They are believed to have originated in the ancient Middle East when humans shared caves with bats. The famous philosopher Aristotle, as far back as 350 B.C.E., mentioned bed bugs in his writings. Pliny, in his Natural History, published circa 77 C.E., suggested using bed bugs to treat snake bites and ear infections. This was based on the idea that since bed bugs feed on human blood, they could drain the poisons from our bodies by sucking them out. Thankfully, we have long since disposed of such dangerous medical practices as putting bed bugs inside people’s ears.

Bed Bugs have quite a history of making human beings miserable.

by louento.pix under CC BY-ND 

Bed Bugs Infection

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They were first mentioned in the historical writings of Germany in the 11th century, in France in the 13th century and in England in late 16th century. Some historians believe that bed bugs may have become firmly established in Great Britain in 1666, hidden in the lumber that was used to rebuild London after the great fire that destroyed the city. The essential factor in the spread of bed bugs was the growth of population and the influx of people to concentrated urban environments. Another significant reason was the expansion of international shipping. This allowed many insects, animals and germs to migrate easily from one area of the world to another. The rapid development of international trade allowed bed bugs to spread from their original habitat in the Middle East until they had even reached the new world of the Americas. Bed Bugs, ever industrious, probably hitched a ride with the Pilgrims when they arrived at Plymouth Rock.

Medieval methods for dealing with bed bugs varied from pure folk lore to effective, innovative solutions.

Sadly, some of the methods used to kill bed bugs also killed human beings and damaged the environment. Many of the Medieval treatments for bed bug infestations relied on the use of herbs and plants. Black Pepper, Eucalyptus, Fly Agaric, Menthol, Cannabis, Cohosh, Mint, Henna, Cranberries and Terebinth (Turpentine) were used. Other methods included the use of certain insects that fed on bed bugs, driving bed bugs out with the smoke from peat fires and dusting the premises with Dolomite or Diatomaceous Earth. While some of these methods removed bed bug infestations, many of them were not only useless but dangerous. Using insects to kill bed bugs sometimes caused huge fluctuations of insect populations and led to the destruction of crops and native flora. There are historical mentions of houses burning down and people dying from smoke inhalation from the use of peat fires to kill bed bugs. While Diatomaceous Earth is effective in killing bed bugs, modern scientists discovered that only food grade Diatomaceous Earth is safe to use. All other forms of Diatomaceous Earth are unsafe for use around humans and can cause a serious, potentially fatal lung disease called Silicosis.

Bed Bugs continued to ruin the sleep of human beings down through the years and into the modern era.

During World War II, General MacArthur was quoted saying that bed bugs were the “greatest nuisance insect problem at military bases in the U.S.” The plague of bed bugs continued unabated until the mid 1940′s when the pesticide DDT was found to be quite useful for killing bed bugs and their eggs. DDT was so effective that bed bugs vanished from all but the most under developed nations. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary reprieve. DDT became a prime target for environmentalists and it was banned in most of the world by the end of the 20th century. With the banning of DDT, bed bugs have made a massive comeback to once again drink our blood and ruin our good nights sleep.

The current bed bug problem is affecting apartment dwellers, home owners and businesses through out the modern world.

In New York City, for example, major hotels have shut down for days at a time to deal with bed bug infestations. Not only were bed bugs invading hotel rooms but guests were taking them home in their clothing and luggage. In another well known incident, a large movie theater, also in New York City, was forced to close for two weeks and spend over $100,000 to get rid of their bed bug problem. Businesses, apartment dwellers and home owners have been forced to bear the additional expense of paying a professional pest control specialist to protect their premises against bed bugs. The actual removal of a bed bug infestation is a financial nightmare that horrifies any unlucky victim. Bed bugs are having an enormous economic impact.

Modern civilization has certainly made the bed bugs job easier.

