Bed bugs are back in a big way

(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Health officials want you to be on the lookout for a bug that could be crawling in your bed right now.

The Michigan Department of Health is coordinating with community health departments to get the word out about bed-bugs. They are back, in a big way.

The state has launched a new Web site to educate the public about them.

Bed bugs are spreading, and they can get into hotels and homes pretty easily.

They don't transmit disease, but some people can have a mild allergic reaction.

The real problem is that they can take over fast and are hard and expensive to get rid of, not to mention that people who are unaware can spread them and that can hurt your home, but also places like hotels which rely on tourism.

“People introduce this insect to the structures, either bringing them in on their person, or other items they're bringing into their homes or other buildings like luggage or items that they purchase at secondhand stores or situations like that,” said Jeff Spencer, Vice President of Griffin Pest Solutions.

The state has set up a Web site on bed bugs where many questions can be answered.

It's all about keeping a sharp eye on what comes into your home, inspecting what you bring in for bedbugs, since that's how they make entry.