Don't let the bed bugs bite!

STAFFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) - You might remember your parents telling you "sleep tight" and "don't let the bed bugs bite." It is easier said than done for a Genesee County family of six.

The thrill of outdoor life is turning stale for Carrie Mullen and her family.

They have been living in a camper for nearly four weeks, after being forced from their home by an infestation of bed bugs.

Carrie Mullen said, "We are getting used to the fact of them being out here. We can't wait to be able to get back in our house. It has been a nightmare."

An exterminator fumigated the Mullen's entire house, and due to the strength of the chemicals, advised them to stay out for four weeks.

Carrie Mullen said, "He really sprayed everything. When I walked in after they sprayed it, I just started bawling. I cried so hard because everything was just coated."

Carrie told News 4, they threw out their mattresses and box springs, some of their furniture, and bagged up all their clothes, and took them to a laundromat to kill the bugs in the dryers, which drew a few stares.

Ashley Mullen said, "We were trying to put so much stuff in the dryers, they would not stay closed. So they kept opening up, clothes would go all over the floor, and they were just entertained there, watching us do that."

Marc Potzler, an entymologist for Buffalo Exterminating told News 4, heat is the best weapon against bed bugs, which are extremely hard to kill.

The best advice whenever you come home from a trip is to wash and dry your clothes on the highest settings.

Potzler said, "Dump all of your laundry right into the washer, including the clothes you are wearing. Put it on high heat. It will kill all stages of bed bugs - eggs, adults, nymphs."

The resurgence of bed bugs, especially in the eastern United States, is blamed, in part on the DDT ban, a pesticide that was deadly to those little bloodsuckers.

BedBugCentral.com