Are Bedbugs Taking Over North America?: From Canada to New York to Los Angeles, blood-sucking bedbugs are spreading like wildfire across North America. In New York, the epicenter of the bedbug crisis, the pests have been spotted in movie theatres, retail stores, hotels and office buildings. Bedbugs have even been found in Carnegie Hall and the United Nations building. Reports of bedbug infestations have since surfaced in California, Texas, Illinois and several other states across the U.S. bedbugs. JPG Bedbugs can latch on to purses, coats and other objects, allowing them to be transported to virtually any location. Bedbugs feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals.

They are resistant to many pesticides, making them notoriously difficult to kill. Adults measure 4 to 5 millimeters and are reddish-brown in color. They commonly burrow in furniture, especially mattresses, and are most active at night. Symptoms of bedbug bites include red skin rashes and psychological disturbances. The tiny pests thought to be mostly eradicated in the 1940s, but their numbers have surged since the mid-1990s. If your home or office is infested with bedbugs, it might be a good idea to make sure your health insurance policy covers insect-related rashes.