NYC Bed Bug Registry Infestation Maps, Residential and Hotel

Top news and notes from across Northern Virginia.

5. Snow back in the forecast

Weve got a wet start to our Tuesday and temperatures Wednesday are expected to climb to 57 degrees. But winter returns this weekend, with highs in the 30s and a chance for snow Friday night into Saturday morning.

Search your zip code on our weather page for the latest local forecast.

4. Washington tops list for bed bugs reports

The pest control specialists at Orkin are out with their new list of cities with the most bed bugs, and Washington, D.C., has taken the top spot from nearby Baltimore. New York was at No. 6, Raleigh at 14 and Richmond at 21.

3. Woman with Redskins player died of accidental overdose

An autopsy shows a 21-year-old woman died following an apparent accidental overdose of fentanyl on the night she was taken to the hospital by Washington Redskins player Montae Nicholson and a friend in November, reports WTOP.

2. Indecent exposure suspect sought in second incident

Hours after his release on a charge of indecent exposure, a Woodbridge man is accused of exposing himself to workers at a Dale City nail salon. He hasnt been located following the second encounter, according to Prince William police.

1. Outer Banks surfer bit by shark

The National Park Service said a surfer suffered an apparent shark bite at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Monday afternoon.

InsideOUT

The Farm Brewery at Broad Run is hosting a Barrel Aged Tasting on Feb. 15. Buy tickets now at InsideNoVaTix.com!

Go here to see the original:
InFive: Snow back in the forecast and Washington tops bed bugs list - Inside NoVA

NEW YORK CITY Roaches and bedbugs were caught crawling through city public housing almost 60,000 times last year, attorneys announced Monday.

NYCHA residents filed about 59,770 bug infestation complaints in the first nine months of 2019, according to the Legal Aid Society.

Judith Goldiner, Attorney-In-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit, called the findings troubling but added NYCHA's quick response time was encouraging.

"This is a clear byproduct of more staff on the ground and resources," said Goldiner, even though, "The high number of work orders filed by NYCHA residents to remediate insect infestation within their homes is indeed troubling."

The Grant Houses in Harlem logged the most work orders with 981 roach and bedbug infestations reported, according to documents acquired through Legal Aid's Freedom Of Information Law request.

It took the Housing Authority roughly 9.5 days on average to respond to those complaints, the records show.

The Pomonok Houses in Fresh Meadows, Queens, had the most bedbug complaints with 116 work orders, which took the Housing Authority roughly 9 days to remediate, Legal Aid said.

Bedbug and roach responses have improved since the city's $2.2 billion agreement (with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to address lead paint, mold, heating and pests took effect in July 2019, said NYCHA press secretary Rochel Leah Goldblatt.

Under the new Integrated Pest Management system, roach responses have become more thorough and bedbugs and rats are treated like emergencies, taking higher priority on the work order list, added Goldblatt.

"NYCHA is working closely with the Federal Monitor on Integrated Pest Management techniques and a Pest Action Plan," said Goldblatt. "NYCHA lacked the resources to adequately address many issues in its aging housing portfolio, including pests, due to years of federal disinvestment."

The public defenders group echoed these sentiments and called on state legislators to continue to increase funding for NYCHA in 2020.

"Public housing is critical to so many New Yorkers," Goldiner concluded. "We must ensure that residents live safely and with dignity."

See original here:
Bedbugs, Roaches Infest Thousands Of NYCHA Homes - New York City, NY Patch

If the headline alone doesn't have you feeling a little itchy, you do not have a healthy fear ofthe mighty bed bug. Bed bugs are an alarmingly common problem in big cities (and hotels).

Maybe that's because you don't live in a city that madeOrkin's annual list of the most bed bug-infested cities. This year's list has changes from last year and, despite the common association, it's not Los Angeles or New York climbing up the ranks. The pest-control company creates the annual list using data from "the metro areaswhere Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from" December 2018 through November 2019. Those treatments include both residential and commercial properties where the little pests are attempting to make human lives miserable.

Last year's bed bug champion, Baltimore, has fallen to second place while the nation's capital is now the most vermin-filled locale in the country. Washington, DC unseated Baltimore after it sat atop the Orkin list for three straight years. Among the top-50 cities, Flint, Michigan was the biggest climber, rising 16 spots to number 31. At the end of the spectrum, Houston dropped 12 spots to number 38.

