NYC Bed Bug Registry Infestation Maps, Residential and Hotel

Although bed bug complaints and violations were said to be in decline last year, exterminator Bill Swan isn't buying it. According to Swan, NYC's bed bug epidemic is still raging, and he attributes the drop in complaints to an increasing number of New Yorkers essentially giving up, sticking an apple in their mouths and tying themselves to spits for the bed bugs armies to feast upon.

In a lengthy interview with Swan, he shared some of his craziest bed bug horror stories with us, and also explained why it doesn't work to try to get rid of them on your own. To that end, he wanted us to spread the word that his company, NYC Pest Control, is running a special this month! Any one-bedroom apartment qualifies for a $275 treatment, which Swan says is "a phenomenal price." Tell 'em Gothamist sent you for a free bed bug fart detector! (Kidding.)

In the past few years, have you gotten more calls about bed bugs or fewer calls? More. But the one thing I do see is that people are starting to raise their level of acceptance with these bugs. Im finding them all over. What does that mean, raise their level of acceptance? Well, when these were first starting, it was like alarms were going off. People were, AAGH, Ive got bed bugs! Now its like, Eh, Ive got a couple of bed bugs. It seems like theyre becoming a little more nonchalant, like an occasional roach or something.

So whats the difference, in terms of threat level, between the occasional roach and a couple of bed bugs? Well, the occasional roach would be in your kitchen by a water source, eating your food and things like that. The few bed bugs would be eating YOU. Theyre parasites. They feed off human blood.

How concerned should people be? If you just have a few, is it worth paying an exterminator hundreds of dollars? Why can't you kill them yourself? When people try to self-exterminate, theyre not taught how to find cracks and crevices. Its very small details youve gotta pay attention to when you spray. You tend to make them spread.

And when I got a little bit closer, there were hundreds and hundreds of bedbugs covering his wall behind his couch. I looked at the guy; he was chewed up, there wasnt a spot on his face that didnt have a bite on it. I said, Sir. Look behind you." He said, Theyre cockroaches. I said, Theyre not cockroaches, theyre bedbugs, and theyre eating you.

The guy looked at me as calmly as you could imagine, and says, In my religion, we dont kill bugs. Just leave them alone. Could you imagine? I swear to you. Then I had one other crazy incident happen down here off Atlantic Avenue by Long Island College Hospital. I go in for an evaluation for bedbugs, and I find bedbugs. So, the lady asks me about treatment options. I go over the chemical options, I go over some of the green options, and she says, Well, would it be possible for you to just come in and vacuum them up and release them somewhere, because I dont wanna see them harmed.

I says, Maam. Theres gotta be a candid camera on around here. I says, Do you really want me to vacuum them up and release them off in the park like theyre squirrels or something? And she said, Yeah. And I says, Maam. Ive gotta go. Ive gotta go.

You have an incredible perspective on this scourge. I think thats the word for it.

You are on the frontlines. I tell ya, Ive come in where people have actually disputed that its a bedbug and then they squish it and sniff it right in front of me. And I find that a little gross. I mean, even though Im an exterminator, Im not gonna handle these bugs barehanded, unless its an emergency and I have to. These people willingly just squish them.

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Brooklyn Exterminator Shares His Best Bed Bug Horror Stories

Readmore: Local, Bed Bugs, Syracuse, Infestation, Orkin, Ranking, Greater Syracuse Tenants Network

SYRACUSE -- Syracuse is one of the worst cities in the nations for bed bugs. That is the finding of a survey by Orkin, a pest control company.

Orkin found that the Syracuse region ranks number 21 among 50 cities in the number of bed bug treatments it has performed.

The ranking comes as "no surprise" to Orkin Branch Manager, Jim Barnhart. He says there has been a significant "uptick" in bed bug complaints in his region which covers all of Central New York.

