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The science behind the ban on DDT is faulty.
We need this miracle chemical to get rid of bedbugs once again.
Guess who banned it in the USA? Richard Nixon!
Come on!
Some who have been misled will tell you that the bugs have immunity/resistance to DDT. Lies.
DDT is effective and safe when used as directed.
The problem in the past was that it was used way too heavily.
DEMAND that the government permit the manufacture and sale to the PEOPLE, not just to the greedy exterminators, of DDT.
Do you LIKE bedbugs? or do you want to get rid of them?
DDT is the answer. Don't listen to that liar who wrote SILENT SPRING. Big lie.
WE DEMAND THE GOVERNMENT LEGALIZE DDT AT ONCE!!!

Re: "Boric Acid will kill your pets".

National Pesticide Information Center-NPIC has a fact sheet please read before taking above statement as a given

It's also kind of ignorant to attribute this bed bug epidemic to travel from "Third World" countries--or the accompanying insinuations of uncleanliness. Bed bugs don't care if your apartment or home is spotless or a pig stye. All they want is a warm body they can get to at night for some pre-dawn blood sucking.

Some of the poshest buildings on the Upper East Side have had to be completely fumigated because of bed bug infestations. Although they try to keep it on the down low.

Do your homework!

Some fact sheets do, however, recommend that you try to get rid of "clutter" in your home--but only because it will be easier ("easier") to find them and kill them if and when they do start nesting.

A female bed bug lays 5 eggs a day, and they take anywhere from 10 to 17 days to hatch. That's what the entomologist from the Natural History Museum told us at City Hall last month. Crunch those numbers!!

useless. We have people in our building who have had exterminators out three, four, five times and STILL they ended up having to move out. They were completely traumatized, their legs and feet covered in red welts.

And the landlord just turned around and RENTED OUT the same apartment--without telling new tenants about the building or apartment's history. (Would you?) This is a rent stabilized building, so the "vacancy decontrol" laws allow the landlord to bump up the rent each time a bedbug traumatized tenant gives up and moves out. I think it's CRIMINAL. Why isn't the city acting faster and more forcefully on this?

BTW, the City Council hearing noted that the three most affected regions of NYC are the Upper West Side, Astoria and Bushwick. There is a fact sheet at the HPD website, but the best treatment (AND PREVENTION) materials are still at the City of Toronto's DOH site.

http://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/vector/bed-bug-hotel-eng.pdf

http://home2.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/residents/bedbugs.shtml

http://www.toronto.ca/health/bedbugs/index.htm

Extreme heat, extreme cold DO kill the critters. But unfortunately they have developed resistant to most commonly used pesticides. A bug-proof mattress (and pillow) cover is recommended. And they cannot crawl up polished metal or glass. But they will nest in floor boards, TVs, sofas, any wooden furniture, telephones, and clock radios. Good luck!

While I appreciate the fact that the Brian Lehrer show producers spent even the tiny amount of time they did on this serious and growing health (emotional even more than physical!) threat, Brian could have done a much better job providing nervous New Yorkers with info.

I was at Councilwoman Gale Brewer's City Council hearing a couple weeks ago. It lasted the ENTIRE afternoon, and the worst part of it was that this NYC "Task Force" is going to report back ONE YEAR from now!! Talk about a lame bureaucratic response. This is a health emergency.

Our building on the Lower East Side has been infested for over 2 years. The landlord apparently has no legal obligation to do anything than to send an exterminator to an apartment AFTER an inspection (usually by agents from New York City's Dept. of Housing ("HPD")) has conclusively detected the bugs or their eggs.

But most of these exterminators (even the ones "certified" by the NYS Dept. of Conservation) are mostly

boric acid will kill your pets. Also chrysanthemums are deadly to pets (per ASPCA video) - so that other "solution" is out. I wonder if anyone has noticed how old the infested bldgs are?(newer bldgs have poured concrete floors with glossy parquets on them - I wonder if that helps. Anyway I hope I never get them!!!! I have neighbors from all over the world.

Re. Boric Acid- Check out excellent web site article-see

alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/boric_acid.html

describes tried and tested Boric Acid and its many uses which can also be used as a preventative pre infestation of different pests.

Can't we just go shopping? I mean, just go about your business and don't let the bedbugs affect the way you live your life.

Part Two:

We then execute all the prescribed draconian precautions: Removed and washed all washable clothing; dry cleaned all others (hundreds of dollars); sprayed mattress, closets, electrical outlets and everything else with an insecticide TWICE (the second time 48 hrs after the first). Covered all matresses and pillows in plastic encasements (bedbugs and/or their eggs can allegedly live 18 months). Threw away lots of clothing. Put sprayed luggage, in plastic, on terrace for over two months in freezing weather. Put some unwashable stuff (like camera case, etc.) in freezer for weeks. Stopped reading horror stories on the Internet which make you crazy (especially the blown-up pictures of the bugs).

