Bed bugs (scientific name Cimex lectularis) are one of the most troublesome parasites that have afflicted mankind. Although bed bugs are not considered serious disease-carrying pests in the same league as dangerous insects such as mosquitoes or houseflies, those of us who have had the ill-luck of sleeping in a bed bug-infested bed know that it’s next to impossible to sleep when these tiny bugs launch a biting assault on your body. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), as well as the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), are human health bodies that classify the bed bug as a public health pest. (more…)