Governor David Paterson recently vetoed a bill that would have required retailers to sanitize used mattresses in New York City before reselling them. The idea behind the legislation was to aid in the fight against bed bugs, a problem that is now spreading to Upstate New York.

According to the National Pest Management Association, bed bug infestations are up 57 percent nationwide in the last five years. Exterminators say these pests are hitching a ride from major cities into your neighborhood.

Matt and Caleb Fabry, of Town and Country Pest Control, specialize in the extermination of bed bugs. Last year, the father-son duo took 50 calls for service. This year they have already taken 2,000.

"Everywhere. Baseboards, ceilings, the mattress, the box spring and you just see them coming out and invading people," said Caleb Fabry.

Unlike other parasites, these blood suckers don't live on people, but if you've traveled to another country or any major city they can come back with you.

"They come back with their suitcase. Bring it back here, it infests their furniture they throw it out on the street somebody comes by and picks it up then their neighbors get a problem," Fabry said.

Since bed bugs do not spread disease, they are not considered a public health risk, but local health officials are using sanitation codes to force property owners to deal with bed bug infestations.

"Probably at this point we're not going to be able to eradicate bed bugs. They're probably here to stay. What we hope to be able to do is to control it so it really doesn't become rampant and widespread," said John Ricci of the Monroe County Health Department.

The Fabrys have two secret weapons, a bug sniffing Jack Russell Terrier named Tracker, and an all natural compound used in a smoke machine to kill them.

"We can get rid of bedbugs in one treatment almost every single time and then we throw in a second treatment almost a month later just for good luck," said Matt Fabry.

Bed bugs can lay up 12 eggs a day, and because they can live for as long as 18 months without a blood meal, they are hard to get rid of. Just one egg could lead to a new infestation.

Not everyone has a strong reactions to bed bug bites so you could have a problem and not realize it until you actually see the bugs, and that is usually not until months later.

If you can’t afford an exterminator there are some simple tips to avoid an infestation. The Fabrys say leaving your suitcase in your car on a hot sunny day should kill a bed bug or their eggs if they have stowed away inside your luggage. Putting your clothing or travel bag in a hot dryer for a few minutes should have the same effect.