So far, I still have not seen a bedbug in my apt. My complex has recently started reporting increasing incidents in our complex. I just keep my fingers crossed.

PS: The exterminator -- an impressive professional -- even sprayed the storage area where I put my luggage temporarily as a part of his treatment.

PPS: I too feel that DDT should be brought back if this becomes an epidemic.

Hello NY from Florida,
I have wned and operated a janitorial company from New York City to Florida since 1991.
PS I love your show…

I would like to suggest this product
About $15.00 pint sprayer to $39.00 gallon.

Microban X-580

MICROBAN X-580 KILLS INSECTS
Microban X-580 contains pyrethrum, a naturally derived insecticidal ingredient harvested from the pyrethrum daisy (Chrysanthemum cineraiifolium). Because this natural ingredient is so powerful, X-580 protects pets and family against harmful insects like fleas, ticks, lice, bedbugs, mosquitoes, mites, roaches, wasps, centipedes and other critters. Microban X-580 even kills flying and nuisance insects.

MICROBAN X-580 IS APPROVED FOR SOFT SURFACES
Unlike ordinary disinfectants whose application is limited to hard, non-porous surfaces (like floors and countertops), Microban X-580 is approved for use on exposed surfaces like bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, drapes and carpet.

RECOMMENDED AND TRUSTED
Cleaning and restoration experts have used and relied upon this brand for over 30 years. Industrial hygienists and environmental consultants trust chemicals bearing the Microban label and specify it when they guide and advise professionals handling microbial remediation, odor removal and pest control protocols. In many ways, water-based Microban X-580 is a miracle of science; it is the first combination of disinfectant, fungicide, antimicrobial, mildewcide, bacteriostat, fungistat, insecticide and deodorant ever produced. That is a distinction that cannot be dismissed when you wage war on pests.

Part One:

I was bitten by bedbugs in a luxury all-inclusive in Costa Rico last year (Dec 2007). I was told my a local paramedic at the hotel that my itchy red marks were allergic reactions to local mosquito bites. My NYC MD confirmed that they were really bedbug bites the day after I got back.

Although I had never given bedbugs a single thought in my 68 years, within hours after my return to NYC -- thanks to the Internet with its graphic photos -- I deduced that they were the cause of my itchy bites. I immediately took my luggage out of my apt to a downstairs storage area. The next morning I phoned the management of my co-op (my building is 21 stories high and have 9 apts on each floor; there are 15 such buildings in our complex).

My mangament immediately sent an exterminator to my apt. While I never actually saw a bedbug, some blood on my sheets was an alarming indication that they might be present (though the blood may have come from my scratching or something). (Cont'd - Part Two follows)

In my Pediatrics Practice which has a lot of Pakistani and Indian patients from the POORER parts of those countries-- BEDBUG complaints are constant and ongoing-- both from the Families that bring them in and get reported at school and from the neighboring tenants.
After any effort is made to eradicate the infestation, all it takes is ONE trip back to the Home country. The suitcases hit the floor and everyone is scratching again.
Bedbugs TRAVEL. And they don't TRAVEL FROM a cold climate like TORONTO to warm/wet climate.
The Bedbugs are there. It's just that in poorer parts of the world-- the people are inured to them. They don't notice the bites. Neither do the people bringing IN the bugs. WE DO.
OH-- Mexico, South and Central America Also.

6 months ago got bits and immediately went into action first washed everything, vaccumed constantly (couches, chairs, all my books!) and dried clothes in high heat second had an exterminator come in 4x also corked and still continue to keep glue traps under each post of the bed (as they do not fly or jump but rather crawl)! Also got a mattress cover a must! i've been emotionally and physically scarred! And i always change into "apt clothes" clothes that never leave the apt whenever i get home from being out! So far so good..fingers crossed. I broke out in full body hives. Moving out of apt is not an option nor do i believe it works because they are everywhere. This is serious and i'm glad to hear NY is finally doing something!

Forgot to say: the pool filter DE is NOT food grade and definitely should not be inhaled.

