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this has been the story of bedbugs in new york lately, they can infest high income and low iincome homes. one of the regulars from saturday night live had bed bugs last year.
it seems there is no sure way to avoid them, the infestations seem so random.

That's really awful.
I hope it's taken care of and the resident never has to deal with it again.

Bombing won't work. It may actually make the problem worse. I recommend this site:

http://bedbugblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/bedbug-attack-strategy.html

The person can either do what needs to be done now, or get rid of everything they own and move later.

Wait! Didn't those other articles advise never to bomb bedbugs? Or possibly I read that here:

http://www.bedbugger.com/

Seriously, the city seems to be suffering a plague of bedbugs. I'm scared to death of the things now. Good luck to the poor guy/gal who's been bugged.

Oh. I know the pain.

I've had them on an off for the past 6 months. My cheap _$$ landlord finally got around to getting someone in to exterminate, to no avail. They keep coming back. Why? Because he refuses to have the entire building treated. I've tried bombs, they didn't work for me. I haven't travelled, I don't have pets. I live in a "nice" building, in a "nice" neighborhood. That means nothing.

It got so bad that I have developed a severe allergic reaction to them and I'm being treated with medication.

One has to make sure that they use a reputiable company. They procedure should include an inspections and two visits. No less.

Some friends of mine had bedbugs, and here's what I learned. * Their bites look like mosquito bites with a bright red pinprick in the middle. They are usually on your arms or legs, and are usually in a line (because the bugs... uck!... bite, move a little, and bite again).

* They have a distinctive disgusting smell.

* Traditional bug bombs and sprays don't work.

* Consider tossing your mattress-- they like to hide in the folds.

* They actually like cleaner apartments because they do not like dust (lucky slobs).

* They can live 18 months without feeding (so leaving your home for a week will not starve them).

* Supposedly there is a chemical you can wash all your clothes/belongings in that will kill them.

There are lots more tidbits... my friends ranted and raved a lot about this investation.

Also, never try to treat the problem yourself.

Found it--here's the FAQ that warns against bombing bedbugs.

http://bedbugger.com/2007/01/20/faq-think-you-have-bed-bugs-some-dos-and-donts/

I read that bedbugs are only active in the dark. That they can't function in light. So the writer of this said that he left his apt. for a week, leaving every light on in the apt. Once he came back the problem was solved.

Could it be as easy as that?

anne, no, it is not that easy. Do some research and you'll see the horrible situation that this person is in. She may have to move out of her apartment and get rid of every single thing she owns. It is unlikely that it is only her apartment that is infested.

I went through an emotional breakdown with bedbugs in my apartment on the lower east side. I went to an exterminator that I sourced from a NY Times articles on bedbugs and found them appaulingly bad! I felt they were capitalizing on all the frenzy and hysteria that's swept the media and city about the bedbug infestation and were basically taking advantage of distraught customers.

To make a long story short I ended up using a different company, Stern Environmental (210) 319 9620 and was really pleased with their work. Ella, the woman who fielded my call was informative and patient in asking all the right questions and explaining everything that needed to happen in order to eradicate the problem. Wilson, the guy they sent over was friendly, professional and most importantly, he knew his stuff. Turns out he's one of the company's supervisors. Their strategy is to divide the treatment into two visits. First they treat your furniture and bed, then come back in a week to get the cracks between the floors and walls. Wilson told me he usually goes to all the first visits to assess the situation first hand.

Anyway, I highly recommend them. In that situation you really need the confidence that the people you hire are gonna get it done quickly, thoroughly and completely. You don't want some jokers who are gonna pray on your fears and make a 'killing' on you instead.

Good luck!

I heard this on WNYC a few months back -
might be helpful http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2007/03/26/segments/76037

Cooper Pest Control offers a bug proof mattress encasement http://www.cooperpest.com/encasement.asp

i guess p(2).

WAIT what do they smell like?!

No, no, don't bomb!
Others above have already pointed this out, but it needs to be stressed, that bombing makes the problem WORSE. Maxwell, maybe you could convey this to the people asap?

elizabeth in AL, supposedly an infested room may have a slightly sweet smell, like raspberries, almonds, or coriander. Take your pick!

