PITTSBURGH -- Many thought bed bugs were gone from the United States, but they're making a comeback in Allegheny County.

You go to bed thinking you're safe, but you're attacked and don't even know it.

You don't learn bed bugs are biting until you wake up.

Bed bugs will bite any exposed skin. This includes your face.

Many people who are bitten end up with itchy welts. Others have localized swelling. Both are symptoms of many other bug bites.

Another problem is that some people have no symptoms at all. That's why it can take so long for people to realize they have bed bugs.

Health officials recommend the following steps to identify, control and get rid of bed bugs:

Use a bright flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect all areas of the bedroom, cracks and crevices in walls and floors, folds and tufts of mattresses, bedspring coils, bed frames, bed posts, headboards, and behind electrical switch plates, posters and pictures.

When an infestation is found, strip beds down to the bare sleeping surface and wash all bedding - sheets, blankets, covers, comforters and shams - in very hot water (120+ degrees).

Items that can't be laundered (stuffed animals, soft toys, etc.) should be cleaned with a vacuum and placed in a tightly sealed plastic bag for about two weeks to kill the bed bugs.

Use a crack/crevice vacuum tool to remove bed bugs from bed frames and floor cracks, behind baseboards and switch plates, inside box springs and furniture, and under carpet edges.

Use a hand-brush attachment to vacuum mattresses and box springs, especially along seams and folds, and for cleaning floors, upholstered furniture and behind drapes.

After vacuuming, remove the bag from the vacuum cleaner, tie it tightly, remove it from the house and place the bag outdoors with the garbage.

Remove clutter from under/around the bed, furniture tops and bed stands. Move the bed away from walls and furniture and don't use bedding that touches the floor.

Since begbugs don't fly and can only crawl, coat the legs of beds with soapy water, petroleum jelly or double-sided sticky tape to keep bedbugs from climbing into bed.

Use insect repellent on exposed skin and apply insecticide in cracks and crevices where bedbugs hide, carefully following the manufacturer's directions. If you are unsure about using pesticides yourself, hire a commercial pest control company.