The tiny blood-sucking insects that were thought to have been exterminated two decades ago are back. Since 1995 there has been an unexpected increase in reports of bedbug infestations in the U.S., Britain and other developed countries. According to an article published in The Daily News, bedbugs are infested in many neighborhoods in New York City and they aren’t discriminating between high-rises and low-income tenements.

Nationwide, there was a 19% increase in bedbug complaints during an 18-month stretch from summer 2003 to winter 2004, according to a March survey by Pest Control Technology magazine. Pest control experts and scientists say the city is in the midst of a serious outbreak.

Bed bugs are wingless insects, roughly oval in shape, 4-5mm long when fully grown, and are fast runners. They are rust brown in color and change to a deeper red following a blood meal. The two main species that bite humans include the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, and the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus. Although, bedbugs favor humans, they are known to feed on other mammals, poultry, and birds. Generally speaking, bedbugs come out at night but if an area is dimly lit, they may also come out during the day. Skin reactions are commonly associated with bed bugs, which result from the saliva injected during feeding. Bedbugs are not known to transmit any diseases although they are known to carry HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B.

The U.S. Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene apparently don’t have an actual policy that deals with exterminating the bedbugs or educating people about bedbugs. However, to learn more about bedbugs, visit the website of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This website offers tips on how to reduce the risk of getting bedbugs and includes suggestions of how to eliminate bedbugs for those who have them.