The Bugs that Bit New York

[marmar]

NEW YORK (WPIX) - A recent survey of pest control companies found bedbugs are now prominently invading commercial businesses -- such as offices, clothing stores and hotels -- rather than private residences.

PIX 11 News first reported in May that New York City was quickly climbing to the top of the list of having the biggest bed bug problem in the country.

In fact, at the time PIX 11 News found million dollar Upper East side homes riddled with the blood sucking creatures. In addition, President Bill Clinton also had bed bugs infesting his Harlem office.

Jeffrey Eisenberg, an employee at "Pest Away" said bed bug complaints to his office were up more than 100% since 2004. He said he was dealing with at least 40,000 customers a week who were dealing with the pesky critters invading their homes and offices.

In July, popular teen clothing store Hollister was forced to close its flagship store in SoHo due to bedbugs infesting certain parts of the store. A few days later, parent company Abercrombie & Fitch closed its store located at South Street Seaport after discovering a bedbug infestation.

Both stores were immediately closed for extermination and shortly reopened after the problem was found. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-bed-bugs-on-the-rise,0,2726280.story

[MadHound]

1. Hmm, two clothing stores, a port city, makes me wonder

Is this the latest export from China?

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. I had 'em and got rid of 'em.

You have to:

1. Throw out the bed in it's entirety. If the frame is metal you can probably keep that.

2. If they show up in other upholstered furniture ( I had 'em in my recliner, where I used to doze fairly often) you have to pitch that also.

3. Get bed-bug proof mattress covers for your new mattress and box spring. ( about 100$ each)

4. Replace overstuffed, heavily upholstered furniture with lighter stuff... removable cushions, etc.


That will pretty much put an end to them. That was two years ago.

I got lucky: my bed and recliner were old... as were my son's mattress and box spring. So they would have had to be replaced pretty soon anyway.

In sum... no big whoop. Certain politicians should be so easy to get rid of.

[Alcibiades]

3. Um, that does sound like a big deal

My neighbor had them in his house after his daughter got back from Spain. Matresses are not cheap.

I don't think I'll be visiting New York anytime soon.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. There are entire websites devoted to this stuff.

Among other sage advice ( which I did NOT follow):

Rent a deep freezer to store household items for TWO YEARS.

Hire specially trained dogs to sniff out renegade colonies.

Boil... yes boil..... bedcovers, sheets etc. ( even clean stuff!)

Pull up the carpets and either pitch'em or send em out.. I guess to be frozen or boiled ( see above).

All sorts of other precautions.

As with every crisis in America, I suspect there's an industry in the making.

[Alcibiades]

8. Probably depends on how quickly you catch the infestation

My neighbor called the exterminator, who said "yep, it's bedbugs," and refused to do anything about it. He took care of it using the steps you described. He now knows more about bedbugs than he ever thought he would.

You're lucky. A persistent bedbug infestation would drive anyone buggy.

[MattBaggins]

5. Replacing all your furniture is no big whoop?

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. I left alone an upholstered love seat that was rarely sat in and...

... never slept on. ( Was never that comfy but looked good.)

Not sure about my son's bed. It's a trundle bed; so basically it's two mattresses and a metal frame. BB's don't like metal ( they don't have great footing and it impedes their travel) so i kept the frame. I MAY have simply visually inspected those two twin mattresses ( no box springs on that thing) and decided to simply cover them w. BB-proof mattress covers. I don't remember buying new mattresses for him. (The BB's were discovered in MY BR... but they travel pretty quickly.

Basically I replaced the old double bed and the recliner... also old w. broken springs. I didn't bother about anything else.... I DID visually inspect nitetables, etc but kept 'em even though the websites tell you to trash these also.


Had the upholstered furniture been new, I wouldn't be quite so casual about it; Ill give ya' that.

[Orsino]

6. Damn it, why do we let them put up these signs...

...in the very city where we were attacked on 9/11?