Here are the top 20 most bed bug-infested cities, according to Orkin. (The number in parenthesis is the change from the city's place on the list last year.)

1. Washington, DC (+1)2. Baltimore (-1)3. Chicago4. Los Angeles5. Columbus6. New York City7. Detroit (+1)8. Cincinnati (-1)9. Indianapolis (+5)10. Atlanta (-1)11. Cleveland12. Philadelphia (-2)13. San Francisco (-1)14. Raleigh (-1)15. Norfolk (+2)16. Champaign (+7)17. Dallas (-2)18. Grand Rapids (+2)19. Pittsburgh (+6)20. Charlotte (-1)

While bed bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases to humans, they can be an elusive threat to households," said Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist, transmitting unpleasant news in a statement. "They are excellent hitchhikers, and they reproduce quickly which makes it nearly impossible to prevent bed bugs. Sanitation has nothing to do with where youll find them."

Of course, if you've got them, you can seek professional assistance, but many people try to get rid of bed bugs themselves. It's not impossible, but there's no cure for bed bug-induced nightmares. Sorry.

Read the original:
These Are the Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in the US - Thrillist

Home New York City Bed Bugs Lawyer

If youve been injured because of bed bugs and believe a negligent property owner or landlord is to blame, you may be entitled to compensation. Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. will help you fight to hold them accountable and get you the money you deserve.

Our New York City bed bug injury lawyers have been working hard on behalf of injury victims for more than four decades. Weve helped tens of thousands of clients recover meaningful compensation. In fact, in total, weve recovered in excess of $1 billion in jury awards and financial settlements. Call our New York City law firm today to find out how we can help you, too.

We offer a free, no-obligation case assessment, so contact our legal team to schedule yours today.

Bed bugs can cause a lot of damage. Thats why landlords and business owners in New York have to take certain precautions to prevent infestations and keep tenants and guests safe. When they dont, its innocent people like you who have to suffer the consequences. Fortunately, you may have the right to seek compensation for things like medical bills, property damages, and even emotional distress.

However, beg bug injury cases can be challenging. Youll need to prove that someone was negligent and, and as a result, put you in the position you find yourself in now. Youll have to prove that youve been harmed because they were negligent or careless in some way. That can be tough to do, especially when youre challenged every step of the way. Thats why the best thing to do is to call the experienced NYC bed bug lawyers at Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. for help.

When you need us, well be there. Our team will do everything we can to maximize your financial recovery. Among other things, we will:

Give our NYC injury lawyers a call to schedule your free consultation and learn more today.

Bed bugs are small parasitic pests roughly the size of an apple seed. They survive by feeding on the blood of an animal or human host. To feed, bed bugs pierce the hosts skin and insert a long beak into the host to withdraw blood for anywhere between 3 and 10 minutes. After feeding, bed bugs transform from flat, brown creatures to round, red ones.

Bed bugs are a fairly common issue and nuisance across New York City. In fact, NYC is the second-worst in the nation, right behind Philadelphia. Every year, there are thousands of reports of apartment buildings, hotels, and businesses with infestations. The city issues violations to landlords and owners who arent in compliance with local habitability requirements. A review of those violations, issued between 2014 and 2018, reveals that these parts of the city have the most reported bed bug problems:

As you can see, the Bronx seems to have the citys biggest bed bug problem. Manhattan isnt far behind, with dozens of reports of violations every year.

Bed bugs cant fly, but they are fast on their legs. They tend to gravitate toward places where theyre most likely to find a warm-blooded host. In fact, theyre attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide. Thats why its common to find bed bugs hiding in:

This is not an exhaustive list, simply an illustration of where youre most likely to find an infestation.

Its not believed that bed bugs are capable of transmitting disease. However, they can still cause a lot of pain, suffering, and damage.

Bed bug bites can cause and lead to a host of injuries, including:

Do you notice bite marks on your body? Get to the doctor. Severe bites, left untreated, can put you at risk of infection and serious health issues.

Bed bugs dont just inflict physical injuries. Bite victims often report experiencing emotional distress, including, but not limited to:

The emotional toll of a bed bug infestation and resulting injuries can easily interfere with your ability to enjoy your life.

