Got Bedbugs? Tips and Resources for Dodging the Pesky Critters

Aug. 15. 2010 — -- "Good night, sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

The popular nursery rhyme is decades old, but the threat of bedbug bite is very real today.

The resurgence of the hardy pests is bugging homeowners, apartment dwellers and pest control professionals. Popular retail chain stores – including Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie and Hollister in New York City -- are now experiencing bedbug infestations.

Bedbugs are tiny, but they can result in a big headache. Treatment of the infestation is difficult and costly. If you can't prevent infestation entirely, early detection is the key.

Bedbugs are tiny, reddish brown in color, and oval in shape. They do not have wings.

Mike Raupp, a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., appeared on "Good Morning America" to answer some questions about the pesky bugs.

Click HERE for resources to identify and avoid bedbugs.

Q: How can I tell if you've been bitten by a bedbug?

A: Bedbug bites tend to be on any part of the body, whereas mosquito bites tend to be on feet and ankles, Raupp said. Bedbugs also tend to leave straight rows of bites. Other insects could leave bites that occur more randomly on the body.