Bed Bugs Mythology

When mothers tuck their children into bed, they often give a big kiss on the cheek or forehead and say, "Now you're as snug as a bug in a rug." Or they might say, "Good night sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

There are numerous slight variations on this theme, but the messages are there: Bed bugs make themselves comfy and warm in our beds, and we need to be sure that these bugs won't bite while you sleep.

But why would nursery rhymes be written or repeated to warn of the possibility of bed bugs?

The reality of nursery rhymes

Like ancient folk lore, traditional nursery rhymes taught children about history... well not all of them, but quite a lot did.

In whichever guise, the "good night, sleep tight" rhyme is a fun little nursery rhyme that people have been chanting for years. Even the manufacturers of sleepwear use it, although they don't necessarily get it right. Some even add pictures of winged insects which, if you've done any homework whatsoever, you will realize it totally incorrect. But it comes with a message.

There's even one sweet little song that goes: "Good night, sleep tight, Don't let the bed bugs bite ... and if they do, Then take your shoe, And knock them till They're black and blue!"

"Ring a Ring o' Roses" is another. "Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down", by most accounts, refers to the symptoms of the Bubonic Plague and Black Death in Elizabethan England. Everyone walked around with sweet-smelling posies because of the stench. Happily this one isn't replicating itself like the bugs are.

Another British nursery rhyme, Remember, Remember the first of November" refers to the attempt of the infamous Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament. This is probably not a good example since too many people around the world continue to blow up buildings everywhere. But it serves to prove a point.

And then there are the myths.

Common bed bug myths

Where there is ignorance there are myths! Some of the most common bed bug myths are:

• Bed bugs carry disease. No they don't; they bite and cause discomfort. Those who will suffer most are those who are allergic, or those who scratch so radically they end up with secondary skin infections.
• All cheap-priced accommodation establishments are likely to harbor bed bugs. False. It has nothing to do with money. Bed bugs love somewhere that is warm and snug and have even been found in five-star hotels.
• Bed bugs thrive in dirty conditions. Nope, the dirt is incidental. But where there is dirt you may not spot the bugs.
• Bed bugs are the scourge of the Third World. Not even funny. Bed bugs may have emerged in the early world (they may have even bitten the first cavemen on earth), but they have now progressed into the First World – and stayed behind in the Third! They will live wherever conditions are right for reproduction.
• Bed bugs are only found in beds, and only in bedrooms. This couldn't be further from the truth. While mattresses are a proven haven, someone sleeping on a new mattress might be bitten because the bugs have been harboring in crevices and cracks elsewhere in the room. Even the Google offices have reportedly been found to have bed bugs living up the good life!
• Bed bugs are easy to kill provided you use an insecticide that will flush them out and kill them. Sounds good, but bed bugs are the most difficult insects to get rid of. They are resistant to many chemicals and able to easily hitch a ride into a new environment.
• It is a social stigma to have bed bugs in your home. Well you might think so, but it shouldn't be.