Bed bug battle main focus of pest convention

Bed bugs are the main topic as New Jersey’s largest pest control convention gets under way Thursday.

With the recent shutdown of a New York City movie theater in the heart of Times Square due to bed bugs, and daily reports of growing infestations across the U.S., pest control experts will focus on ways to combat the problem.

Many experts are baffled by the resurgence. Entomologists say the pests are appearing on a scale not seen since before World War II.

“Early Show” co-anchor Harry Smith pointed out on the broadcast Thursday the worst case of bedbugs may be in Ohio, which is now called the “Bed Bug Capital of the United States.” State officials there held a crisis meeting yesterday with officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the use of certain pesticides to contain the pests.