Find information about bed bugs and how to prevent them.

In the United States, bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) cost over $300 million a year to control, with an average cost per home of $1,000. Bed bugs are found worldwide and have been traced as far back as 400 B.C. in Greece. They were introduced into North America in the 1700s with the early European colonists.

Bed bugs were well controlled through the 1950s until chemicals like DDT were banned. Now, however, they have made a comeback and can be found throughout Florida and the entire United States. Their resurgence is due to a number of factors, including more international travel, lack of public awareness, and the bedbug’s resistance to pesticides.