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MARQUETTE -- They're creepy, they're crawly, and they come in hundreds at a time. They're bed bugs.

"They were gross. That's all I can say. They were gross," said Sheila Nelson.

Nelson had bed bugs, and they weren't only in her bed. They made it to her family room, infesting her couches and chairs.

After waking up with bumps all over her body, Nelson went to the doctors where they told her that it's probably just hives. Then, a few days later, she found out she wasn't the only one underneath her covers.

"It was just a creepy feeling. I couldn't sleep at night because I always thought there were bugs crawling on me. And I couldn't sleep because I would just wake up, roll over, then I'd jump up because I thought there were bugs," Nelson said.

Not only was it creepy, but also costly, with an extermination fee of about $1,700, plus the price of and having to buy all new furniture.

"We had to borrow money from my boyfriend's dad, KBIC, just to pay this bill, just to get this house exterminated. It's been quite a bit because we don't have that money," Nelson added.

The Marquette County Health Department says they've had three calls about bed bugs in August. They say the bugs normally get inside a home from being carried in and that it's a problem across the country.

"Bed bugs are something that are widely occurring nationwide, internationally. And it's just a nuisance that you might end up with by carrying them into your house," said Director of Environmental Health, Patrick Jacuzzo.

To avoid a bed bug outbreak, the health department says reduce clutter, seal cracks and crevices, vacuum, and avoid bringing used furniture and clothes inside.