Maxwell, your friend is going to need a BUNCH of these:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_hg/102-1629775-7600953?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=ziploc heavy duty big bag&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

If you squish a bedbug, it emits a particularly pungent, nasty smell. I don't know how to describe it. Bedbug outbreaks were supposedly common in WWII (refugee camps and sequestration centers, etc), and there are accounts of people just dreading the pungent odor. It's sort of a musky buggish odor. Definitely not raspberries, almonds or coriander... that makes them almost sound desireable. And if you squish them, blood comes out, just like if you squashed a full mosquito. Repulsive... and that's for the bugs you can see; the recently-hatched ones are tiny. If my friend smells anything like it, she freaks out that the bugs are back.

How timely. I'm fairly certain I have them - I am covered in rows and rows of bites on my back and lower belly. I vacuumed my mattress, washed all the bedding - including pillows. fortunately, we have a platform bed and no box spring (they love the box spring)

We haven't travelled and I have no idea how they could have gotten in. My husband, of course, isn't bitten at all. I haven't seen any trace of them, but the bites are pretty certain to be bedbugs.

We've had "the smell" on and off for a while - didn't know what it was. I only started getting bitten when we flipped the mattress last week.

i've just been reading some materials about William Carlos Williams and bedbugs.

Williams was a doctor, primarily among the poor, and he often stayed over night at his patients' homes (many of his cases were obstetrics).

Anyway, scholars have often remarked that he slept across two chairs.

Turns out that Williams was trying to avoid the ubiquitous bedbugs, by avoiding the beds. At least, that's what he says in ins Autobiography.

OH GAWD!

This is one of my worst nightmares. Everytime I read about bedbugs, I have awful dreams about them invading my little cottage....

Best of luck in your extermination procedures!

Marlaina
http://www.culturalrevolutionary.com/

One of the compelling reasons to NOT make your bed every morning. Bedbugs like the warm sheets--pulling everything back for a good airing is the way to go--bed bugs, or not. I mean, really, think about it...

By the way, I think San Diego is having a mini-outbreak as well (along with TB). Sheesh! I am getting creeped out!

Check out a freelance article I wrote last fall for THIS OLD HOUSE entitled "Bed Bugs!" Lots of good suggestions from experts on the subject.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/interiors/gallery/0,25895,1548781,00.html

-D

Ugh! this is my worst fear!

This is really discouraging me from moving to New York. We have issues with them in parts of my city as well, though I have been spared here. Can anyone give me a sense of how common these outbreaks are? I know it won't be scientific, but if you can just think generally from what you've seen and heard?

I had bedbugs last year (I brought them back from a trip to China) and used Pest Away exterminating. In one visit the bugs were gone, however I had them retreat just to be sure. I foolishly threw out my original mattress and bought a brand new mattress which was in turn infested because the bugs weren't in the mattress they were hiding behind picture frames and possibly in my upholstered bedframe. You don't have to throw out your mattress, just cover it in a vinyl mattress cover and seal the zippers with duck tape, same for your pillows. The exterminater should then come in and cut a hole in the cover and pump chemicals into the mattress and reseal. But really in order to completely eradicate the bugs you have to do your part. I dry cleaned or washed every single item of clothing and bedding in my apartment and vacuumed every single day for over 2 months including all my furniture. Good luck. . .

hanifa, if you are discouraged from moving to New York because of bedbugs, you should not consider moving here. Especially since you have bedbugs where you live. It may be that you have other concerns, as well.

Budbegs and similar pests are in almost every part of the world where humans live and have been a part of human existence throughout recorded history. You cannot escape the threat short of moving to Antarctica.

YUCK! good thing my rooms don't smell like fruit. i've had a mysterious smell in my kitchen lately that i can't find, nor rid myself of it. all these "outbreaks" of bugs, sicknesses, super-strains of viruses all makes me very nervous of all this disenfectants, etc stuff we use. i get it after you handle things that are known to have germs/disease/potential disease (like chicken, or other meat) but for everything? i know women who when their kids drop their pacifier on the floor, they pick it up, put it in their mouth, and give it to the kid. my bf's mom did that and he NEVER gets sick. ever.

elizabeth in AL, is it a vaguely sweet but sickening smell in your kitchen? You may have a decaying mouse somewhere in the walls or under an appliance.

really it smells like trash. i thought it was but i can't find it anywhere.

*a mouse

um having been through bed bug hell vicariously (boyfriend and best friend and best friend's boyfriend all have had them at various times), i can say no to cadgirl's advice, half of it. never ever put pesticides on (or in!) your mattress. those vinyl covers are toxic enough. textiles hold on to the chemicals and trust me, you do not want to be snuggling up to them at night. if you mattress isn't badly infested--ie, you can't see them--vinyl it up and seal the zipper with duct tape. Or to be extra safe, get two, put them on so there's a zipper at each end and seal with duct tape. then you can go about addressing the light switches, headboard, frames, etc.

i swear by a product called Kleen Free (you can get it on Amazon). It's non-toxic and anytime I've seen a bug--once or twice, I've sprayed like crazy with that and a spray bottle with water and tea tree oil. and never had a serious problem--over two years with an "infested" boyfriend.

Obviously those are not substitute for poison in a bad infestation, but they certainly helped me sleep better at night and gave me something to do when I was feeling paranoid and helpless. AND, I'm pretty sure they helped. There's a Kleen Free website flowing with testimonials too (i'll dig up).

You might be interested in this response on the Bedbugger blog:
http://bedbugger.com/2007/06/14/at/

Yes--bombs and DIY are a bad idea for bed bugs. Also, for the record, most people can't smell their bed bugs, and bed bugs will indeed hit anyone, chic or drab, clean or dirty, pack rat or zen master.

Hanifa, to get an idea of where bed bugs are found in North America, click the clustermap on bedbugger.com. Although it shows the location of readers, not infestations, most people who read Bedbugger either have bed bugs, had bed bugs, or fight bed bugs for a living. So where they are, you can assume bed bugs are too.

Any news on hotel infestations? I'll be visiting the city next weekend and I definitely do NOT want to bring any unwanted souvenirs home with me...

ingrida, here's an article from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/jcn7r

I work for a company that offers a non-chemical method for pest control - and in our experience, it has proven to be extremely effective in eliminating bedbugs. Thermal Remediation from TEMP-AIR is a service that kills the entire life cycle of pests by heating a structure to approximately 120&degF and holding it for a required period of time for the size of the space. It is 100% chemical-free, safe, and effective.

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eliminate, and do-it-yourself measures won't cure your problem, but they might be able to mask it for a while. While chemicals or other sprays might be effective at killing visible bugs, they require direct contact for a kill, leaving eggs hidden in cracks and crevices to hatch and reinfest.

Temperatures of about 120&degF are lethal to most insects provided they cannot escape to a cooler location. More or less, we bake the bedbugs and kill them by dessication. We use a remote, wireless temperature monitoring system to ensure we reach the required temperature, that there are no cold spots, and that we do not overheat and do damage to the structure or contents. You will not need to throw out any clothing, your mattress, or other furniture, because the heat will penetrate and kill any bugs that are hiding.

For over eight years, TEMP-AIR has been using its patented process to heat-treat food processing facilities all over the United States and Canada for insects like the red flour beetle. As a result of the resurgence of bed bug infestations in hotels, hospitals, dormitories, and the rental furniture industry, and the lack of effective chemical treatments, TEMP-AIR decided to offer this same technology to pest control professionals. We're also sponsoring research at the University of Minnesota this fall on the efficacy of heat to kill bed bugs.

There are some limitations to what we can and cannot treat. Most of the portable heaters that we use are propane-fueled, and you can't necessarily just drop a good sized propane tank just anywhere. However, we are working out some of the kinks and are trying to get the word out and certify others in the pest control community.

Here's some useful resources:

Excelsis Detections , located in the Chicago area, has been using bed bug sniffing dogs since 2005 with the objective of finding bed bugs before hotel guests do. They are also certified in applying heat for pest control.

Cencal Thermal Treatment Inc., serving southern California, is another company that is certified in applying heat for pest control.

Click here for good article from Pest Control Magazine on various treatment methods where insecticides may not be desireable.

For all pest problems, I recommend researching them on the National Pest Management Association website before trying any home remedies or calling a pest control professional.

Hey there Lawdesigner,

I wrote the post that Maxwell aired a few months ago. I had bedbugs for 4 months and definitely learned a few truths the hard way.

Bedbugs do have a smell, it's been described as "sickly sweet" and "like rotten raspberries." However, you can have bedbugs for a long time and smell nothing. Your infestation would have to get pretty bad before you started smelling bedbugs in your place. I would strongly caution folks against using their sense of smell as any sort of detection device.