International trade covers our entire globe with a huge network of planes, trains, trucks and ships. They all provide effective transportation for hardy bed bugs who can live for up to a year without feeding. We add to the problem with our incredible over usage of paper and plastic, both of which provide great hiding places for bed bugs. The problem is compounded by a vastly interconnected, densely populated planet with huge urban centers like Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Cairo, New York, Los Angeles and hundreds of other gigantic cities. Then mix in an over zealous environmentalist lobby that spends billions of dollars a year to do everything in its power to obstruct the use of any and all pesticides and you have created bed bug heaven. As a result we have a formula that has brought bed bugs back in full fury to once again crawl into our beds and feed on us while we sleep.

Bed Bugs On A Hand

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Consider this. You are at the movies watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster. In between mouthfuls of popcorn and sips of coca cola, you feel a nip or two on your shoulder. You are not sure if it is your imagination or if you have been bitten by an insect, so you ignore it and enjoy the rest of the film. On the way home, as you stroll with your wife on a warm summer’s evening, you start to notice an itching sensation on the same shoulder. Being concerned, as soon as you arrive home, you head into the bathroom to examine your shoulder. When you remove your shirt, you notice something fall into the sink. You look down and to your horror, you see two apple seed sized, reddish brown, wingless insects. You grab an aspirin bottle and dumping the contents, you put one of the bugs in the bottle to save it for later examination. The other one you squash with your thumb and you immediately notice a sizable blood smear around the crushed insect. Then you look at your shoulder and you observe two lines of red, irritated bug bites; both of which are in groups of three bites.

Being a modern guy, you boot up your home computer and access the Internet. Since you have used the Goggle Search Engine for years, you log on to the Google website and enter an appropriate group of keywords: “reddish brown wingless insects.” Instantly the search results appear and to your utter dismay, they are all for BED BUGS. The top ranked result reads, “What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?”, so you click the link and there, in full, living color, are several large, detailed photos that exactly match the insect in the bottle. Now you know that you have been bitten by bed bugs. You read further and soon you learn why the bites are in neat lines of three bites each. Bed bugs, you discover, feed in what scientists refer to as a “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner” pattern and they leave rows of 2 or 3 bites per feeding.

Before you shake your heads and think it is all nonsense, be aware that this is a true story. This is how your devoted author first learned about bed bugs and the problems they are causing, as they stake their claim for the most annoying insects of the 21st. Century. Bed bugs are back after laying dormant and forgotten for almost 75 years. Bed bugs had all but vanished from the modern world until the banning of DDT and many other commercial pesticides in the 1980′s and 1990′s allowed them to stage a comeback. Thanks to overzealous environmentalism and an ever shrinking world, bed bugs returned with a vengeance in the dying days of the 20th century.

Now a days, bed bugs are major news.

They are being written about in magazines and newspapers, featured on the nightly news and splashed all over the Internet. Homes and apartments are being infested along with major hotels, movie theaters, cruise ships, trains, planes, nursing homes and hospitals. Bed bugs have had an enormous impact on the economy with removal costs running from $500 to $1000 per room. Imagine the financial impact when a major New York City Hotel with 700 hundred rooms is shut down for two weeks to undergo a top to bottom, bed bug cleanup. Now imagine this impact coast to coast in America, with bed bug incidents up over 500% in the last 10 years.

There is some good news in this gloomy situation because the bed bug problem is not beyond your control. There are many excellent methods to protect yourself against bed bugs and if you ever have the misfortune to be infested with them, there are many effective treatments to get rid of the miserable, little blood drinkers. Fortunately, the Internet is full of useful websites that are packed with tons of legitimate information about bed bugs. They offer solutions and products to assist with every aspect of the bed bug invasion. Take the time to become familiar with bed bugs and arm yourself with the greatest weapon of all against bed bugs: KNOWLEDGE

by StarMaster under CC BY-SA 

Bed Bug Infestation

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There has been a 500% increase in reported cases of bed bug infestations in America in the last five years. They are infesting houses, apartments and businesses. No one is immune, be they at home, on vacation, out for an evening or traveling for business. Bed bugs have been found in hotels, in motels, on ships, on trains, on airplanes, in nursing homes, in movie theaters and even in hospitals. They are a major nuisance and extremely hard to get rid of once they have taken up residence.