Bed bugs dont just harm their human hosts. They can also cause significant damage to property including, but not limited to, clothing, bedding, and furniture.

At Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C., our experienced bed bug lawyers are prepared to help you fight for compensation for injuries related to a bed bug infestation. We represent clients with bed bug cases involving:

Give our law firm a call today to find out if you might be entitled to compensation for your bed bug injuries. Were always available for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 2365 days a year.

Bed bug cases are a type of premises liability matter. Simply put, when you rent an apartment or a room in a hotel, youre entitled to a place thats safe for you and your family. Heres what you need to know.

Under New York law, theres an implied warranty of habitability that attaches to homes and residences. Thats legalese for your home has to be a place where you can live comfortably. Among other things, this legal doctrine means that your landlord has to make sure that you have running water, a functioning heating system, and an up-to-date (and code) fire detection system.

It also means that your landlord has to take reasonable steps to prevent bed bug infestations. If there is an infestation, the landlord has to do something about it. Once theres been an infestation, New York City law requires that this information be disclosed to tenants in writing. If they dont do these things, you can potentially hold them financially responsible for the harm you suffer.

Bed bugs are also problematic at hotels in New York City. When you rent a room, you expect that it will be clean and a safe space for you to relax, unwind, and sleep. In order for that to happen, there cant be bed bugs. Thats why hotels are required to take steps to make sure theres no infestation. Reasonable steps include changing bed sheets between guests and regularly cleaning rooms.

Unfortunately, hotels dont always take these steps. Thats when bed bugs can get out of control. If you find that youve suffered bed bug injuries because of a hotel stay in NYC, you might be able to hold the owner accountable.

When you call Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. for help with your NYC bed bug injury lawsuit, well aggressively seek compensation for all of your damages. This might include:

We want to be sure that youre not paid less money than you deserve. Thats why we work closely with leading injury, psychiatric, and vocational experts. They can help us appreciate your injuries and grasp how they might impact your life. Well seek compensation for the damages you have today, as well as for those that youll likely experience in the future.

Its true theres a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. In New York, the statute of limitations for bed bug injury lawsuits is typically three years. That begins to run the moment you get hurt.

There are times when you may have more or less time to act. However, as a general rule, youll only have three years. If you wait too long to file your claim, youll be prohibited from getting any compensation at all.

Have you or a loved one suffered injuries because you were bitten by bed bugs in NYC? Contact Mirman, Markovits & Landau, P.C. to learn about your legal rights and options. If youre entitled to compensation, well do everything in our power to maximize your recovery. All you have to do is give our NYC law offices a call and schedule your free consultation to get started.

View post:
New York City Bed Bugs Lawyer | Mirman, Markovits & Landau ...

Thinking back to childhood, Im pretty sure I lived with a constant fear of accidentally ingesting mind-altering drugs that would leave me comatose. From the time my school started us on the D.A.R.E. program in 4th or 5th grade I was convinced that some evil drug lord was going to rub LSD all over a handrail at a theme park, or on food at the grocery store.

Then I grew up, actually tried those drugs, and realized that nobody in possession of large quantities of psychedelics would ever waste them on complete strangers because that shits hard to find these days.

But the same fear applies here. Of stepping into an otherwise safe situation only to discover that youve wandered into Dantes 7th Ring of Hell. Sure, you always have to be a little bit on guard when you enter a Walmart. Even more so here in Florida where a dude on bath salts could try and eat your face at any point. But this shit should be considered an act of war under the Geneva Convention.

According to CNN, a man entered a Walmart in Edinboro, Pennsylvania armed with a bottle full of live bedbugs and released the blood-sucking monsters inside of the mens changing room to wreak havoc on shoppers. Living in NYC for nearly a decade, the fear of a bed bugs attack always outweighed a terrorist attack or getting stabbed by a bum on the subway.

In fact, those latter two pretty much never crossed my mind aside from the times there were terror alerts or I accidentally stepped into an almost-empty subway cart to find a passed out bum with his manhood hanging out and pants around his ankles. It was always the bed bugs that scared me because it meant you had to pretty much uproot your life. Sanitize everything you own. Get your shitty ass landlord to comply and bring in special exterminators. A total nightmare.

