Here is an excerpt from Pest Management Insights, Spring 2006 issue:

      “Bed bugs are not as common as ants, but they are growing at an alarming rate,” he says (Dr. Mike Potter, an extension faculty member of the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology). “The baggage they [bed bugs] carry is much bigger. They are a lightning rod for litigation, so it’s important for PMP [Pest Management Professionals] to take the problem seriously.”
      One of the reasons why the bed bug problem is spreading so rapidly, Potter says, is that bed bugs, which are ectoparasites of humans, are amazing hitchhikers and can hide in a multitude of places.
      They generally are found in hotels or apartment complexes, but Potter says they are spilling over into college dormitories, rent-to-own furniture stores, assisted-living facilities, schools and laundromats.
      Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not exclusive to unsanitary areas. In fact, Potter says it doesn’t matter to them whether a place is clean or dirty. “Bed bugs don’t feed on filth, so it’s not an issue of sanitation,” he says. “It doesn’t matter to the bug whether it takes blood from a person in a five-star hotel or a person living in squalor.”

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Battling bed bugs

      “Ground zero” for bed bugs is the sleeping area, encompassing beds, overstuffed chairs, couches and other furniture. Eventually, the infestation moves elsewhere. Baseboards, storage boxes, clothing piles, behind drapes or picture frames are all likely places – basically any surface with an edge or crevice for the bed bugs to edge up against. Most are human contact surfaces, which makes controlling bed bugs an even more difficult job.