Bed bugs are savvy and lurk where you least expect. Learn here how to spot them and get them before they get you.

VitaDocs Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

As if you needed something else to worry about, a scourge from the last century is rearing its ugly head. Or, more to the point, its sucker.

Bed bugs, that pest from the old bedtime rhyme (Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.), are making a comeback. More of a nuisance than a health hazard, they are showing up to suck blood from guests in hotels, college dorms, and hospitals.

One thing is certain: You don't want them. VitaDocs talked to entomologist Richard J. Pollack, PhD, research associate with the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in Fairfax, Va., about what you can do to keep them from becoming a public health issue, how to avoid bringing bed bugs home, and what to do if you suspect you have them.