Did you know that a bedbug can survive as long as one year without feeding on blood and that it takes only on fertilized female to cause the infestation of an entire apartment building or hotel in a matter of weeks? To prevent such a catastrophe in your home, be prepared to act quickly at the first sign of an overnight bedbug bite. Immediately wash bedding and clothing in hot water and vacuum every crack and fold in bed frames, mattresses and upholstery. You can also apply consumer-approved pesticides, but it’s important to recognize that most require direct contact to be effective – a difficult task since bedbugs like to hide in tiny obscure places, such as between floorboards, in furniture and within wall cracks. Among the most common remedies are botanical pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroids, which can be lethal to bedbugs. However, certain bedbugs seem resistant to them. Some experts suggest that the ultimate solution may be natural remedies, such as diatomaceous earth, a powder that actually causes bugs to dehydrate and die. However, you should contact your local public health department before using any of these options. You may be best served to use an experienced pest control company to safely and effectively exterminate these pests.