Reporting Bedbugs in New York City
Do you have bedbugs?
Do you live in New York City?
Do you want to lodge a formal complaint?
Here is your best recourse, sent my way by Ken on the bedbug support board:
Please note too that if you see a bedbug, kill it, but save the carcass as proof that you have a problem. Take photos of your bites with time and date stamps. And if there are stains on your mattress and box spring, make sure to show them to the investigator as well.
Thanks, Ken!
Do you live in New York City?
Do you want to lodge a formal complaint?
Here is your best recourse, sent my way by Ken on the bedbug support board:
Dial 311 and ask to be connected to HPD. They will write down any violations you give them. In fact, if you have other violations, list them also, for instance, no hot water, a faulty smoke detector, anything. Speak slowly and let them write it down. They will make an appointment for an inspector to come visit your apartment and if they deem the problem legitimate, they will write up an official violation which will be on record and listed on their website. I have done this myself.You can also lodge a complaint online at this website.
You can also call Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health, but HPD is the key.
Please note too that if you see a bedbug, kill it, but save the carcass as proof that you have a problem. Take photos of your bites with time and date stamps. And if there are stains on your mattress and box spring, make sure to show them to the investigator as well.
Thanks, Ken!
posted by Caitlin at 3:15 PM
13 Comments:
Please consider spelling bed bugs correctly. Bed bugs are insects of the order Hemiptera (the true bugs) and as such are two words.
My understanding is that HPD complaints are a recourse if your landlord is unresponsive. My landlord has been very responsive about the bed bug problem -- the exterminator has been coming every week, and it's not at all clear what else could be done (besides a gut reno of the whole building). What would an HPD complaint achieve in this instance?
Anonymous 1 - Thank you for your suggestion. It is duly noted.
Anonymous 2 - You are entirely correct. But for those whose landlords and management companies are not responsive to the problem, lodging a formal complaint is the only recourse left. I'm just putting all the information out there for whoever needs it.
Hi-
I have the same problem as above- which is, my landlord has been entirely reponsive - five exterminations over six months, and still the bugs thrive, conintuing ot ruin my life. So I guess what I'm saying is that getting the landlords to repsond may be a moot point. The problem is much bigger than what people are able to rectify themselves. It absolutely requires city intervention. After calling HPD, the board of health and my Puiblic Advocate and getting nowhere (the only option is to report your landlord) I was told to call my elected city council representative. I have also written a detailed letter to the Mayor explaining why the city need to intervene- the problem is made larger by adjoining buildings- both neighbors on eitehr side of me have the bugs and if they do not exterminate (which they have not) then the bugs keep migrating into our building. So how to force landlords OTHER THAN YOUR OWN to exterminate? And then there is the question of PROPER extermination- some of these exterminators do not know a lot about the bugs and treat them as if they were cockroaches. Thsu the landlord has fulfilled their responsibility and yet they bugs go on . . .
http://www.mappost.org/bedbugcity.php
I'd strongly encourage everyone, whether they call 311 or not, to also list all known infested buildings on the following Bed Bug Registry:
http://bedbugregistry.com/
You put your address(es) in anonymously, and others can view locations and see the address. (Bed Bug Mapper's site does not allow you to see the addresses. What's the point of that?)
If everyone who has bed bugs registered them, we'd see the true scope of the problem. It might help in pressuring our city agencies. It might help in pressuring landlords. It would definitely help you know where not to move to...
Bed Bugs - Business and Vacation Travel
The least talked about travel concern of the past is increasingly becoming a concern for travelers. Bed bugs. The resurgence in bed bugs that were all but dormant for almost three generations has travelers as well as hostellers on alert, There are lots of views as to why, with no clear cut answer for the resurgence. Some contribute cheap travel and those who venture to tropical locations who have transported the hitchhikers to every country. Others stand that the explosion in their population and traveled distance is due to the non use of pest applications taken out of service by EPA standards, as unhealthy for humans and animals. The new strains of bed bug are hardy and the exact profile for their eradication is varied. What works in a dry environment will not be as effective in a wet climate. Temperature is also an influence. For pest control professionals the task of control and eradication of the bed bug is daunting. The use of human pet safe second generation chemicals now in use by the pest control industry have not been as effective as were the bed bug cocktails of years gone by.