Bed bugs do not just appear in these places out of thin air.

They have to be brought there and when it comes to bed bugs, they are world class freeloaders. Bed bugs will hitch a ride on just about anything. They may climb onto a coat left in a night club coat check from another coat that was in an infested home. They might climb onto your suit jacket as you sit in a plush chair in a fancy restaurant. Bed bugs may crawl into a woman’s handbag left open on the seat next to her in a dark movie theater. They may even hitch a ride on your sweater when you visit your grand mother in the nursing home. Bed bugs are found everywhere and they thrive on spreading from place to place on the belongings of the unaware.

Bed bugs are also quite adept at stowing away in many other items

They can often be found in cardboard boxes and paper bags brought home from supermarkets and stores. Bed bugs are expert at hiding in the luggage of travelers when people stay in an infested hotel. They have been found on the passenger seats in airplanes where they found their way into a new home by getting into the carry on baggage of an unaware business traveler. Subway riders have taken home uninvited quests when bed bugs have climbed into their briefcases on an early evening ride home from work. Bed bugs are becoming the bane of the cruise ship industry as several large ocean liners have been  infested with the annoying vermin. These tiny world travelers were all too happy to make their way to the homes and offices of unwitting vacationers who took away more their fond memories of their ocean voyage.

Obviously, it will take a greater effort than any one of us is capable of to solve the current bed bug resurgence. However, everyone needs to be aware of the problem and take precautions to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride to their home or business. It is important that people take the time to learn how they can protect themselves against the unwelcome return of bed bugs. Yes, bed bugs are a major nuisance and getting rid of them can be quite expensive but you are not defenseless. Prevention is the key and the internet is full of useful information on how you can protect yourself against bed bugs. Study carefully and keep your life bed bug free.

They have become so common place that recently a large movie theater in New York City had to shut down for a week to have the entire theater fumigated due to a massive infestation of bed bugs. Besides the obvious discomfort for the unlucky movie goers, chances are that some of them took home bed bugs in their clothing and they have now infested their homes with bed bugs.

Before you totally panic over bed bugs, be aware that they are primarily a nuisance and they do not pose any major health threats.

Despite the fact that they have been found to carry more than 28 human pathogens, bed bugs have not yet been linked to any known diseases. They do cause itching, rashes and blisters. They also have a powerful psychological effect on people and the fear of bed bugs can be quite disruptive to many of us. Just the thought of having these tiny, creepy crawlers in our bedding can get the most well adjusted person itching like mad in no time.

The first step to dealing with the possibility of a bed bug infestation is to know the symptoms of the presence of bed bugs

These tiny parasites are not as hard to detect as one might think. With a bit of useful information, one can make a fairly accurate initial diagnosis. It is important to remember that just because you have an itch or a bug bite, this does not necessarily indicate the symptoms of a bed bug infestation. If you have an itch or a bite, make note of the time and where you are. If you are at work or on the beach and have a sudden itch, chances are its not bed bugs. If you wake up every morning in bed, itching and showing the signs of bug bites, then there may be a good chance that you have bed bugs.

If you decide that the symptoms may indicate that bed bugs are present in your home, the next step is to do an inspection of your bedding and surrounding area. Here is a short list of the various steps you can take to inspect for signs of bed bugs:

1. Inspect under your bottom sheet and along the seams of the mattress for traces of blood, bed bugs, bed bug droppings or molt shells.

2. Move the mattress out of the way and inspect the box spring for any similar symptoms.

3. If you have a bed skirt on your box spring, be sure to inspect it. Don’t forget to look under the bed skirt for blood, bed bugs, bed bug droppings or molt shells.

4. If you have a headboard, especially one covered with fabric, inspect it for the same signs.

5. Inspect any nightstands directly adjacent to your bed for blood, bed bugs, bed bug droppings or molt shells. Don’t forget to look inside any drawers.

