Bedbug Pestilence

Bedbug battle winnable with attitude, tools and determination. Their culture is organized around a central female who is guaranteed her blood, directly or by raiding the other bugs, which raid the smaller ones WHO SOMEHOW WILL GET YOU; its all held in ovoid by the mixed attractions of the female, the eggs, and the blood supply. the hatched bugs keep hidden until they can get past their older siblings and spread out in search of their own host. This keeps numbers in check within a room, but places pressure on surroundings and visitors are transports to a new dynasty.
The vulnerable point in the culture is the central nest, which was destroyed when DDT was concentrated by the parasitic ecology, and built up in the Matriarch. A prey spider or some bedbug specific poison with the same track as DDT, would help defray incidental invasions. The prolonged expedition remains the most effective action and with a system, the right tools, and constant vigilence, more nights sleep can be had than lost, and the lost hours can be endured reviewing the strategy for defeating them.
The weapon of choice is the hairdryer, doubling as soother of the itch, it penetrates and drives out or incinerates. This is a serious problem that must be dealt with soberly and steadfastly, however you might as well laugh along with it because there you are, bitten by a pestilence. there are two responses to the bite in the night, as much light as fast as you can and chase close to the itch first but cover area fast, open folds, and kill on sight; if the swift search yields nothing relax and reflect on the bug's evidence; while searching turn the hairdryer onto the welt of the bite until the core burns unbearably, after that the itch is gone and you may sleep without scratching the skin open and getting other infections. Next day search again and if no luck you offer bait as far from the other bite as you can, so the bug has to cover more ground. Pounce when the itch wakes you up, but follow the track back toward the first night's bite and you'll close in on it. Number of bites and size of welt describe a solo bandit or a colony, with one bite the only good news coming, because catch it and defend your space and you should never be bitten again. More bites and tiny bites in bunches mean the Matriarch and her army are entrenched and must be cast out, all the furniture, or clean everything with heat, and powders, and solvents, and always kept crevices closed to further infestations. Use Vaseline and toothpaste, or tapes, but seal all cracks to expose the enemy.
These creatures are quite sensible about their business, reacting to resistance with stealth and guile, as the Matriarch who chooses to go have blood and have take-out, keeping the best nest and eating her worst children. Chasing males away to eat or be captured, eating female rivals. Skidegate can't help seeing the similarity with human Colonialism. Unhappily for you there are some whose regimen allows them to sleep through dinner and a colony will exist without a murmur from the bed across the way. You will be raided and catch a few but the nest can out wait you, using the fleets of baby bugs and juvenile bugs to nourish the Queen; she takes your blood without venturing out of her bed. NOW THAT'S A BEDBUG!
Good night, sleep tight , don't let the bedbugs beat you.
Skidegate