Diatomaceous earth (ground up fossilized remnants of teensy critter called diatoms) is used in stables and kennels, largely for fleas, and also in the ceramics industry. While there is a mild risk of health problems in dispersal of nearly any dust, and while it is surely prudent to wear a mask while spreading this stuff around, food-grade amorphous DE is minimally hazardous. If you don't worry a whole lot about the amount of talc dust in the air after you dust yourself with talcum powder, food-grade DE shouldn't be a great concern. FYI, this stuff is sold in small quantities at high prices in pet supply stores and websites. However, if you can deal with the transport and shlepping, you can get a 50# bag of the food-grade stuff at a feed & grain supplier (call up any stable to ask where) for usually less than $30. Fifty pounds will take care of your entire house and yard at least a couple of time. In an apartment? Divvy it up with all your neighbors.

Bedbugs can not suRvive extReme heat oR cold, so I bought an commercial steamer that you use for clothes (something like: Jiffy Steamer or Conair clothes steamer), and i STEAMED EVERYTHING. the steam comes out at a veRy high tempeRatuRe and will kill all nymphs and adult bed bugs. i steamed the flooRs and moldings (its gReat foR caRpet), the wall, any wooden fuRnituRe, etc. You are not using any chemicals so its 100% natuRal! the steameR cost me about $150 but an exteRminatoR would cost moRe! Most chemicals will not kill the nymphs so that is why the exteRminatoR needs to come back a couple times. THIS STEAM KILLS EVERYTHING..... i hope it woRks as well foR you as it has foR me.

Oh, definitely you need to take other measures too (treat surrounding area, check other upholstered furniture, etc). But if they can't cling to the seams of the mattress, they simply can't nest there.

They do not live in the mattresses at all.
Usually in floorboards surrounding, or anyplace with a small crevasse. The mattress is only their nightly buffet table. Alot of the things mentioned above will not get rid of them at all. Get an experienced exterminator, research on the web, do not inhale your DE, and lastly pray(if you are into that kind of thing) .

I had a problem with bed bugs about two years ago. So I sprayed the mattress with your typical inspect spray, plus a can of spray that was supposed to be used for bed bugs. I know this is bad because the fumes are supposed to be dangerous. Anyway, I sprayed in the morning, left the windows open, went to work and came back at night after work. No bed bugs that day, and no bed bugs ever since. And no negative health effects . . . yet.

Re prevention: use a travel sheet

See www.allersac.com

CIty should IMMEDIATELY replace wooden benches in subway stations if there's even a HINT that bedbugs are infesting them and spreading from them!

Last summer I got bedbugs from an unlikely source--an online dating site. Or rather, from someone I met while online dating. I think New Yorkers can't be aware enough of how bedbugs breed, live and spread. I wrote a story about my experience here: http://www.mrbellersneighborhood.com/story.php?storyid=2259

Bedbugger.com is a great resource if you have bedbugs.

Last fall I got some bugbites and freaked out in a fit of paranoid hysteria, scrubbed down my entire apartment with bleach, washed all my clothes and baked a lot of my belongings, got a mattress cover, sealed everything in plastic bins which were then duct-taped shut... But I never actually found a bedbug.

*sighted

Is there another Bed Bug killer people who are allergic to shellfish can use?

Maria[15] is not correct.
Sealing your bed is not a perfect solution.
They can live in furniture, walls, crevices in the floorboards, as other posters have noticed.

Bedbugs have also been sited in the subway.

SPRAY YOUR LUGGAGE!

Please don't blame bedbugs on travellers to/from poor coutries. I have lived in those places and never saw bedbugs. Bedbugs, like lice, are things I have only seen in America.

Go after the harborages, mattress covers, seal as many cracks in the bedroom. Caulk, paint, good dry wall.
Remove wicker and any unpainted wood. Polyurethane wood floors.

The less places for the bugs to hide the less poison you will have to use and the poison will be more effective.

This show is making me itchy.

Diatomaceous Earth is also used to fine (soften) wines.

DE is also the stuff used in pool filters.

here is the link to the D earth
http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth/Bed-Bug.html

Ways to kill them without harsh chemicals; Rubbing alcohol, wintergreen oil, burn them up (heat/steam), freeze them to death (put belongings in sealed bags and leave outside in below freezing weather). And if you're allergic to the bites like I am, fresh aloe gives the most relief.
Good luck!

DRIONE!!

What about subway platform benches? I have heard they have found bed bugs there! What is the city going to do about this?

Someone on my block had bedbugs and they were kind enought to label all furniture that they threw away with big magiv marker that the furniture was being thrown away was infested with BEDBUGS. So that no one would pick up to reuse.

Good neighbor award to them!

Diatoms are unicellular algae that form exoskeletons of primarily silica. Used in gardening for control of nematodes and addition of minerals to soil. Check Wikipedia for several other applications.

