Bedbug Pest Control Business Surges Amid Infestation Epidemic

While bedbug cases have surged across the U.S. this year, one group has seen business boom due to the bloodsuckers: exterminators.

Bedbugs, common throughout many other parts of the world, but rare here until recently, suck blood out of their victims while they are doing activities that require little movement, such as sleeping or sitting. They don't appear to transmit disease, and due to their tendency to hide in small nooks and go months between feeding, they can be difficult to eradicate completely.

Entrepreneurs, such as Linda DeVelasco of Des Plaines, Ill. have found themselves working over 40 hours a week over six days. Dogs trained to locate bedbugs are proving to be an effective method of tracking down the creatures and their eggs to eliminate infestations.

Once located, generally traditional indoor chemical treatments are used, though more unconventional methods such as using heat and freezing are being tested. Treatments can range in cost from $300 for a one time treatment to thousands of dollars for commercial offices, according to Maryland's Gazette.

Websites such as TripAdvisor and Bedbug Registry have also become popular among travelers wishing to avoid hotels where the pests have infested.

Don't miss these trading ideas!