New York's Bed Bug Battle

MYFOXNY.COM - Dr. Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an entomologist at Cornell University and a member of the New York City Bed Bug Advisory Board, spoke with members of the media about the bed bug battle.

She said bed bugs can be found just about anywhere: child care facilities, taxis, movie theaters, hospitals, nursing homes, stores, offices, and -- of course -- homes.

The Advisory Board recently published a 20-page document outlining numerous recommendations for the management of bed bugs in New York City.

In August a new law went into effect requiring landlords to provide written bed bug information to tenants upon lease signing and renewal. The City Council recently gave the Department of Health half a million dollars to address the bed bug problem. That money will be used to improve training of inspectors, develop protocols for landlords and tenants, and to create a one stop educational bed bug web portal for the public.

Experts say the key to bed bug prevention is education and the first step is knowing what bed bugs look like.

For now bed bugs do not transmit disease, but for the first time the CDC and the EPA are calling them a "pest of public health importance" due to the emotional and psychological impact they can have on those affected.

The city's Department of Health has a bed bug guide using pictures and diagrams it explains how to prevent getting bed bugs, how to inspect your home if you think you have them and how to get rid of them if you do.

>CLICK FOR NYC DOH BED BUG GUIDE