A Bakersfield woman's problem with bed bugs has grabbed national attention.

After seeing reports from Eyewitness News, a program that airs on the Discovery Channel will feature a segment on the local woman's situation.

Last November, Kay Hammer's family contacted the Eyewitness News tip line, because they were frustrated over an infestation of bed bugs. When the story on Hammer's problem was posted online at BakersfieldNow.com, producers for the show "The Verminators" got interested in the situation.

"I watched the newscast right away when I saw her sitting in her living room with no furniture. I have to tell you, that was the scene that really got me," said Mike Masterson, one of the hosts of "The Verminators."

The program shows various problems with pests, and how they can be taken care of.

Bed bugs are one pest making a comeback nationwide.

Hammer said she thinks the insects were in her central Bakersfield apartment when she moved in. Right away, the family started getting bites, and they eventually figured the problem was bed bugs. Hammer had tried to get rid of the bed bugs without success, and she wasn't getting enough help from her landlord.

That's when she called Eyewitness News.

"You were the first one to really listen to me," Hammer said. "I thank you so much, you helped me immensely."

Hammer got in touch with "The Verminators" after they called offering to help her. Then, in late February, producers for the show brought up special equipment to get rid of bed bugs. They also brought up a big crew to videotape the work so it could be an upcoming segment for the show.

Masterson has a company called Iso Tech, and he brought in a special dog that can sniff out bed bugs. That was the first part of the treatment.

The beagle, Bailey, sniffed through a bedroom, and immediately scratched at a bed box spring to let the handler know that's where bed bugs were hiding. That was just one of many places the dog identified the pests.

Masterson taped segments showing the dog and explaining how that technique works for the Discovery Channel.

Next, crews set up huge heaters outside Hammer's apartment and piped the hot air inside. Masterson said they heated the area up to 160 degrees. That would get rid of bed bugs even hiding in the walls and even bed bug eggs.

Last, the crews treated the apartment with chemicals to make certain all the bed bugs were destroyed.

The crews treated another unit in Hammer's apartment complex, and they plan to treat her daughter's place across town. The bed bugs in Hammer's apartment had "hitchhiked" over to the other apartment.

That's one of the big problems with bed bugs and how they spread. Masterson said bed bugs are making a comeback because of international travel, and they're often misidentified, even by pest control operators.

Masterson says "The Verminators" is going into its second season, and now has more than 10 million viewers. He wants to be sure people understand what bed bugs are, and how they can be dealt with.

"These are problems everybody deals with, let me show you the best way to deal with these infestations," Masterson said.

He said the segment featuring Hammer's problem will probably air this summer.

A couple weeks after the show was taped and the bed bugs were taken care of, Hammer said she is very relieved. She hadn't even realized how much of an emotional toll the situation was taking on her.