Bed Bugs Invading Area Homes at an Alarming Rate

Amarillo, TX - Bed bugs are invading area homes by the dozens and in some cases by the hundreds.

It's becoming a problem we've never seen this bad before.

This is a concern for not only exterminators but residents and even the City of Amarillo because within the last several months, the number of bed bug cases have grown at an alarming rate.

In 2011, Lady Bug Services says they only dealt with fifty bed bug cases during the entire year.

Now they're receiving ten to fifteen calls a week.

Exterminators say an increase in people traveling is one reason behind the rise.

Area hotels, businesses and homes have all experienced this problem.

"Some people have the misconception that they're only an insect of the bed and that's totally false. We quite often find them in nightstands, we find them in dressers, we find them behind electrical plates. One of the easiest ways to describe what a bed bug looks like, is that it looks like an apple seed," says Brad Turner, Lady-Bug Services, Inc.

Amarillo's Public Health Department says the state does not require businesses to tell them if they have a bed bug problem.

If they hear of a situation they will go out to inspect and help with the process.

Exterminators we spoke with expect this issue to only get worse, that's why they're trying to educate the public on the importance of taking care of the problem right away.