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According to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the city's 311 line received 34 percent more complaints about bed bugs last year than it did in 2007.

In all, 9,213 New Yorkers called to report infestations of the tiny red insects that hide in mattresses and furniture and travel on clothes or luggage.

Bed bugs come out at night – and leave itchy, red welts on the body. They're also very difficult to eliminate, and can force people to throw out thousands of dollars worth of clothing and furniture.

The biggest increases have come in central Brooklyn, the northern and eastern parts of the Bronx, Midtown Manhattan, the Rockaways, and Northern Staten Island.

A spokesperson for the HPD said that it sends out inspectors to confirm all reports. If infestations are found, the HPD will write up violations. It is then up to the landlord to fix the problem.

Bills set to go before the City Council would require more training for exterminators. They would also ban the sale of used mattresses and force city agencies to come up with strategies for dealing with bedbugs.

For more information on how to combat the problem, contact NewYorkVsBedbugs.org.