There are some awards no one wants to win, and topping the list of bed bug infested cities in the US is one of them. A new report tracking the 50 most bed bug infested cities in the United States has just been released, and while New York City hasn’t hit the top spot it has come in at a disappointing 2nd place. Who took the top Spot? That would be the City of Brotherly Love – Philadelphia, but dollars to donuts no one there is crowing about this win.
Up from 7th Place
New York City has had a troubled history with bed bugs, although a similar report in 2018 had the city clocking in at number 7 on the list of infested communities. It was a welcome drop over previous years, and seemed to suggest that the bed bug problem in the city was getting better. Unfortunately, it appears that any headway made over the last few years has been lost to a new boost in bed bug populations throughout the city.
Uptick in Bed Bug Violations
New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development tracks the number of bed bug violations each year, and as of April 30 2019 they have issued 1,178 citations through the city. According to those citations, and confirmed by the latest surveys, the worst spots in the city are still Flatbush, West Harlem and Morrisania.
This new uptick in reported bed bug infestations has earned New York City the dubious distinction of 2nd place in the national bed bug infestation sweepstakes. Clearly more must be done to combat these blood-sucking parasites, as they continue to raise concerns for public health throughout the city.
The New York City Housing Authority is currently working towards a federally mandated goal of cutting bed bug infestations by 50% by 2024. Unfortunately, it looks as though that goal may be difficult to meet in the intended time frame. For the time being at least, it looks like New York City will continue place high in the list of 50 most bed bug ridden cities in the US.
Published by Scott Palatnik
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