New York City is experiencing a bedbug infestation epidemic that’s even threatening our public schools. I wondered what the environmental causes and costs of this would be. Here’s what I found.

The bedbug epidemic is said to be encouraged by the amount of people moving in and out of New York City on a regular basis. This modern city and our modern lifestyles have humans and insects traveling more regularly.

What are bedbugs? They’re literally blood suckers! They’re the size of apple seeds, big enough to bee seen but small enough to hide in furniture, floors and walls.

When bed bugs feed, their bodies swell and become brighter red. They can live for several weeks or months without food or water.” ~NYCHA

How do people get them? “In most cases, people carry bed bugs into their homes unknowingly, in infested luggage, furniture, bedding, or clothing. Bed bugs may also travel between apartments through small crevices and cracks in walls and floors.” ~NYCHA

Their bites are, but initially painless, but later turn into large, itchy skin welts. While they are a nuisance, they do not carry disease.

They can be hard to detect, but once you have them you will need an exterminator to get rid of them.” ~NYC Housing Authority

This means it will cost some money to get rid of them because at home insecticides like RAID won’t work on them. Also there will be an increase in insecticides in the environment due to professional and individual fumigations. Inhalation can be harmful to the brain and respiratory system also.

Src: Stop Bedbugs Safely via nyc.gov