Whenever we woke up and found red raised itchy bumps, we would shout that we were bitted by the bedbugs. Mother would rub some of the Tiger Plum ointment on the lumps.

Mother would then take each of the bed planks outside the house and hit against the floor. Some of the bedbugs would drop to the floor. She would use a needle to probe the cracks on the plank and dip it out if any. For those hidden bedbugs that she could not dip out, she would pour some kerosene into the crack.

Bedbug usually hides in the plank bed, clothing, furniture or crevice of wall. Bedbug may be hitchhiked and transported to a new location in the luggage.

After moving to the Queenstown HDB flat in 1965, I have then not been troubled by the bedbug. I subsequently moved to Holland Village and Teban Gardens HDB flats and did not see bedbug anymore.

A few days ago, I saw a black drop on my towel. When I tried to remove it, I discovered that it was a bedbug.

I was surprised to see that trouble-maker. It has been out of sight and out of mind for 45 years. When did it travel to my flat? How and where did it come from? I checked and did not find any in our wardrobes and beds.

Bedbug was found again! How did it travel to HDB flat? Where did it come from?

Has the relevant authority know about it? I wished that we would not ruin our effort of more than 40 years in the environmental sanitary!