Immigration may be a cause as bedbug infestations rise across U.S.

August 7, 2006

In Atlanta, one man couldn’t sleep for months after he woke up one night to find his sheets teeming with tiny bugs. 'It feels like maybe some way your living is encouraging this, that you're living in a bad neighborhood or have a dirty apartment,' he said

The U.S. has been free of bedbugs for so long that sojme people thought they were a myth. But bedbugs are back, with entomologists and pest control professionals  reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country.

Experts are not entirely sure what has caused the marked increase. Some speculate that increased international travel and immigration may be to blame.

The tiny bugs may be hitching a ride in the luggage or clothing of travelers. This could explain the high concentration of the pests in cities like Atlanta and New York, which attract a lot of international traffic.

Another factor is a change in pest control practices. Companies are spraying more responsibly, instead of indiscriminately saturating the perimeter of all rooms. Now they often use more conservative measures and do large-scale spray treatments only when there's an infestation. As a result of consumer demand, less toxic chemicals are also being used.

'It may be a convergence of all those factors, but none of that really explains the rapid increase in recent years,' said Michael Potter, a professor and urban entomologist at the University of Kentucky.

Experts agree that the public needs to be educated about bedbugs, on the symptoms and how to prevent them.