Bed Bugs in the City

MYFOXNY.COM - Bed bugs seem to have infiltrated the city along with the stifling heat this summer.

Hollister said its flagship store at 600 Broadway in Manhattan was closed Wednesday because the bed bugs were "affecting certain isolated areas of the store."

It said it took steps to eradicate the bugs as quickly as possible.

Then on Friday it had to close its South Street Seaport location because of the same problem.

Then over the weekend reports came out that bed bugs were also becoming problems in New York City movie theatres.

Check out some tips on how to deal with the nasty little critters.

Jeff White from Bed Bug Central is a research entomologist who is a bed bug expert. He noted that early detection is important. One tip is to install a little home detection system. Insect interceptors are a little white tray/dish that goes underneath beds and couches and intercepts the bugs as they travel to their new destination.

Bed bugs are visible, about a quarter of an inch long, and they look a lot like ticks. Bed bugs are flat and reddish brown. A tell-tale sign of a bed bug infestation is black spots in material around the house. These black spots are bed bug fecal matter.

TREATMENTS:

-- call a professional
-- encase mattress and boxspring in bed encasements (make sure they're designed for use with bedbug problems)
-- do it yourself products on the market, these are pesticides but you must read the labels.

• For more information visit Jeff White's site, Bed Bug Central.
• 10 Tips For Dealing With Bed Bugs