6. Inspect any artwork hanging directly above or next to your bed as well.

7. Inspect any draperies or upholstered furniture near your bed for the signs listed above.

It is important to remember a few tips while conducting your inspection. First of all, blood dries brown not red. You will be looking for small, dark brown spots of blood. Another important point to remember is that although bed bugs are tiny, they are not invisible. An adult bed bug that is fully fed on blood will be the size of an apple seed.

The best procedure is to conduct your inspection with a flashlight and to take your time. A flashlight is particularly useful since bed bugs shun the light. They prefer to hide in drawers, under the mattress, in seams, in cracks and in dark corners. If you want to, you can even take pictures of any findings to compare later with information you can locate in books or on the internet.

These are the basic steps to help you detect a bed bug infestation. It is probably a very good idea to make this inspection today, even if you have no symptoms of bed bugs or suspicions that they might be in your home. It only takes a few minutes and being pro-active is much better than waiting until its to late. If you don’t detect any signs of bed bugs, you can sleep easy. If unfortunately, you see the signs of their presence, you can call your local exterminator for a consultation and a professional diagnosis. An ounce of prevention goes a long way towards giving you peace of mind.

In our marvelous era of technology and progress, an ages old problem has returned to plague our homes, our travels and our sleep. Unbelievably, we are once again being overrun by a massive infestation of bedbugs. Not only is this affecting homes and apartments but even major hotels are being driven to their wits end by chronic infestations of bed bugs. These tiny, almost invisible, blood sucking insects are ruining the sleep of home owners, apartment dwellers and tourists alike. Millions of us are sharing our beds with these microscopic horrors and sadly, the vast majority of us are not even aware of it.

What are bed bugs anyway?

Bed bugs or Cimicidae for the scientifically minded among us, are small, parasitic insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm blooded animals. They will drink your blood, the blood of your family and even the blood of your pets. Although bed bugs have yet to be linked to any serious illness, they do cause skin rashes, chronic itching and blisters. More importantly is the psychological effect that bedbugs have on us when we worry about an infestation. Even the slightest itch can manifest into an overwhelming fear of a plague of bed bugs. They can turn a wonderful, well loved home into a torture dungeon simply by the fear of their presence. They can totally ruin a vacation that had been dreamed of for years and even worse, you might end up taking them home with you when they migrate to your clothing and luggage.

Detecting microscopic bedbugs is not easy. They tend to congregate near their hosts and can most often be found in bedding, sofas and near pets sleeping places. They do leave behind some signs of their existence that a trained or observant eye can spot. These include bite symptoms, fecal spots, blood smears on sheets, and molts. If you think you have bed bugs in your home but you are unsure, the next step may be an expensive visit from a professional exterminator to determine if you actually have an infestation of bedbugs.

Fortunately, there is an inexpensive alternative that can not only kill bedbugs but will actually protect you against the problem before it starts. The solution can be found in a product made up of all natural, clinically tested ingredients called Bed Defense. Bed Defense is effective against over 99.9% of Bed Bugs and it works around the clock to protect your family, your children and your pets. Bed Defense is easy to set up, easy to use and it starts to work the moment you open the product. Bed Defense has been created and tested by a company with extensive experience in the pest prevention industry and is so successful in preventing or killing bedbugs that it is the number one selling product of its kind.

Bed Defense is now available in 30 day, free trial samples. If you already have bedbugs, you will want to use this effective product to wipe them out. If you want to prevent bedbugs, you should use Bed Defense before bedbugs pay you a visit. If you are planning to travel, you need to take Bed Defense along in your luggage and place Bed Defense in your hotel room so you don’t take home bedbugs as uninvited guests.  Order Bed Defense today and live without the fear of these microscopic terrors from the dark ages. Put modern science to work to protect your home and loved ones from the itching and worry of bedbugs. Give yourself peace of mind and sweet dreams with Bed Defense. Bed Defense is your best defense against bedbugs

One thing that should be done is to maintain the usual appearance of things.  This includes changing rooms in the home, changing items of furniture, and changing dwellings used for sleeping.  The reason for this is it is very likely the insects will follow the sleeper to the new location.