Tossing your mattress is a contentious debate. I would argue against throwing anything away, unless it was impossible to contain or isolate. The mattress can be contained and the entire bed can be isolated. Dust-mite-proof mattress covers (called encasings) can be purchased from places like National Allergy. These zipper up and remain airtight, keeping any bedbugs in the mattress, IN and any bedbugs outside the mattress, OUT. Furthermore, the bed can be treated by an exterminator using a variety of residual chemicals, then isolated using vaseline to prevent more bugs from traveling up your bed legs.

Plus, if you toss your mattress, now you have no mattress. And you are almost guaranteed to NOT have ridden yourself of the problem, since the mattress is just one of the many, many spots where bedbugs are likely to hide. So you'll have to get a new mattress, which itself could become infested and the cycle starts again. Instead of buying a new mattress and isolating it, why not just isolate the one you've got?

Bedbugs can get very expensive, very fast if you start throwing everything you own away. Instead, I'd recommend getting a pest control operator experienced in bedbugs (that's the key, many are not) and having them inspect and treat your entire apartment. That part is expensive, yes, but it is truly an investment.

Otherwise, your tips are right-on. Thanks for sharing.

Bedbugger.com has a short response to this piece, see here:

http://bedbugger.com/2007/06/14/at/

I also recommend the Bedbugger forums if you have urgent questions that aren't answered in its fAQs. The Forums can be found here:

http://bedbugger.com/forum/

Thanks AT for keeping on top of the issue. The more people aware of bedbugs, the better chance we have of stopping their spread.

Whoa my god, sorry for all that bold!

Ok, some of my links aren't working properly. Here's the web addresses.

www.thermal-remediation.com

www.excelsisdetections.com

www.cencalheat.com

www.pestworld.org

Practical NYC Advice:
i had bedbugs for maybe two weeks-
maybe more as their life cycle is crazy.
the more research you do the scarier these bugs become.
needless to say- that week was horrible-
i suggest treating your problem asap as they can spread to other floors and apts quickly - landlords will not pay to have them exterminated but its good to let them know in case other apts have infected yours. in this case the building must be treated.

i threw out my bed (not recommended- as previously suggested, mattress covers work- also put double sided tape/vaseline around the legs of the bed or put the legs in small dishes of water- and pull the bed away from tables and wall - beg bugs crawl -stop them from crawling to you)

wash all clothes (hot water) dont put them away until the bed bugs are gone.

i also recommend steam clean your carpet -as high temperatures kill the bugs & their eggs.

no chemical kills them & their eggs but ddt.
ddt l is no banned for beign very dangerous...
exterminators usually have to go through 3 treamtents to get all the rounds of eggs.


.. my landlord had a refernce for me u if you need it post back- one treatment works- it cost me $125.
easy. done. no more bed bugs.
i got lucky.

Jessica in MN,

Thermal treatment is a great idea, but unfortunately, as I understand it, the process cannot be currently done legally in NYC. The only non-pesticide treatment legal here is tenting and gassing an entire building with Vikane, and of course, this must be done by professionals. I look forward to thermal treatment being made available in NYC.

Nobugsonme,

Thanks for supporting thermal treatment! Regarding it being illegal in NYC: From what I understand, the process itself is not illegal; however the city (and many other cities) have very strict limitations on bringing in propane or diesel fuel. There are a couple of other options though - if a building is supplied with natural gas and has access that we could hook into, then we could run our same heaters on that fuel. There is also the other option of using electric heaters, but there would have to be enough power available for these to run on. We do have an electric unit specifically designed for this application that is currently in testing. If all goes well, I would image it would be released within the next year.

**Just a word of caution - I would not recommend anyone trying to do a home thermal treatment using a space heater or something of that nature. There's always the risk of fire or setting off a sprinkler system. I would definitely call a trained professional and contact both your local fire department and gas company for information on regulations.**

Hi Jessica--
Yes--what I meant was "the process cannot be done legally in NYC" was regarding the fuel. And I do hope that is legalized soon, or alternatives found. Good luck with that!

can anyone recommend an exterminator in brooklyn?

anyone know of a good exterminator in brooklyn?

hey,
don't know about exterminator but do know a solution which is cheaper than calling an exterminator to remove bedbugs from your house. Get your house treated for bedbugs. You can avail the treatment from deadbedbugs.com and the steps said are quite easy and simple. have just done them myself.

calling for an exterminator would be costly. You may need them to be called more than once to eradicate the bugs from your house. you n=may inturn treat the house with the products from deadbedbugs.com for better result.