I've had them twice. The first time the exterminator had to come 3 times. We threw out our mattresses, and bought new mattresses and new frames which were metal because we were told they like to live in wooden ones. We put vasaline on the legs of the bed and put the legs of the bed in bowls of water, to keep them from coming up the legs of the bed. We washed all of our clothes constantly. It was winter so anything we couldn't wash we threw out onto the fire escape because we heard that they couldn't survive below freezing. After a couple of months we were rid of them we were rid of them. It was a very unsettling experience. I don't think I slept peacefully for two months.

I live in Toronto, and 1 yr ago experienced my first encounter with Bed Bugs. Someone had moved into our Apt. bldg recently, and ended up spreading them throughout. The Apt. 2 down from me had 5 sprayings, and I had 1 myself, and that seems to have worked.

My solution... I habitually take all my sheets off my bed everynight and shake them first, then put them back on. Even with the problem gone - I can't break this habit out of fear they'll return. The key is to try to setup a "moat" around your bed so that it becomes an island of calm.

After initially getting lots of little red welts on my rear end last year, I am very happy to say that they have not been back.

Btw, my landlord payed for the spraying, and there was no involvement by myself with local city govt.

Diatomaceous Earth is used in pool filters. I wanted to buy some to use on ants, but I can't seem to find any here in NY. Does any know where to purchase it?

Thanks.

My daughter discovered an enormous bedbug infestation in her apartment in the Bronx - they had come from upstairs when the people moved out - so a new bed, an exterminator and 30 bags of washed laundry and special wrappings for her beddings = $400.00 and at least 5 hours at the laundromat - AUGHHHHHHHHH
the landlord knew the upstairs had bugs and did nOTHING

Isolate everything in your apartment. Caulk ALL cracks on baseboards and ceiling (including around wall outlets). Set alarm to wake you up at 4:00am and check your arms and legs. Dont kill it immediately but rather, follow where it is headed. Once you have located the "nest", douse it with insect killer. Repeat every week to kill new hatches.

I'd like to know how people used to get rid of (or deal with) bedbugs back before DDT was available.

As for diatomaceous earth, it's not completely safe for humans. Can't it cause respiratory problems if inhaled, particularly for people with underlying lung diseases like asthma?

A great website to check out before you go apartment-hunting is http://bedbugregistry.com. You can enter in your address and see the incident reports of bedbugs by people in that neighborhood.

diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic kills bedbugs and also kills cockroach.

We had a small infestation that luckily we caught early. I treated the mattress and boxspring and the periphery, vacuumed both, and covered them with a dustmite-proof cover. This is really the longterm solution (as long as they're a problem in the area) -- if your mattress is covered by a bedbug-proof cover, the suckers won't find a hospitable place to nest so you can sleep safe. Bonus is that they combat dustmites and allergens.

we moved!

We left our apartment in Staten Island - the building was infested.

We sanitized what we could, threw out almost all our furniture, and bought a house!

Just in time for another plague - the real estate crash...

kids bring em home from school, its a real drag

I didn't vanquish my bedbugs, on the contrary they bested ME. I moved.
They are so disgusting.

Step
1) get a bed bug exterminator
2) next you have to get a plastic cover for your mattress and box spring
3) Wait a year, (remove cover)

One source of these pests may well be travellers to and from third world countries. The pests get into the luggage and de-plane inside the apartment or hotel. To pin this problem SOLELY on the landlord WON'T help solve it. Pakistan. Afghanistan. Poor African nations. This is where some of the pests come from. CLEAN the biulding, and then the tenant family comes back from such countries and drop the suitcases. Bedbugs infestation re-starts!

I fear to say we've eradicated them, but they seem to have been kept at bay for the last year with the use of diatomaceous earth. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I used Windex. Spray Windex on the mattress or furniture; it literally melts the eggs. It worked for me.

BRING BACK DDT!!!!!!!!!!
It is a ziplock conspiracy to sell more XL plastic bags.
Worst thing that has ever happened to me.

I just got a tempurpedic bed. No more bed bugs...

I hope

We moved! It came really to that. First rule of thumb is to take it seriously it's no joke.

I also spray down my luggage with permethrin before I go anywhere.

Are there any prophylactic measures for PREVENTING bed bugs?

We also need to require that landlords notify prospective tenants of whether an apartment has been previously infested, as Cincinnati has done (according to Jennifer 8 Lee's article). In fact, I think landlords should be required to notify prospective tenants if ANY of the units in a building have previously been infested, as well as what has been done to address the problem. This should also apply to people who are selling a condo.

Of course, there's no way the real estate interests will ever let such regulations get through the City Council in NYC.

Maybe what we need is a temporary (ie for just a few years) loosening of restrictions against use of DDT (or similar agents) in areas (eg NYC) with a documented bedbugs epidemic.

They didn't have bedbugs on Friends!