And we begin

I know you're a little perplexed by the title of this blog. You're probably thinking, what does how to get rid of bed bugs have to do with anything? Don't worry, we'll get into that. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for visiting, and further thank you for reading up to this point.

OK, bed bugs. That's where this started for me. People who've never dealt with them probably don't realize what an impact these little pests can have on an otherwise tidy person's life. An infestation can be traumatic, and you can't impress on others how inconvenient and unpleasant it is. If you're one of the many who've had a bed bug problem, then maybe these posts will comfort you a bit, and to those of you still unscathed, perhaps my words will enlighten.

Let's start at the beginning. I moved to New York in 1999. I was a young Southern man with big-city aspirations. I liked the idea of a tiny, barely inhabitable apartment in the city that never sleeps. I wound up in Brooklyn, just when it was starting to get cool. Hold your applause please. I found a place with an awesome view of the Hudson, and a stereotypically strange landlord named Jeph. That's right, Jeph, not Jeff but Jeph. He gave me all the necessary warnings about utilities, noise, and garbage removal, but he made no mention of my soon-to-be roommates.

Not my apartment, but similar in appearance.

I spent the first few days acclimating - finding the closest bodegas, the best pizza places, the subway, and of course the liquor store. The place was small, but it had character, and my neighbors seemed nice enough. After the a couple weeks, I was starting to feel at home. It was half-way through the third week that I noticed something was off. I was getting these mosquito bites on my legs and back, which was weird because it was January.

I put a little calamine on them and went about my business, but they kept coming. I had two sets of brown sheets and one set of white ones, so it wasn't until I put on the white ones that I noticed the blood stains. I immediately knew something was up.