Be glad you are not traveling
Bed Bugs Make Coast-To-Coast Comeback
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COLUMBUS, Ohio --
Coast to coast, bed bugs are making a comeback.
Cities are reporting infestations and it's not just a bed problem. Bed bugs are being found in offices, restaurants and movie theaters.
Bed bugs are the size of an apple seed and the color of a cockroach.
"That's the only thing they feed off of -- human blood," said Brooke Christman, of Ohio Exterminating Co. "You can get it in a school bus, a bus, a doctor's office sitting in their chair. Bed bugs you can pick up everywhere."
This month in New York, bed bugs were confirmed at an AMC movie theater in Times Square. Officials closed the theater because the bed bugs travel easily and are hard to kill.
"They can live for 18 months without a blood source, so say if you're going into a new apartment that's been vacant for a year, you can still have bed bugs being in cracks and crevices," Christman said.
Most people first notice the bed bug bites and spot them at night when the bugs feed.
There are over-the-counter chemicals available to fight bed bugs, but for an infestation, residents will need to contact a professional to spray everything down.
"You can't just treat that one bedroom. You have to treat the whole house. (It's the) same with apartments. You can't just treat that one area because they hide in cracks, transfer through walls," Christman said.
Residents should expect several treatments to get rid of an infestation and the cost can run from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
To watch for bed bug symptoms:
Look for bites that are red, often with a dark spot in the middle.
The bites are itchy and usually arranged in a rough line or a cluster.
Most bed bug bites are on the face, neck, arms and hands.
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