As a health article in today's New York Times attests, the resurgence of bed bugs has not gone away. Speculation regarding the reason for their re-emergence includes the elimination of powerful pesticides like DDT and the increase in international travel. Many people have been unfortunate enough to discover for themselves that bed bug infestation is no longer a problem relegated to slummy hotels. Instead, the pests have invaded thousands of households whose residents are shocked and horrified to find the bugs infesting their beds, furniture, and other belongings.

Although most people can hardly stand the thought of them, bed bugs are not usually a health hazard. However, some individuals experience severe allergic reactions to bed bug bites like asthma, hives, or even anaphylaxis.

In addition, bed bug infestation takes a severe financial toll on its victims. According to urban entomologist Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann, many families spend at least $5,000 on inspections, exterminations, and the cleaning and storage necessary to deal with bed bug infestations, not including the cost of items such as clothing, bedding, or furniture that need to be replaced. The worst part is that many families fall prey to fraudulent exterminators who take advantage of the ick-factor and offer treatments that simply don't work.

Here is a checklist outlining items anyone dealing with a bed bug problem should know:

• Confirming a bed bug problem exists is often the beginning of the money spent on dealing with an infestation. Bites seem like an obvious indicator, but many people mistake other kinds of bites for bed bug bites. Feces from the pests, which look like tiny black dots, or blood stains are another indication.



• Professional inspection can cost upwards of a couple hundred dollars. Typically, a visual inspection is conducted, but some companies use trained dogs that can even point out exactly where the bed bugs live. However, this service can cost between $300 and $600. If you decide on this type of inspection, make sure that the dog has been trained at a certified facility and has an individual trainer.



• If a bed bug problem is confirmed, the next step is extermination. There's no shortage of companies that promise to eradicate your bed bug problem, but many of these companies have seen the bed bug epidemic as an opportunity for some quick money and are not truly qualified to deal with the pests. It's a good idea to choose a company that has been in business for a while and that has experience treating all kinds of pest problems.



• Extermination fees can range from a few hundred dollars to near a thousand dollars per room. The actual price is determined by the level of infestation and the extermination techniques used.



• While most companies use a combination of pesticides and steam heat, Ms. Gangloff-Kaufmann says that exposure to high temperatures is the only sure way to kill bed bugs. Recently, companies have begun using a freezing agent that kills bugs on contact, but it is expensive and not completely effective.



• Pesticides alone will not work on bed bugs, so steer clear of any company that uses bug bombs or foggers to treat a bed bug problem. Whatever an exterminator uses to battle an infestation must come into direct contact with the bed bugs to kill them.



• Make sure your exterminator is licensed in your state and comes from a licensed company. Also, make sure that they will return for at least one follow-up session and that you know the cost of these future visits.

Here are some things you can do to help counter a bed bug problem:

• Cover your mattresses. Bed bugs can live for up to 10 months without eating, so keep your mattress and box spring covered for at least a year. Covers are also an excellent preventive measure.



• Before your categorically throw things out, consider using your drier to kill bed bugs. Clothing, stuffed animals, backpacks, and other small infested items can be dried for about 20 minutes and come out cleansed of (live) bed bugs.


Hopefully, bed bugs are not something you will ever have to encounter first-hand, but if you do, make sure to be well-informed before you shell out the hundreds, or thousands, of dollars it may cost to get rid of them.