Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bed Bugs Invade U.N.
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 24, 2015
Modified Jun 24, 2015
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
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 24, 2015
Modified Jun 24, 2015
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
Bed bug mania has simmered down in NYC since the Subway Bed Bug Scare of 2014, but this week international diplomats find themselves no more immune than straphangers to phantom-itch—bed bugs are in the United Nations. Again.
According to an e-mail sent to U.N. staff on Tuesday, the buggers were spotted in two cubicles on the 34th floor of the U.N.'s Secretariat building, on 42nd Street. "The Department of Management wishes to inform staff that bedbugs have been detected in an isolated area," reads the e-mail. "We have every reason to believe that the problem has been contained, but will remain vigilant."
The scare prompted some strongly-worded responses from frantic staff members. One anonymous and possibly insane person told Inner City Press (which seems to have the lock on U.N. bed bug news), "They were working on it over the weekend but didn't want to tell anyone. Like a smaller version of their cover up of the sexual abuse of children in Central Africa."
Once the bed bugs are formally recognized as a nation and given a seat on the Security Council, we're sure they'll turn out to be fine members of the international community. Until then, prepare with this short guide to what might be eating you.
Tagged
bed bugs
imposters
UN
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
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 .