Follow the normal sleep routine, and start collecting proof that they are actually present. The effort to do this must be deliberate, because they are so tiny. Their size makes them difficult to see with the naked eye. Evidence of their presence is needed to show to landlords, if there is one, and exterminators. Tape the evidence to a surface where they can be easily seen.

Check the body of everyone who sleeps in the house for evidence of the bugs bites. For those whose skin show evidence, the bites will be small and red in appearance. Keep everything in its usual appearance. All furniture can be completely cleaned and restored.

Wash any clothes and linens that are washable and put them in a hot dryer for a few hours, where fabric care will allow this. Do not remove items for several hours even though they may be dried. Once they are finished, store the items in plastic bags.

Bed bug bombs are not effective for getting rid of bed bugs

Buying various chemicals prior to actually doing in depth research to discover which are actually effective is not an effective method. Improperly using chemicals can actually make the problem worse. Caution should be taken to be certain that any exterminators hired specialize in eradicating these insects. They hide in the walls, electrical sockets, and any other opening or crevice available.

Getting rid of bed bugs can require several repetitions  of  treatments. These are extremely resilient insects. Check all furniture crevices and other cracks and crevices in the home. They do hide all over the house, not just in the bedroom or other sleeping areas. One website note suggested that spraying these insects with rubbing alcohol will kill them. The main remedy is to do a thorough inspection for an infestation and be prepared to do several treatments to eliminate their presence..

Bed bugs are probably the last creatures one would like to spend the bed with. Most people who have shared their nights with these creatures usually tell that it’s not the best of experiences one can wish for. Knowing how to get rid of bed bugs is very important.

It is important to note that simple tricks will not work. There are specific methods and procedures that have to be followed in order to effectively get rid of these insects. These methods offer great relief for those who have had wild encounters with them. One of the most tried methods is use of extreme heat. People living in hot areas do not regularly experience them because bed bugs do not prefer hot areas. In fact, they cannot survive in temperatures above 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat is one of the most preferred methods.

How to get rid of bed bugs: Steam Cleaning?

Steam cleaning is a good method. A person can use this method by him/herself. Alternatively one can hire an exterminator to do this job. In order for one to get rid of bed bugs effectively, he/she should strip the area to its barest. This exposes the bedbugs. Many bed bugs tend to hide themselves in crevices and cracks. In order to expose the room well, one should take off all the cushions, strip down mattresses, remove light plates among other things.

Bed bugs usually leave bite marks behind. Other methods of eliminating these creatures from the house may involve use of chemical, organic and other different professional ways. Getting rid of these insects is not costly. Though the procedures may be tedious, hiring a professional to do this job is affordable. Cleanliness is a good way of avoiding these creatures. This is because they prefer dirty or untidy places. All bedding should be regularly exposed to the sun because bed bugs do not like heat. Getting more information on how to get rid of bed bugs is essential in eliminating them.

If an individual suspects infestation of bed bugs in his house the first thing for him to learn are the most common bed bugs symptoms to distinguish between various possibilities. Bites on a body can be due to bed bugs, spiders, flea etc. To know who really is the enemy one should instantly look for the main symptoms discussed in this article. The more time you take the more difficult it becomes to get rid of the problem.

First and foremost sign of bed bugs infestation is the frequent bites.

If a person was bitten once it can be possible that it was a spider or any other insect, but if he wakes everyday with more than 1 bite than there are more chances of presence of bed bugs. However there are equal chances of major flea infestation.

The part of body with bug bites is what helps to distinguish between flea and bed bugs. Usually flea bites are found on the legs whereas bed bugs are more likely to bite on the upper part of the body.  These are the bed bugs symptoms that are seen in the early stage and should be checked with great concentration in order to stop the plague from growing as soon as possible.

