After discovering bed bugs in at least three downtown Wheeling apartment complexes, experts said the pesky insects can also find their way into homes through used furniture.

In West Virginia, there is no law requiring that secondhand and thrift stores must sanitize used furniture before they sell it.

Now, Wheeling-Ohio County sanitarian Chuck Fisher is encouraging those stores to do inspections on furniture to try to control the spread of bed bugs.

Fisher said he has contacted several stores about the problem.

"Some of our stores, some of our facilities, are sanitizing items, but not everything is sanitized," Fisher said.

He said secondhand stores in West Virginia are only required to put a label on the item before it's resold.

The law is stricter in Ohio, and stores are required to sanitize and document the items before resale.

"If (the items) come from an infested place, they can be a source for spreading (the bugs)," Fisher said.

He said he still believed the main source of the spreading problem is from personal interaction from people living in infested apartments.

To help prevent the spread, he said people should examine furniture and bedding items closely.

Fisher said he is working with several organizations to help people recognize and kill bed bugs.