Heres the story from CNN:

A manager at the store in Edinboro found a closed pill bottle with live bugs crawling inside and reported it to authorities Thursday, police said in a release. The bottle was found inside a boys jacket which was for sale.We take this seriously and are looking into this, a Walmart spokesperson told CNN. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement on their investigation.On Friday, health safety company Ecolab confirmed that the insects were bedbugs. An Ecolab employee also reported seeing bedbugs crawling around the mens changing rooms the same day, according to police.A Walmart employee later found a second closed pill bottle containing dead bedbugs in the mens department, police said. Edinboro is in the northwest corner of the state, near Erie.A third-party pest management service has visited the store and we are working with them to assess next steps, the Walmart spokesperson said. In the meantime, we have blocked off the impacted area. (via)

As if I needed another reason to stay away from Walmart Im getting itchy just reading that story. Im pretty certain that anything I need from Walmart I can buy online at this point and my house is closer to Lowes anyway.

I simply will not be able to ever step foot inside a Walmart again without thinking about some asshole somewhere releasing multiple bottles of blood-sucking bedbugs inside of the store just to be an asshole.

For more on this story, you can click here to visit CNN.com.

Read more from the original source:
Some Monster Released A Bottle Of Live Bed Bugs Inside A Walmart Which Means Im Never Stepping Foot In There Again - BroBible

Not the bedbug bottle in question, but sinister nonetheless. Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images

Are you always, just a little bit, wondering when your time will come; when you a person whos lived in New York City for like seven years now, without ever having seen a single bedbug in or around your apartment will wake up with a telltale trail of itchy bites on your arm, and feel The Fear? Do you live with that anxiety percolating forever in your brain cauldron, and if so, would you like to crank up the heat a little bit? Okay great, then heres a news story for you: A sinister scamp has been stashing pill bottles full of bedbugs around a Pennsylvania Walmart, for reasons authorities have yet to discern.

The New York Times reports that an employee of the Washington Township retailer found the first bottle inside the pocket on a boys jacket, for sale at the time and left inside the mens changing room. Although its contents was decidedly alive, the bottle was closed but still, when inspectors from health and hygiene technologies company Ecolab showed up to take a look, they found bedbugs crawling around the fitting room.

The jacket and the pill bottle were both thrown away, but unfortunately, the discoveries didnt end there: On Saturday, a second bug bomb reportedly surfaced on the floor of the mens department. (Near the belts, according to the Times.) This bottle contained only dead bugs, but faced with another sign of entomological warfare, employees called the police. A state trooper reportedly collected the container for fingerprinting, and according to NBC, no other Walmarts in the area have been targeted.

The Walmart, meanwhile, remains open, with corporate assuring the Times in a statement that a thorough review turned up no evidence of an infestation. Hm well, bedbugs are wily and can subsist without a blood meal for months and months, plus the public menace responsible for this dastardly deed remains at large. So, to help you sleep tonight, heres a practical guide to vanquishing these vampiric monsters forever.

Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily

See the original post:
Chaos Agent Unleashes Bedbugs on Pennsylvania Walmart - The Cut

Bed bugs are small insects that feed mainly on human blood. Bed bug infestations are increasingly common in New York City. Bed bugs can enter homes by latching onto used furniture, luggage and clothing, and by traveling along connecting pipes and wiring. Left untreated, bed bugs can spread quickly.

Property owners are required to address bed bug infestations promptly. The surest strategies to keep bed bugs from spreading are prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment. To learn more, see the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)Preventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safelyguide.

Click a topic, or press the enter key on a topic, to reveal its answer.

Tenants should report the presence of bed bugs to the property owner. If the property owner does not address the condition, file a complaint online or call 311.

When calling 311 to make a bed bug complaint, the caller may be asked by the 311 operator about whether it would be acceptable for HPD to bring a dog trained to sniff out bed bugs to participate in an inspection (note that even if requested, the dog may not accompany an Inspector). Whether or not a dog is present during an inspection, an HPD Inspector will conduct a visual inspection. Violations will be issued if the Inspector is able to visually confirm the presence of live bed bugs.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about bed bug-sniffing dogs and when HPD brings them into homes to investigate a possible bed bug infestation in this podcast.

Property Owner Requirements

The Housing Maintenance Code and Health Code both require that property owners address infestations promptly.

The surest strategies to keep bed bugs from spreading are prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment. To learn more, see the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)Preventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safelyguide.

