AccuWeather.com

By Kristen Rodman, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

Sep 21, 2010; 3:00 PM ET

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Photo Courtesy of Handyman Moshe

Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Especially in July and August.

The recent bed bug epidemic in New York City may have to do with the unusually high temperatures this summer.

"Bed bugs peak in the heat," said Mark Brown, bed bug specialist from Bed Bugs NYC. "July and August are typically the biggest months for bed bugs."

So, the already ravished New York City may not be finished with the blood suckers quite yet.

"Bed bugs tend to come out in the heat because they get dehydrated and more thirsty," said Brown. " In the winter they typically slow down and hibernate."

This summer the pests are definitely on the rise. Already in the city, multiple big-name companies may have closed due to bed bug infestations. Teen clothing store Abercrombie and Fitch, along with a few other retail stores, shut down to deal with the insects. In addition to clothing stores, bed bugs have been a nuisance in police stations, subways and fire stations, according to Brown.

"They can live anywhere with tight, enclosed spaces. Anywhere with a lot of people in and out," said Brown.

And in the Big Apple they are being found everywhere.

For the first time, New York City conducted a survey about bed bugs last year and found that more than 6 percent of the city's residents reported having the pests within the last year, according to an Associated Press article.

The bugs can be found in walls, cracks, crevices and all the places you are least likely to look said Brown.

The typical lifespan of the pests is 10 months, give or take a few depending on how often the particular insect feeds. Usually the pests feed every five to seven days coming out at night just before dawn. The bugs feed on blood and are attracted to their hosts, primarily humans, by carbon dioxide and warmth. And after feeding for only about five minutes they retreat back into hiding.

"Bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of," Brown said. And that is in part due to how easily the critters can migrate, go undetected and reproduce.

Bed bugs have become more common in the recent years because of increased travel, immigration and resistance to insecticides, according to the New York Daily News.

The pesky critters lay eggs that hatch in as little as a week and, even if all the adult bed bugs die, the eggs can survive allowing the area to become infested once again.

What can you do to try to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home? Read below for some tips courtesy of Bed Bugs NYC.

1. Minimalism: less is more

Get rid of older things no longer used or worn and, if you want to keep them, make sure they are in plastic sealable bins.

2. Use your bed to keep them dead

Keep your mattress off the floor and ideally have a four-legged bed. Two-legged beds have higher infestation rates.

3. Furniture leg protection: If the bed bugs can't reach you, they can't bite you and drink your blood.

Buy several rolls of blue painter's tape and double-sided sticky tape, and apply them to your bed's legs. Apply painter's tape to protect your furniture, then apply double-sided sticky tape, which traps bed bugs.

4. Bed bug sky dive

Bed bugs have been reported to sky dive, which involves climbing up the walls and ceilings then falling into your bed. Try putting up the sticky tape and painter's tape barrier around all of the room's perimeters, specifically the area where the ceiling meets the wall.

5. Mattress, box spring and pillow encasement

Put your mattress, box springs and pillows in specially designed covers that enable you to close up and fully seal everything so the bugs can't get in or out of them.

6. White sheets, covers, blanket and towels

Having the white linens makes it easier to see the bed bugs because they have dark red stains on their backs after feeding.

7. Don't buy used furniture or refurbished mattresses.

8. Communicate with your landlord and neighbors.

If you have bed bugs, it is your duty to inform other people so they can be given the opportunity to protect themselves before they too become infested. Prevention is the best way to prevent the problem of spreading.

Sleep tight!

Above content attributed to:

Bed Bugs NYC, the Associated Press and Bed Bug Exterminators NYC