Nationally Orkin has seen a 33 percent increase in business to control bed bugs in 2012. If you suspect you have a bedbug problem, Barnhart says it's important to have a professional inspection to confirm the presence of bed bugs. He says the tiny bugs, which feed on human blood, can reside in areas other than a mattress, like furniture, walls, and kitchens. Barnhart says his staff is finding bed bugs in commercial buildings including gyms and banks.

Syracuse Codes Enforcement Director Corey Driscoll says she is working with the city's legal department to find ways to convince landlords to be more responsive to bed bug complaints. Driscoll says the city may soon demand better documentation to confirm inspections and extermination. She says the city may also require that landlords disclose the current or past presence of bed bugs to prospective tenants.

Sharon Sherman, of the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network, calls it an "epidemic." Sherman says she's held workshops with landlords to help them combat the problem. TheTenants Networkhas posted a series of recommendations on its website to prevent the spread of bed bugs.

"Sanitation is not a factor when it comes to the development of the tiny bloodsuckers," Orkin stated in a news release. "People may believe bed bugs transmit disease, but according to the Journal of the American medication Association, bed bugs can carry more than 30 different human pathogens, but there is no evidence that bed bugs can transmit disease."

The top 25 worst cities are:

1. Chicago 2. Detroit 3. Los Angeles 4. Denver 5. Cincinnati 6. Columbus, Ohio 7. Washington, D.C. 8. Cleveland/Akron/Canton 9. Dallas/Ft. Worth 10. New York City 11. Dayton 12. Richmond/Petersburg, VA 13. Seattle/Tacoma 14. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose 15. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, NC 16. Indianapolis 17. Omaha, Neb 18. Houston 19. Milwaukee 20. Baltimore 21. Syracuse 22. Boston 23. Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo. 24. Lexington, KY 25. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale

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Syracuse among worst cities in nation for bed bugs

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse has moved up in the rankings on a list no one wants to be on Americas top 50 cities for bed bugs.

Syracuse ranks 21 on the 2012 list released today by Orkin, a pest control company. It ranked 23 on the 2011 list.

Orkin ranks cities in order of the number of bed bug treatments it performed from January to December last year.

Chicago ranked No. 1. Other cities in New York on the list include New York City (10), Buffalo (28) and Albany (42).

The ranking came as no surprise to Sharon Sherman, executive director of the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network.

We have a crisis in Syracuse, Sherman said. Its out of control.

Sherman said bed bug infestations are rampant in rental housing in lower income neighborhoods, particularly on the citys North Side. About 20 percent of the calls she receives from tenants are related to bed bugs.

Orkin said sanitation is not a factor when it comes to development of bed bugs. The insects are not limited to bedrooms. They can be found in kitchens and bathrooms. The bloodsuckers also show up in places other than homes such as hospitals, movie theaters, airplanes and gyms.

Bed bugs can multiply quickly, so early detection is critical to preventing a larger infestation, the company said.

The following cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January to December 2012 along with their shift, if any, in ranking compared to January to December 2011.

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Syracuse rises to No. 21 on list of nation's 50 worst bed bug cities

They attacked the Nike flagship store in New York City. They invaded Google and Abercrombie & Fitch. They even tried to infest the Empire State Building. After decades of being on the brink of extinction, bed bugs are back, and they're finding better ways to travel undetected.

While Chicago's bed bug problem is nothing compared to what New York has experienced over the last several years, it is fast becoming a persistent problem, particularly on Chicago's North Side. This growing problem placed Chicago at No. 2 on Orkin's list of Top 50 Bed Bug Cities.

The areas hardest hit include Edgewater, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Rogers Park, and Uptown. These areas have two things in common when it comes to the city's bed bug problem: plenty of apartments, condos, and hotels and more travelers and commuters than anywhere else in the city.

How Are North Siders Getting Stuck With Bed Bugs?

Hundreds of reports have been made over the last several years about sightings or all-out infestations in apartments, condos, hotels, and offices on Chicago's North Side. No matter where you live, bed bugs can make their way into these spaces via luggage, souvenirs, furniture, and even on the clothes the carrier is wearing. Bed bugs can be found in hotels, dorms, rooming houses, shelters, cruise ships, trains, taxis, and more while traveling, but once they've reached the interior of any space, they can spread like wildfire.