Bed bug infestations usually require the services of well-trained, licensed pest management professionals, also called exterminators. New York State law requires that property owners hire only pest control professionals licensed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)to treat apartments for bed bugs. The pest control professional should perform an inspection to confirm the presence of bed bugs and to eliminate bed bugs, if necessary. Property owners are expected to make follow-up visits to ensure that there are no signs of a bed bug infestation.

Property owners of rental residential properties are now required to file a Bed Bug Annual Report. See the Bed Bug Annual Report Requirement section of this webpage for the additional requirements. Once the Bed Bug Annual Report has been filed, the property owner is required to either provide the filing receipt to each tenant (upon commencement of a new lease and with each lease renewal) OR post the filing receipt in a prominent location in the building. In addition, the property owner must either distribute to each tenant or post the DOHMHPreventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safelyguide, which provides information on the prevention, detection, and removal of bedbugs.

Bed Bug Annual Report Requirement

Local Law 69 of 2017 requires that all multiple dwelling property owners must attempt to obtain the bed bug infestation history from the tenant or unit owner, including whether eradication measures were employed for a bedbug infestation.

Complete your Annual Bed Bug Report. Pursuant to the law, HPD will make the submitted information publicly available through HPDONLINE.

The online application will only allow validly registered property owners and managing agents of multiple dwellings to disclose bedbug infestation history. A buildings property registration must be current. If you have not registered your property, please do so by visitingProperty Registration.

Property owners will be required to file annually between December 1and December 31 for the previous year from November 1 through October 31.

Property owners will be required to report the following information:

When submitting, the owner will certify that either:

Once the Bed Bug Annual Report has been filed, the property owner is required to either provide the filing receipt to each tenant (upon commencement of a new lease and with each lease renewal) OR post the filing receipt in a prominent location in the building. In addition, the property owner must either distribute to each tenant or post the DOHMHPreventing and Getting Rid of Bedbugs Safelyguide, which provides information on the prevention, detection, and removal of bedbugs.

Please note that New York State law requires property owners to disclose bedbug infestation history dating back one year to new tenants through theBedbug Disclosure Form. For more information, visit theNYS Homes and Community Renewalwebsite.

Questions?See theBedbugs Annual Report FAQs.

Tenants should report the presence of bed bugs to the property owner. If the property owner does not address the condition, file a complaint online or call 311.

HPD provides a special service for the inspection of bedbugs: HPDs Canine Unit. The beagles are available to assist a team of Code Enforcement Inspectors who have been trained to work with them. The Canine Unit will respond to bedbug complaints where the 311 operator has confirmed that the tenant would like to have the inspection performed by a dog; although not every such complaint can be inspected by the Canine Unit. The dogs were trained at an accredited facility to alert by sitting when they detect live bedbugs or viable eggs. The findings are confirmed by visual inspection before a violation is issued.

If the HPD inspector finds bedbugs, the property owner is issued an HPD Notice of Violation (NOV) ordering that the condition be addressed. When a NOV is issued by HPD, the property owner also receives a DOHMH Order of the Commissioner. The Commissioners order provides property owners more detail on the requirements for addressing bedbugs, including:

Certification of HPD's NOV is the only required notification back to the City that the condition has been corrected as instructed. There is no response directly to the DOHMH. The HPD Certification of Correction requires a sworn statement that the above corrective actions have been taken, in compliance with the DOHMH Commissioners Order.For information about completing your certification documents for HPD, you can contact your Borough Service Center or certify online usingeCertification.

Read more here:
Bedbugs - HPD - nyc.gov

It is with the utmost disrespect that my heart can muster that I say this: Jeff Sessions has the tenacity of the worlds most stalwart, racist cockroach. The 72-year-old former attorney general, who Coretta Scott King famously argued was too racist to be a federal judge, is expected to announce today that he is running for his old Alabama senate seat. Donald Trump, apparently, is not a fan of this news, though not for any ideological or moral reasoning, but because Trump never forgave Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia collusion investigation (pettinessits a hell of a drug!) Continue reading

What Are Bed Bugs & What Makes Them Unique Bed bugs are tiny and oval shaped and they are generally flat. They are insects that suck blood and infest areas where humans and other animals sleep. Bed bug infestations are not always the result of having a dirty home because bed bugs can find their way into your home even if all the necessary precautions have been taken Continue reading

