Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite...

When I was a little kid I remember asking my father (now deceased) what a bedbug was. I grew up with the impression that it was something that lives inside of straw beds, barns and in more rural areas.

I caught one early this morning strolling across my pillow. Seems he had a good meal.

This isn't the first time I found one. I usually find at least one every year and never thought much of it. After all, I didn't have any of those terrifying itchy bite marks that you find on google images. Could I really assume I had an infestation and this wasn't an isolated incident?

I'm seriously rethinking that right now. It turns out I'm not allergic to bedbugs bites, at least not yet anyway. They look more like red or brown freckles clustered in the bedbug pattern. With this new found knowledge I've been noticing a few things about my feet...

Hope it was an isolated incident. I've heard they're a nightmare to get rid of

In my experience, it's best never to treat an individual member of a parasitic infestation like an isolated incident. Rather, you caught the infestation early enough to do something about it, perhaps without having to dispose of your shit. I am a bit of a stickler, though, as my experience with infestations has a caused a deeply ingrained vigilance against them. I've never actually dealt with bed bugs, though, but I'm watchful of anything that sucks my blood and imbeds itself in my stuff.

There are natural, non-toxic materials you can utilize to make their lives more difficult. But to be honest, your best course of action is to research, research and then probably take a break, and then research more after you've breaked sufficiently. Know your enemy, and react rationally against it. Take the proper precautions, don't simply put some cedar in your mattress and call it a day, but likewise do not overreact, costing yourself your own resources unnecessarily. Destroy them so there is no chance they may return, and then the paranoia shall arrive. Maybe they have returned... is that a bite? Can you tell? If not, then let it go until you're positive. When you actually see one of the bastards, that's proof. As far as when you can't see them and you're dealing with the after-paranoia wondering if they've come back, it's important not to worry too much. Wait for proof positive, and go on with your life otherwise.