CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Public Health Department is warning residents of a growing problem in the area and taking seriously the old children’s adage: “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

According to the health department, reports of bed bugs across the county is on the rise with more than a dozen cases handled since the start of the year. With the growing number of complaints of bed bugs, health officials are reaching out to residents to educate them on how to identify, deal with, and prevent the pest from spreading.

“There’s a stigma associated with bed bugs, but the truth is they affect all walks of life,” said Chenango County Environmental Health Director Isaiah Sutton. “We have been seeing them in every community, quite often in apartment buildings. The challenges we come against is that there are few resources to get rid of these things.”

Sutton explained a bed bug infestation can be expensive to eradicate – often costing between $500 and $1,200, depending on the size of the home. And unlike some other pests, it takes a certified professional to completely rid a residence of bed bugs, he added. “It takes a lot of capacity. It gets expensive.”

While bed bugs don’t pose serious health threats, there are concerns among health professionals that they can indirectly affect one’s mental health by causing loss of sleep. Bites are initially painless, but later turn into large, itchy skin welts. The upside, Sutton noted, is that bed bugs are not known to cary diseases.

In the City of Norwich, where more apartment buildings and multi-family homes are located, Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence has been investigating more instances of bed bugs this year than ever. “It’s definitely a big problem, and it’s being spread throughout the community,” he said.