Jackson Heights Life

I got this email from a friend, and wanted to pass the word:
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I would hope by this point that everyone knows that bedbugs are a true epidemic in this city and elsewhere.  The most important way to reduce their spread is through education and early action.  NYC does not seem to understand this very well, as education about bedbugs is not a priority.  Perhaps it's the fact that they don't carry communicable diseases, or perhaps it's that NYC doesn't want to hurt its very lucrative tourist industry by admitting that our city has a problem with infestation (as all major cities do).

And clearly it's not a pleasant subject and no one wants to be associated with these things.  This produces a code of silence.

So, please take a moment to educate yourselves on bedbugs.

This is not intended to be alarmist, but did you know you could have bedbugs even though you don't show any signs of bites?   Some estimate that 50% of people are not allergic to the bites.

You can learn how to do a regular visual inspection of your home.  Here's a good video though long at 15 minutes. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, at least read this article on how to check a hotel room for bedbugs
The same info can be applied to checking your own home. 

And unfortunately the bugs are not just in hotels, but also have been found on public transportation, in hospitals, movie theatres, rental cars, schools, etc. So it's important to stay vigilant about inspecting your home on a regular basis and to stop any behavior like "rescuing" cast-off furniture from the trash.

Knowledge is power! The best site for solid information is www.bedbugger.com

I just recently found a bed bug in my bathroom and I'm terrified I lived in Astoria for a short while before and i had the bed bug problem i kept getting bit but eventually i found a way to stop them and have been bed bug free for a long time but now they have reappeared in my bathroom i hate bed bugs they dont let me sleep and they cause me alot of trauma lol i live in an apartment building i need to do something before this problem gets out of hand any suggestions?

Please report them to your landlord and make sure proper extermination is done.  NYC landlords are required to exterminate.  If the landlord refuses or the problem is not eradicated, then you can report it to 311.

Bugs travelling within buildings is a huge problem, and my friend actually had to move out of her rent stabilized apartment in a building on the Lower East Side because she was so sure that the landlord and the tenants would never get it together to get rid of them.  So she knew that even if she could rid her apt. of them that it would only be temporary as they would begin to travel back via the electrial outlets/pipes etc from the other infested units.

She was extremely careful when she moved and followed every bedbug moving protocol down to the finest detail.

Obviously it would be better if you could stay and exterminate.  Take the time to educate yourself on www.bedbugger.com

I moved into what I thought was a spotlessly clean apartment in May.  Started getting bitten in July.  I Freaked Out!  Someone told me to buy a product called Haunt.  It is available at Long Island Janitorial Supply on Roosevelt near the train station.  I bought plastic matress covers for both the box spring and mattress at the linen store on 82nd St.  Take everything out of the room except the bed.  Spray all along the baseboard and inside the closet.   Spray the mattress and boxspring. Put the plastic cover on the matress and boxspring.  Spray them some more.  PROBLEM SOLVED.  As a precaution, I spray the perimeter of the room and under the bad every Saturday, just to be sure.  No bugs, no bites ever since.  Good luck.

I was woken up this morning by an incredible itch on my lower back. I noticed I also had a bite on my leg, foot, arm and toe. Im really worried that it could be bedbugs but I have not found any of the evidence that my research online said to look for. Is it still possible for a mosquito to have gotten into my bedroom at this time of year? And bit me up that bad? Or should I start panicking now? Nothing has really changed, and I havent been on a trip since Feb.

I was woken up this morning by an incredible itch on my lower back. I noticed I also had a bite on my leg, foot, arm and toe. Im really worried that it could be bedbugs but I have not found any of the evidence that my research online said to look for. Is it still possible for a mosquito to have gotten into my bedroom at this time of year? And bit me up that bad? Or should I start panicking now? Nothing has really changed, and I havent been on a trip since Feb.

Go to the bedbug sites and start being proactive to get rid of bedbugs just to be safe.  Don't panic.  You can fix it even though it is gross to think about.  Having grown up with pets, we had fleas once that were rampant throughout our house. 

You can kill bugs.

I live in a house, and my father is away most of the week, so I don't know if he has them too or not. Last night I slept on the couch and had one bite, though, which makes me think its a mosquito. Im hoping it is something else and I was just paranoid but I will find out soon enough and let you guys know.