In the city of Chicago, bed bugs have found yet another mode of transportation that hasn't really been on the radar until now. The cloth seats on CTA subway trains are perfect places for bed bugs to hide while they wait for a ride to their new home. They can make their way onto your wool coat, your hat, into a laptop bag, purse, shopping bag, etc.

The bed bugs can hide in the crevices of your mattress or even inside the mattress until feeding time. They also hide in linens, in cracks and crevices in the floor, along baseboards, and under and behind dressers. For around five minutes every five to 10 days, bed bugs feed on their favorite food -- human blood -- before returning to their hiding places until they work up an appetite again. Feeding always takes place at night, typically an hour before dawn.

What Are Bed Bugs? Are They Dangerous?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , bed bugs are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color, wingless, range from 1 mm to 7 mm (roughly the size of Lincoln's head on a penny), and can live several months without a blood meal.

According to Chicago-based Safer Pest Control Project, bed bugs are not known disease carriers. However, bed bugs use saliva to numb the skin before feeding. Some people may have an allergic reaction to the saliva, resulting in swelling, itching, and redness, while most will have no reaction at all. If infection or scarring does occur, it is usually the result of scratching.

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Bed Bugs Make a Beeline for Chicago

FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As those affected by the destructive damage and widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Sandy begin the rebuilding process, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is focusing on the impact the super storm will have on pest populations in affected areas of New York and New Jersey, specifically in hard-hit communities. Flood and storm-ravaged areas can expect to experience greater contact with pests including rats, bed bugs, termites and flies in the weeks and months after the storm due in large part to population displacement, as well as increased moisture. The NPMA is monitoring the situation, as the increase in contact poses serious health and property risks that must be addressed during recovery efforts.

Communities devastated by the storm will likely experience an increase in pest encounters due to displacement and destruction caused by flooding, said Jim Fredericks, Ph.D, technical director for the NPMA. From the delay in sanitation services caused by power outages and road blockages, to the widespread structural damage and increased number of people staying at shelters, hotels or with family and friends, there are a number of ways Sandy will affect a variety of pest populations both in the short-term and months after the storm.

Our hearts go out to all who are struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, remarked Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. We are working internally with member companies and manufacturers to develop an action plan to help in mitigating these expected pest pressures, specifically in those areas hardest hit by Sandy.

The NPMA has identified the following pests to be of greatest concern:

Rodents: Many rodents were likely killed during the hurricane, however, a great number were displaced and immediately began seeking harborage and food. The delay in garbage pickup that many areas experienced, or continue to experience, will result in an abundance of food sources, while the expected increase in construction debris from remodeling will serve as excellent temporary harborages for displaced pests. As sanitation workers are likely to focus on garbage first, and place less of a priority on construction debris which may sit for extended periods, homeowners should keep food trash and construction debris separate so that sanitation workers can easily pick up the items most conducive to rodents. When these two are mixed, food and harborage may be in place for extended periods of time, which can be conducive to infestations. Rodents are known to spread several dozen diseases. Any homeowner coming into contact with rodent carcasses during clean up should wear protective gloves to protect against disease transmission.

Flies: Flies breed in spoiled food, dead rodents or wildlife, and sewage caused by backups or broken pipes. Homeowners who lost power for several days or were unable to return to their homes for long periods of time are likely dealing with the disposal of rotten food. Fungus gnats breed in areas affected by moisture where mildew is growing, and may continue to be a problem in the coming months, especially in coastal areas, like NJs Barrier Islands, which are still closed off to many homeowners. Phorid flies breed in areas contaminated by sewage, which could be a problem for Rockaway Channel in Nassau County, Long Island, which is being flooded with raw sewage from the Bay Park sewage treatment plant.

