JANESVILLE, Wis. -- A pesky parasite is showing up in record numbers in Rock County.

The Rock County Health Department reported that it has confirmed 10 cases of bedbugs -- more than twice as many as last year.

Health officials said the department is currently averaging two to three calls a week about bedbugs, WISC-TV reported.

The county had three confirmed cases in 2009. The health department said the spike in recent cases could be connected to national reports of bedbug problems, which are creating more awareness about the problem.

"People are thinking about it more, maybe before they didn't realize what they had going on. Also, [the problem] seems to be exploding in the bigger cities, and maybe now it's spreading to other areas," said Adam Elmer, the county's environmental health educator.

Elmer said this year's increased numbers are not considered an infestation because the cases are spread throughout Rock County.

"The good thing is they don't spread any diseases that we know of -- they are more of a nuisance. Once you get them in your house they are hard to get rid of so they should be dealt with as soon as possible," Elmer said.

Elmer said bedbugs can be difficult to detect and suggests a careful examination of bug bites.

"They kind of look like mosquito bites. A lot of the time they will be in groups of three and you'll find them on exposed areas of skin, so [you need to check] anything that's not covered up at night. A lot of people get them on their neck, and arms, and sometimes their face," said Elmer.

Elmer also suggests clearing excess clutter from living spaces because bedbugs have a tendency to hide, using a mattress cover to temporarily contain them and keeping luggage away from sleeping spaces to avoid bringing hotel bed bugs home. Roughly 1 percent of hotel rooms have bedbugs, Elmer said.

Bedbugs typically travel about 5 to 6 feet to feed, he said.

Residents who suspect a problem with bedbugs should contact a professional instead of trying a do-it-yourself kit, because bedbugs are resistant to chemicals. It could also take multiple treatments to get rid of bedbegs, according to the health department.