The last sign of these little insects is to see them. It occurs when the swarm of these parasites is on its maximum stage, before this stage they are unseen in the day light. It is possible to take control over the problem even at this level however hiring professional service is a much better option of destroying them permanently. Look for the first two indications every day and clean every bit of your house from clothing to flooring. Vacuum suspected places, wash all the clothes, wash the bed sheets and pillow covers.

Today I am excited to announce that I have had my first BIG sale from a website. Through the selling process I learned a few things and I just had to share it all with you!

Selling a website on the internet can be risky so be sure you only sell to a quality buyer. If you do get scammed I do apologize but don’t give up because the best is yet to come!

30 Days Prior To Sale

Before you sell your website you need to ensure a few things are in place to get accurate stats for selling purposes. The more organized and easy it is for people to know what your site has to offer them the easier the sale will go (plus people are suckers for graphs and pictures on a sales thread).

Google Analytic’s – While your web hosting provider may in fact have some sort of stats software already available, people have come to trust the Google analytics screenshots the most. (I did not have this with my sale but it would have helped sell I assure you). You can Signup for Google Analytics and install the code on your site. It is fairly simple, here is a quick video showing you how to do it:

Remove Site Errors – Another thing you should do is ensure your site does not have any obvious errors on it. Nobody wants to buy a ugly or broken website, take the time needed to fix what is not working.

What to list on your Sale

It is actually mind baffling to me how many people list the stupidest things when trying to sell there website. If that’s not bad enough sometimes they list almost nothing at all which is even worse. Remember these rules when listing a website for sale.

Be Direct With Your Text – Your sales copy should be short, to the point and persuasive. These are normal selling techniques. Don’t be afraid to ask a question to start a conversation about your sale (it gets people looking).

Show lots of images – As I said above earlier, people are suckers for graphs and images when it comes to a sale. Even if the numbers are low the fact you have images gives you an edge over another website for sale (you are not the only one).

Colors – When it comes to coloring the font (DON’T). It distracts from the site your selling and gets annoying. Be smart, professional and use plain black text. It makes you look pro even if you are not.

Price – When it comes to the pricing of your ad there are several approaches you can take. I have found making your starting bid about 10% of the actual sale price you want just seems to make sense and work really well. So if your final sale price that you are wanting is $2,000.00 your starting bid price should be $200.00. This technique will eliminate people without much money from wasting your time and gets the big boys looking. You also should set a reserve price which is the absolute rock bottom you would take for your site (WORST CASE SCENARIO).

Final Thoughts 4 Selling

The main final thought I want to leave you with is communication. When it comes to selling it will take leg work and time to answer every potential buyers questions. Don’t count anyone out of your auction. Give yourself and your buyers the allotted time to really make a good decision. Never rush a sale.

And lastly SELL that thing!

First off I do not generally make 2 posts on the same day, however sometimes I like to change things up. Here it is, the second post for the day!

Today I was browsing through some of my favorite make money online blogs and I just happen to see a Guest Post by Block Blohm on JohnChow.com. First off if you see this Block, AMAZING POST. I really enjoyed reading it! I would love to pick your brain sometime.

You can see his post about Residual Income For Life VS. No Residual Income For Life. It was a very good article and video he made for Johns blog. (This is how a guest post should be guys).

In his post he talks about how Adsense is not residual (I 100% agree with him) but the very first comment on the post is someone saying how after its optimized, Adsense becomes residual. I actually replied to that comment (out of character for me, I never really comment on Johns Blog. However for some reason I felt compelled to.).

I simply said and I quote: Actually Adsense is not very residual. I make about $150/mo off adsense on my site but all that money is dependent upon the fact I continue to post good content. If I stop, the money stops (its not truly residual).

I just wanted you all to see and know that Adsense is not now nor will it ever be a residual income maker. That’s why Adsense doesn’t have an affiliate program (they would lose to much money). Google is smart. Very Smart.