As your Buffalo bed bugs expert, we use an array of treatments to attack your infestation, adapting which techniques we utilize depending on your specific circumstances. We know the safety and wellbeing of your family is your main priority, and, therefore, we will talk through our various approaches with you to ensure you are comfortable with our treatment plan. In most instances, we will use various methods on a single property to eliminate 100% of your bed bugs Continue reading

Recent Bed Bug Reports for New York City April 16 The Franklin Hotel Horrible seeping bedbug mess through bedbug cover. S February 01 150 Corbin Pl This building is infested with bed bugs i was bitten all January 29 Avenue Plaza LLC Room 206 had bedbugs on January 28th, 2016. Continue reading

Pest Extermination Services 20 Years of Professional Licensed Bedbug Control and Pest Exterminating Services for Home Residents and Commercial Owners Hill's Pest Management has over 19 years of experience in exterminating and controlling bedbugs and other pests in homes, motels, hotels, restaurants, offices, and more. Our licensed and certified bedbug and pest extermination professionals guarantee immediate results in controlling pests and are in full compliance with state health regulations. Hill's Pest Management Offers: Individual service plans are also available since every business is different in its layout and bedbug/ pest situation. Continue reading

See original here:
New York, United States Bed Bug Registry Map Bed Bug ...

Sleep tight, dont let the bed bugs bite is a common -- if not totally gross -- thing many parents tell their children at night. But chances are, you never gave those creepy crawlers a second thought until you moved to New York City.

Unfortunately, the horror of a bed bug infestation is a pretty common experience in NYC. According to pest control company Orkins annual Top 50 Bed Bugs List, confirmed cases of bed bugs increased during 2015, making New York City the fourth-worst urban regionin the nation for these pests.Local exterminators at M&M Pest Controlagree.

The bedbug threat has definitely gotten worse over the years, confirmed client service representatives at M&M Stephanie Kollgaard and Hunter Konkle, as well as directors Kevin Carrillo and Timothy Wong. Incoming requests for bedbug treatment or inspections have grown consistently by 20% annually for the past several years.

But lets back up a little bit. If you dont already know, bed bugs are parasitic insects that have a particular penchant for human blood. While they have not been known to transmit diseases, they are literal ankle biters and will turn your mattress into a colony. And its not something a New Yorker should take lightly: Bed bugs can be picked up everywhere from the R train to a swanky hotel.

Despite common misconceptions, bed bugs do not target messy or dirty apartments (though that certainly makes it easier for the insects to go unnoticed). Everyone is at risk, and the chances of picking up a bed bug are infinitely greater in metropolitan areas, where people move often and quickly.Increased travel and foot traffic brings a spike during the summer months.

More than anything, bed bugs will screw with your head. After my own traumatic bed bug experience, I slipped into what can only be described as post-traumatic infestation disorder. I had nightmares about them, thought every piece of fuzz on my comforter was a nag, and scoured my sheets obsessively before bed.

Whether you think you have an infestation or want to protect yourself against the enemy, this step-by-step guide will tell you everything you need to know (and hopefully never have to use) about dealing with bed bugs.

The rest is here:
Worried About Bed Bugs in NYC? Treatment & Signs in New ...

I may have no right to chime in here as, to the best of my knowledge, I have never encountered bed bugs. But check as others have said when you get to your room, then relax. If you get bites (from bed bugs or something else; it has never been clear to me from complaints I see here and elsewhere if they really were certified bedbugs) then don't worry; as far as I know they cause a rash, not a fatal illness. Take whatever precautions you're supposed to take once exposed to avoid carrying them elsewhere, then get on with your life.

I think they were far more common in the generations of our immigrant ancestors, perhaps even taken for granted, and I think some of the horror, embarrassment associated with them have to do with the fact that this is something we associate with poor immigrants, not our superclean, successful selves. I could only laugh when I read the accounts of people who got them in their Park Avenue apartments. Should they or should they not tell their coop board or neighbors? SHould they or should they not fire the immigrant household employees who may have brought them in (on the other hand, it could have been their own clean selves on that safari to Namibia).

Immigrants learned to deal with them and maybe we should too.

View post:
Bed Bugs - New York City Forum - TripAdvisor