Bed Bugs: The large number of people forced out of their homes and living in hotels and shelters or receiving donated furnishings or clothing create an increased opportunity for bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are a much greater concern in urban areas hit by the storm, such as New York City, where larger populations of people live close together and interact in enclosed spaces on a regular basis. Because of the bed bugs' ability to "hitchhike" on people and their belongings, bed bugs can become a problem for anyone living in close quarters while displaced from their home.

Termites: Homes that were treated for termites in the past need to be retreated if the neighborhood was flooded and soil was moved or displaced by the water. The pesticide barrier was most likely disturbed and may no longer exist to protect the home from the serious structural damage termites can cause.

The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 7,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry's commitment to the protection of public health, food and property.

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Hurricane Sandy Predicted to Have Long-Term Effect on Pest Populations

Bed bugs are nasty peststhat live on fabrics (especially beds) and leave you with annoying itchy welts. They are also notoriously hard to get rid of.

But new research shows that we can kill these bugs by taking a drug traditionally used to fight off parasitic worms, Bloomberg's Jason Gale reports.

To see if the new treatment worked, researchers allowed beg bugs to feed on human blood from people who have taken the drug ivermectin, commercially known asStromectol.

Three out of five bed bugs died three hours after their blood meals. The drug can not only kill bed bugs, it can also prevent the small young ones from growing by preventing molting. This is great news, since bed bugs are increasingly resistant to traditional pesticides.

The drug could be the key to combating what's reemerged as a widespread problem, particularly in dense cities like New York. According to 2009 estimates,more than400,000 New York City residentsexperienced bed beg infestation.The critters are so common, they have even taken over places likeGoogle,Victoria's Secret,Abercrombie & Fitch, and anAMC Movie Theaterin Times Square.

SEE ALSO:Your Ultimate Guide To The War Against Bedbugs

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Researchers Find A One-Pill Solution To Fighting Bed Bugs

ATLANTA Bed bugs died after feeding on people treated with Mercks Stromectol, a treatment typically used against parasitic worms, in the first study to investigate its potential to control the blood-suckers.

Three out of five bed bugs died after blood meals from people who had taken Stromectol, also called ivermectin, three hours earlier, according to research presented at a scientific meeting in Atlanta Monday. The pill, along with conventional measures such as pesticides, may improve chances of eliminating the pest, said John Sheele, an emergency physician at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, who led the study.

Stromectol is used to treat diseases caused by worm parasites such as river blindness, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, and elephantiasis, or lymphatic filariasis, which causes certain parts of the body to become enlarged. Sheeles research suggests its pesticidal properties may also fight bed bug incursions, experienced by more than 400,000 New York City residents in 2009.

Ivermectin is effective against a broad range of insects body lice, head lice, scabies, Sheele said in an interview. What Id like to be able to do is a real-world experiment where we find people who have bed bugs, treat them with the regimen and see does it get rid of their infestation.

Bed bugs are small, flat insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep.

Washington Post

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Study suggests drug’s potential to eliminate bed bugs

What Are My Rights as an NYC Tenant with Bed Bugs?
Met Council is one of NYC #39;s oldest non-profits that dispenses information on housing rights to tenants with questions. Here we learn more about the questions tenants have been calling about regarding their rights when it comes to bed bugs. To learn more about Met Council visit http://www.metcouncil.net.From:MMEnvironmentalViews:1091 2ratingsTime:10:00More inPeople Blogs

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What Are My Rights as an NYC Tenant with Bed Bugs? - Video

If I have bedbugs, what are my legal rights as a tenant?
Who is responsible in a tenant - landlord case when bed bugs are found in the building? Sharing his wealth of knowledge on bed bugs and the law is New York City attorney Timothy Wenk of Shafer Glazer, LLP. For more information on Mr. Wenk, visit: http://www.shaferglazer.com. To learn more about pest control options, visit http://www.mandmpestcontrol.com.From:MMEnvironmentalViews:4306 7ratingsTime:06:32More inPeople Blogs

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If I have bedbugs, what are my legal rights as a tenant? - Video

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bed bugs in ny nyc attack! BedBugzNYC.com 718 559 6981 - Video