HUNTINGTON -- What's buggin' you?

Recent reports say pests -- mosquitoes, bedbugs and ladybugs, or Asian lady beetles, -- have increased in numbers in the Tri-State.

Late summer's hot, humid weather is a magnet for mosquito traffic and the coming cooler days will have beetles seeking refuge indoors. Cabell-Huntington Health Department officials also say they've receiving several complaints of bedbugs locally, with many sources nationwide reporting an apparent resurgence after almost 50 years of relative quiet.

Bedbugs

"We have had some complaints recently," said Elizabeth Ayers, the health department's public health educator. "Our inspectors will go out and check the situation and they've had nothing but good reports that whenever there is an issue, everyone has been compliant and is working to get the issue resolved."

Ayers declined to name the locations in question.

Bedbugs can be found anywhere, not just between the sheets, including on the bed frame and around windows close to where a bed is situated. They're small, but visible to the naked eye, and feed on animal and human blood, causing itchy red welts or swelling. Unlike mosquitoes, they are not known to transmit blood-borne diseases. Ayers said the five to 10 cases reported recently is a small number compared to other states.

"We don't necessarily have a big issues with it, but the recent incidences are being taken care of," she said. "One really good tip is to be careful going to garage sales. You may be getting a good deal, but you may also be bringing these bugs home on furniture, bedding or clothing."

The resurgence is being attributed to increased international travel and increasing pesticide resistance.

Ayers said the best way to rid your home of the winged creatures is to contact a professional who is armed with the proper chemicals.

"They also don't like heat, so you could try that approach as well," she said.

Mosquitoes

You may not be enjoying the heat and humidity of late summer, but these creatures are -- in fact, the temperatures combined with lots of rainfall over the past few months, makes it a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

To date, 26 mosquito pools from eight sample sites in three counties in West Virginia have tested positive for the mosquito-carrying West Nile Virus.

"It's more of an issue in Kanawha County it appears, but there have been two human infection cases in Fayette and Mercer counties. We have not seen any signs of West Nile in Cabell County," Ayers said. "Mosquitoes love these warm climates. It's what they survive in."

Until the first frost comes, mosquitoes will be an issue. Ayers suggested emptying containers holding standing water, changing bird baths and fountains, draining or filling temporary pools with dirt, keeping rain gutter clean and in good repair and treating swimming pools with the proper chemicals as ways to keep the mosquito population down.

"You should also use a good repellent even if you're just outside mowing the yard or weed eating," she said. "Making sure your windows and door screens are bug-tight is a good idea as well."

Ayers said a few control methods, including the use of citronella candles, appears to be ineffective.

"The smell might be what draws them over to it," she said.

If bitten, Ayers said common bites will itch and turn red, but anything that starts swelling warrants a trip to your health care provider.

Ladybugs

The main time to get suspicious of ladybugs, also sometimes referred to as multi-colored Asian lady beetles, is the approaching fall months when temperatures drop and ladybugs look for places to hibernate.

They are frequently -- and unknowingly -- the cause of many allergies (a University of Louisville School of Medicine study cited as many as 50 percent of people allergic).

"I haven't seen many people with it, but definitely a few," said Dr. Jeffrey Shaw with University Family Allergy in Barboursville. "It can be hard for people to tell if the ladybugs are what's causing it because the symptoms are like typical allergic rhinitis with sneezing and nasal congestion."

Shaw said he is considering adding the ladybug allergy test to his panel, which includes molds and pollens, because of the increase in the insects in the region.

"West Virginia and Kentucky are states with a larger problem because of the more rural setting. Studies have been done in Morgantown, with 24 percent of people having a positive skin test, and in Louisville, with 31 percent of people needing an increase in allergy medications during increased times of infestations."

Shaw said three or four ladybugs on a windowsill or near a light fixture aren't cause for concern, but a half-inch layer is.

"At that point, you have a major infestations and you are more susceptible to more serious health problems like asthma and hives."

Getting these pests out of your house can be as simple as firing up the vacuum, although Googling "getting rid of ladybugs" turns up more than 50,000 results with varying suggestions for eviction.

National Video

FILE - This 2008 file photo provided by Virginia Tech Department of Entomology shows mother and child bed bugs. Pest control company Terminex released a list Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010 of the 15 most bedbug-infested cities, and New York, Philadelphia and Detroit have scratched their way to the top. Terminix released its report Tuesday, basing it on an analysis of call volume to the Memphis, Tenn.-based company's 350 service centers. Insect scientists say bedbugs are appearing on a scale not seen since before World War II. (AP Photo/Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Tim McCoy, File) NO SALES