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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Well folks, it seems bed bugs are here to stay and it’s nearly impossible to avoid them.

These apple seed sized pests can be found almost anywhere from books to newspapers.

If someone’s home is infested, that person can spread them while out in public going about their everyday activities.

But are they deadly? No.

There are some ways to avoid these sneaky nocturnal bugs, however.

“They usually come out during the middle of the night because they’re looking for something to feed off of. The other thing is bed bugs cannot crawl underneath items so you will find that the bites you receive will be on parts of your body that are not covered by pajamas,” said Lynelle Diers, Wapello County Public Health Director.

Diers has been seeing more and more cases of bed bug infested homes recently as her home nurses have reported back to her of having patients whose homes have bed bugs.
 
Diers said you shouldn’t be paranoid, just more aware of your environment. She advises to spray your shoes with rubbing alcohol before entering your home.

“Wearing pants that drag on the ground can easily pick up bed bugs, so wearing properly fitting pants is key,” said Diers.

Bed bugs can only be killed at the extremely high temperature of 130 degrees.