Bedbugs have become a growing problem throughout Ohio, showing up in nursing homes, hotel, hospitals, and jails. Entomologists have receieved complaints from the area, including Dublin, Westerville and Columbus.

Ohio House democrat Dale Mallory aims at detering the pests through legislation he introduced last month. The bill would allocate $335,000 in state funding for the creation of a bedbug program in the Ohio Department of Health. Hotel owners would have access to education on how to discern between the mahogany-colored bugs and other types of vermin, along with establishing a toll-free number allowing residents to report infestations and ask for information.

DDT had nearly extinguished the bugs in the 1950s, but they have reemerged in recent years. That resurrection has puzzled state officials, suggesting that travel to foreign countries may be to blame.

While big cities like New York and San Fransisco topping the list of bedbug complaints, over 800 complaints last year from residents in the Cincinatti area made it fifth on that list.

Compounding problems is the difficulty of identification and extermination. The bugs don't emerge until 2 or 3 a.m. and often leave little to no sign of their presence until after biting their bedmates.

Pest control experts aren't equipped with a chemical guaranteed to eliminate the bugs, meaning treatment often needs to be issued three or four times.

Over 30 legislators across the state have proclaimed their support of the bill. Mallory says he's confident his legislation is resonating throughout Ohio.