SAN FRANCISCO, April 8 (UPI) -- Fifty years after the supposed eradication of bedbugs in the United States, officials and entomologists are reporting a resurgence of the troublesome critters.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that all 50 states have reported outbreaks of bedbugs, lentil-sized insects that suck their human host's blood during the night.
Making their homes in mattresses, a bedbug colony can reportedly grow to thousands within weeks. Although most outbreaks have been reported from rooming houses, some colonies have infested fancy hotels and suburban houses.
Entomologists told the Chronicle that the new strain of bedbugs is resistant to the chemicals previously used to eradicate them. Bedbugs easily travel from place to place through clothing and are very difficult to eradicate.
Pest-control companies across the United States have reported a huge spike in calls regarding bedbugs, and the Internet has become a popular place for sufferers to share eradication strategies, the Chronicle reported.
