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Bedbugs are back!

Posted on Nov 26th 2006 4:01PM by Brigitte Dale

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products

Just looking at the photo makes my skin crawl. It's an adult bedbug, a nocturnal insect that feeds off the blood of its sleeping host.

Bedbugs have been virtually unheard of in the U.S. since before World War II, but now they're making headlines with their alarming comeback, especially in New York City. New York's bedbug infestation was first widely reported in the Brooklyn and Queens areas, but it's an admitted problem elsewhere in the city and beyond. Despite the stereotype, bedbugs don't favor dirty conditions or hosts with poor hygiene. Recently, they've even found their way into some of the most upscale homes in New York City.

Although they don't spread disease, bedbugs cause itchy, sometimes painful bites and are extremely hard to get rid of. They travel to new buildings through clothes, mattresses, and other furniture. For tips on dealing with bedbugs and the latest in the fight to eradicate them, check out the Bedbugger blog.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ken Gray 11-26-2006 @ 8:43PM

Minor criticism. Bed bugs did not start in Brooklyn and Queens and migrate to Manhattan. Nobody knows for sure. Bed bugs are equal opportunity bloodsuckers. They don't care what your address is. An exterminator told me of finding every bed in a six-bedroom co-op in Manhattan covered in them. Got any idea what that costs to own? You think the owners are going to report they have bed bugs to a city health agency? Nope. Therefore, no statistic for Manhattan

nobugsonme 11-26-2006 @ 11:34PM

Thanks for the link! Ken's right. As I wrote on the blog, the Brooklyn-Queens "origins" of the NYC epidemic is a myth. Tha Khaleej Times, which you link to as well, does not mention that Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, let alone plenty of non-North American cities in Europe, Australia, and every other continent on earth also are suffering from bed bugs. Of course, they were eradicated in N. America for decades. But this is by no means a NYC problem. In fact, the Canadian cities' epidemics may have developed before the ones in the States, if you go by news reports. Toronto papers were raving about bed bugs in 2003, when press in NYC was sparse.

Brigitte Dale 11-26-2006 @ 10:16PM

Thanks Ken and the Bedbugger blog - good points and I changed the blog wording a bit to reflect it. The origin of this infestation isn't clear. Although many are saying Brookyln and Queens were the first bedbug hotspots in the U.S., this isn't exactly something a town or neighborhood wants to be known for so information is often inaccurate.

Sean 12-09-2006 @ 10:32AM

Hello,

I am a former pest control technician and current Quality Assurance Manager & Technical Advisor for one of North America’s largest pest control companies.

I have created a bed bug website dedicated to providing resources to the general public.

The Bed Bug Resource can be found at www.thebedbugresource.com . At this site there is also a message board (forum) available with some of the world’s leading bed bug researchers and professionals. If you or anyone you know would like to ask questions, get information, or offer assistance to others in need please drop on by.

Sincerely,

Sean.
Entomologist / Pest Professional

www.thebedbugresource.com