business client when I was in his office which was in an apartment building.
Or when my sister who had not mentioned that her apartment building always had problems with them and I gave her a ride in my car – which when tested our car had them also.
Ohio has 8 cities with bed bug problems, so don’t think it is just NYC.
In Janis’ case she probably does not have them as they bite when one is asleep. The even breathing while one sleeps is what attracts them. Often when one is bitten overnight one does not know as the horrible,horrible itch may not show up until hours late. When we had them I thought I was being bitten during the day as that is when the bites showed up – and husband asleep next to me was not bitten for a couple of months (yes, due to the pattern of when the itching started each day it took us that long to figure it out). Then again getting rid of them was so much work, cost so much (1/4 of our income for the year) and involved so much rearranging of our stuff for treatment (anything which can burn, melt, or explode has to be taken out of the house, anything fabric – and I sew – has to be heated on high heat in the dryer for 50 minutes and then sealed in a plastic bag until after the house is treated, anything which can break or fly around – like those papers on the fridge – have to be packed or otherwise stored, then strange men come into your house – you leave and they have full run of everything of value and privacy in your house as you can take only the clothes you are wearing which you heated in the dryer the night before and kept in a bag until you put them on) that I would be sorely tempted to just let them keep biting us as I am not sure which is worse. Our house is still not back together yet. Oh, and don’t throw anything out or you spread them. And yes, we are still sleeping on our same mattress as it was treated and then we sealed it in a cover made for this.
We no longer go to anyone’s house (people insist they don’t have any bbs, as I would have before I found out I did, and I have pointed out to some of them who said this shortly after we had them, that they were at high risk for them as we had been there while we had them!