Big Bed Bug Problems, 2 Cities In New York State Land In The Top 30
Welp, New York, we've done it again. If it's not roaches or rats, it's bed bugs. Two cities in New York have landed in the top 30 places with bed bug problems. One city is actually number two on the list.
The common bed bug has long been a pest – feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Department of Agriculture all consider bed bugs a public health pest. However, unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease. ~ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
We've all hear horror stories of people finding bed bugs in their hotel rooms. There have even been infestations in not-so-obvious places like Walmart dressing rooms. Back in 2106, a woman actually died due to bed bug bites.
Woman Killed by Bed Bugs, Caretaker Charged
A 96-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Mary Stoner, died in February 2016, from complications of bed bug bites, according to KCEN! Her 72-year-old caretaker Deborah Butler was charged with involuntary manslaughter and neglect of care. Police went into the house where the women were staying and noticed the bed bugs everywhere, including walls and ledges, as well as where Stoner slept. Mary told police she was blind, but could "feel them crawling" on and biting her. Her family removed her from the home on Feb. 3, 2016. Then, on Feb. 6, she was taken to the hospital. Doctors found sores on Stoner's skin and felt that her infection was a result of bed bug bites. She died approximately two weeks after that. Butler blamed Stoner for bringing the bed bugs into the home.
Two New York Cities Have Major Bed Bug Problems
Pest control company Orkin has released its 2023 list of the top 50 cities with the biggest bed bug problems,
The list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2021 – November 30, 2022. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
Buffalo, NY Lands At #29
Buffalo has improved its bed bug problem slightly, as it was #28 last year.
New York City, NY #2
You probable already guessed it, but New York City made the list and landed at the top. The problem has actually gotten worse, with New York moving up one spot from #3 last year.