Aug. 25, 2010: Bed bug is found in a mattress at the home of Delores Stewart, in Columbus, Ohio. A resurgence of bedbugs across the U.S. has homeowners and apartment dwellers taking desperate measures to eradicate the tenacious bloodsuckers, with some relying on dangerous outdoor pesticides and fly-by-night exterminators. (AP)
First there was a war on crime, then there was a war on drugs, now the U.S. appears to be mounting a new set of defenses, this time for: The battle against bedbugs.
The tiny insects that feed on human blood were once nearly extinct in the U.S. but have recently returned and have city dwellers across the country wishing their parents had given more instructions when they said, "Don't let the bedbugs bite."
Bedbugs are not known to transmit diseases but may cause itchy red welts when they bite and are up there with cockroaches in how difficult they are to exterminate.
To combat the problem, the nation's most authoritative resource on bedbugs announced Thursday that it will be hosting the first annual North American Bedbug Summit in Chicago, IL.
BedBug Central says the two-day summit titled, "BedBug University: North American Summit 2010" will be held Sep. 21 and 22 and will provide an "educational blue-print" for industries affected in the "battle against bedbugs." It will be led by 14 of the nation's leading bedbug experts, the company said in a press released.
But bedbug victims seeking relief might have better luck taping their socks to their pajamas then getting a ticket to the sold out event.
BedBug Central says the sold-out event's attendees are limited to members of governmental agencies, colleges and universities and a variety of major private sector industries. Only "a limited number of spots are expected to open due to cancellations, room configuration changes, etc.," the event's website says.
Press seeking to cover the event will also need to secure credentials, which the company says are also going quickly.
"Basically we're doing the press credentials because right now we're at capacity, so we're trying to regulate how many people are in the building at one time, because it's really just going to be packed," BedBug Central spokesperson Calvin Allen told FoxNews.com. "…It's more of a logistical issue at this point rather than barring entry."
The company also supplies a “BedBug University: Boot Camp� which focuses on educating pest management firms across the U.S. and Canada on effective bed bug protocol and treatment methods.
The North American Summit will be "unlike any bedbug seminar held prior," the company said.
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