Bedbugs in the Limelight
Everybody’s least favorite scourge, the bedbug, seems to be a media star this week. The New York Times has mentioned them at least twice in the past week, with its weekend article about how bedbugs can be a deal-breaker for home buyers, and with Matt Gross’ piece yesterday about maintaining your health while traveling. There…
Everybody’s least favorite scourge, the bedbug, seems to be a media star this week. The New York Times has mentioned them at least twice in the past week, with its weekend article about how bedbugs can be a deal-breaker for home buyers, and with Matt Gross’ piece yesterday about maintaining your health while traveling. There was also an infestation at Penguin publishing and Bill Clinton’s office, which triggered a flurry of bedbug articles, and now we’ve learned there was even a bedbug symposium yesterday held in Newark, New Jersey—a conference intended to educate hoteliers and building managers about these pests and how to combat them. Bedbugs can inflict psychological stress, physical discomfort, and thousands of dollars in damage to denizens everywhere.
Buying and Selling in Bedbug City [NY Times]
Health Advice from the Frugal Traveler’s Doctor [NY Times]
Bedbugs at the Penguin Building [NY Observer]
New Yorkers Prefer Rats to Bedbugs [NY Magazine]
“I’m a bit paranoid about someone whom I pick up bringing these into my house.”
“You are one Dave..”
LOL
mmm…free protein
read his comments. Mine was tongue-in-cheek. Yes, plenty of his comments are off-the-wall and offensive and (to be kind) don’t show much thought….but they do often make me chuckle and he is cute.
pete- did you not read his comment?
“i didnt say getting rid of DDT is the CAUSE for bed bugs coming back, duh i know when it was banned. im just saying that it’s one of the ONLY things that will stamp out this epidemic again. but i guess some people like sleeping with bugs. GROSS” rob@10:37
i think there are a few revenge sites on the internet where you can order live bedbugs in a jar to sprinkle around the houses of your enemies. kinda f’ed up if you ask me! but pretty good revenge
*rob*
bxgrl— and you being snarky and blaming Rob for bedbugs?
“The biggest factor in the spread of bedbugs is ignorance”
Bedbugs live solely on human blood. Isn’t that interesting? You would think someone would invent a little “bedbug motel” that smells like human blood where they check in but don’t check out. One of the signs you have bedbugs is a regular pattern of dots on your skin. Like a dit…dit…dit morse code pattern. Their bites are not random. Another huge problem in Brooklyn are furniture/carpet beetles. They’re all over and they are hard to get rid of too. They will just eat your clothes and furniture though, not your vital bodily fluids. Keeping a clean house really really helps.
If you loved this post, Brenda, you would have really loved his Crown heights post (and his Bed-Stuy ones.) Not sure where his promise lies, but journalism doesn’t seem to be it.
rob- no one likes to sleep with bedbugs so your snarky comment was just….dumb. And for the record there are other chemicals they use. The insecticide industry hasn’t packed up its bags and left the country because DDT was banned. There are also Public Health exemptions for the use of DDT such as California being allowed to use it to control fleas and the spread of bubonic plague.
So before you go off half cocked about something you know so little about, do a little reading. The biggest factor in the spread of bedbugs is ignorance.
“You got rats on the west side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess
This towns in tatters
I’ve been shattered
My brains been battered,
splattered all over manhattan…”