Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Strange Bed(bug)fellows
By
Kapil Desai
Published Sep 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Kapil Desai
Published Sep 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
You like a little nibble in bed don't you? Sure you do. You dirty little bird. So you must just love our fair city nowadays as the bed bugs are back! The Times reports that a rise in used furniture sales, international travel (when in doubt, always blame dark, dark foreigners), and a ban on powerful pesticides have let the pests run wild in New York. Last year, the city's housing department received over 4,600 complaints about the little nasties, almost 5 times as many as in 2004.
The cure? Manhattan Councilwoman Brewer suggests banning the sale of used mattresses and creating an overpaid task force to study the issue and to make recommendations WITHIN ONE YEAR. Sounds reasonable to us. What does the powerful mattress lobby have to say? Well, the International Sleep Products Association is all for a ban on reselling used mattresses and would rather you buy a bed-bug free (new) mattress. Shocking.
The piece also mentions that a lack of published standards on how to sanitize used mattresses has kept resellers from appropriately cleaning and debugging old beds. But since no hard evidence exists to prove that sanitizing mattresses or preventing the sale of used ones would really lead to a decrease in the bed-bug population, the City has no intention of creating such unifying standards. Because you know, good old common sense (clean mattress = no bugs) can't trump a pricey government study, or lack thereof.
So what should you do if you find yourself with some unwanted bunkmates of your own? Gothamist Health has garnered this sage advice from the article: Do not soak your mattress in gasoline in an effort to get rid of bed bugs. Because while the itching can be unbearable, you always risk setting things on fire when you douse them with gasoline.
What do you really need to know about bed-bugs? Read on.
You should know that:
+ Bedbugs are about 5-7 mm in length and are oval and reddish-brown. They can even have little wings (gross).
+ Infestation in the U.S. is pretty common but not as common as in rural parts of Gambia where up to 38% of children's beds can be infested.
+ Bedbugs, despite feeding on human blood, usually do not spread disease. Despite the Times article, there have been sporadic reports of transmission of hepatitis B and a weird tropical disease in South America. A few people have even died from allergic reactions.
+ Bedbug bites are painless but itch like crazy. Bites on the face are common.
+ If the bite appears raised or looks like a fluid-filled bubble, it might be secondarily infected.
+ Bites often occur in lines of 3. The so-called, "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" configuration. We think that's cool.
+ If examining a bed before lying down, carefully inspect the corners - for some reason they like to cluster there.
+ Treatment: Usually no treatment is necessary but an anti-histamine pill or cream (something with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) will do nicely) should help with the itching. More severe itching may require a steroid cream.
+ To prevent infestations or to clean infested beds, sprays made with permethrin work like a charm. A real problem may require an exterminator.
Tagged
advice
city
fire
gothamist
Gothamist Health
government
health
housing
international
love
manhattan
new york
the city
the times
travel
Kapil Desai
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Police arrest man in Queens stabbings that ended with officer shooting woman
The arrest stems from a reported home invasion and stabbings on Friday.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 12:06 p.m. ET
Early Addition: It's been a while since it rained
Because it's dry, here are your early links: McCarren Park teens love the mayor, Long Island castle being auctioned off, an update on the 1 a.m. dining scene and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: It's been a while since it rained
Because it's dry, here are your early links: McCarren Park teens love the mayor, Long Island castle being auctioned off, an update on the 1 a.m. dining scene and more.
By
James Ramsay
Ex-boyfriend of woman found in shallow grave in Queens charged with murder, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
By
Mike Hayes
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
By
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .