Group Living
Multifamily and Residential Housing
Reconciling best pracitices with research and the realities of implementation.
Bed bug infestations are increasingly common in our cities. There are steps that can be taken to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home. When bed bugs are present, they can be safely controlled.
Beyond Pesticides:The recent bed bug resurgence across the U.S. has homeowners and apartment dwellers taking desperate measures to eradicate these tenacious bloodsuckers, with some relying on dangerous outdoor pesticides and fly-by-night exterminators. Even pesticides registered by EPA for bed bug use are linked to acute poisoning, cancer, hormone disruption, asthma, neurotoxicity, organ damage, and more.
Cornell University IPM Program
Call several companies. Introduce yourself and explain your interest in safer, more effective bed bug control through Integrated Pest Management. It is important to shop around—not all pest control companies are the same; make sure you spend the time to find the right company. Don’t just go with the lowest bid—make sure you hire a company that will really treat the problem. This may not mean the company that is the cheapest, but it will save you time, and even money, to treat it properly the first time.
Bed bugs have become a serious issue for many New Yorkers, especially those least equipped to deal with them. The spread of bed bug infestations is a burden on the resources of New York City residents, property owners and health and social services providers in both the public and private sector.
Bed bugs can be a real problem in multiple family apartments, but if you understand them, their habits and how to control them, they can be defeated.
Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, have resurged to quickly become a very important pest of the 21st century, as they invade numerous urban areas including hostels, hotels and residences. Our society has had a “30+ year vacation” from this pest, when bed bugs were almost removed from North America as a result of mass treatments with older types of insecticides (DDT, Chlordane, Lindane). Recently though, bed bugs have found ample opportunity to increase in number and spread through society. Their success is a result of: increased travel of people; improved treatment methods that specifically target other insect pests; and the lack of public awareness.