Bed bugs have had blood meals from guest in backpacker motels to five star hotels. You do not feel them bite. Most people do not know the bugs are in bed with them until they see where the bugs have had a blood meal on various parts of their body the next morning. The pain, itching and any complications, which develop later, come from the bed bug injecting his saliva into your body to keep your blood from coagulating while he feeds. We educate the traveler about bed bugs with facts provided by world recognized authorities, Our site has been commended by Entomologist , hotel trades publications, travelers and those whom are good stewards of their property and wish to convey this to potential guests.
On a positive and proactive note:
There is an International web site http://www.QRegistry.org that can be used as a travel accommodations reference for business travelers and vacationers. QRegistry.org lists hotels, motels, vacation properties who are proactive in an effort to avoid bed bug and pest infestation. http://www.QRegistry.org posts articles from experts about bed bugs their identification and the various methods of getting rid of them.
From the backpacker motel to five stars; each room indexed must be verified as having good pest control practices administered by a professional licensed service and training programs for their staff for inclusion. Qregistry.org will present your complaint of infestation to the property owners as well as the appropriate health agency for further investigation and extermination. QRegistry can be an aid to the business and vacation traveler who seeks accommodations where bed bug prevention efforts is a standard of sound accommodations management.
If you have bed bugs go to HPD and find out if anyone else has complained about bed bugs too. I got them and my landlord told me that I brought them into the building I went to take him to court, while getting a copy of the deed I checked for violations and found out that the second floor tenant filed a complaint 6 months prior. Now I'm suing my landlord. Good luck in your fight...
Here is a poll asking if you ever got them from a hotel: http://www.apopularitycontest.com/display_poll.php?ID=6688
I live in Queens NY,I purchase a bed spring for my son at mattress USA in Queens after couple days my son start to have all kind of bite's on his face and body,first I thought that they are hives a made appointment at the pediatrician to check him, The doctor ask me if I have anything new in my home that maybe I have bed bags. I was not familiar with any bugs especially bed bugs so I had my son sleeping in the living room for a week to see what is going on , after a week I moved him back in his room , that same night at 2;30 am my son start screaming and crying ( he is 13 years old), come to my room I was in shock to see him with all the bites again , he panic's even now that he is at his fathers home wake up at night thinking the bugs are on him. I call the store all that they told me was that they will give me a free box and half price mattress and spraying that they use for bed bugs.So they know that they have them and they selling them to people that is not good not at all. I call the Department of health the supervise told me that there is nothing to do about that they will not investigate the store because they don't spread any sickness to humans,I am very mad why there is no law for this my son suffers from panic attack's now me as a minimum wage worker and with my little money I hade to spend 800$ dollars to disinfect my home and plus over 500 $ dollars to wash all my close and all the pain and suffering of my son is just a joke to the government, Its not fair, all the New York is infested with this I see that from the Internet searches I made ,. no wan cares don't take no action for this to stop to spread to them this is just a small bug but this bug make's a lot of damage to people and they need to change the law and they have to pay for the damages they make to people, I even call the 311 for sanitation to come and get the box from me I told them its infected with bugs and I have to have it out tonight because the exterminator is here and he told me the box needs to go out, there response was just live it out till next week for Tuesday when the sanitation comes for garbage, they don't care if someone picks it up and bring's it home and gets infested, I felt bad to put it out and its still in my home because I don't want other poor people to get hurt like my son Last night again after the treatment for bugs they are still there biting my son we all have a reaction to the chemicals my mom she is 70 year old feeling sick from this I feel sick my self we don't sleep at night and all this is a joke to the city and us American people suffer no help from the city shame shame shame
had bed bugs, thankfully they're gone now. one of the toughest problems is getting your neighbors to "do the right thing". So many people say their landlords aren't, but more than extermination has to be done.
dry cleaning, cleaning, and bagging (for at least a year) in addition to putting vaseline on bed legs. for more info:
http://words-communityliaison.blogspot.com/
@Anonymous 8:21 PM:
Please consider busting out a dictionary before making fun of other people's correct spelling: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedbug
To All Suffering With Bed Bugs:
I worked For The Biggest Bed Bug-Exterminators in NYC for 6months I Serviced apartments all over the 5 boroughs. I went to 18 million dollar apartments on the upper west side. I went to Bush wick, Williamsburg, ETC.
There is a misconception that bedbugs are landlords fault and or responsibility, this is false. Unlike Rats, Mice, Roaches, Bed Bugs do not come into your building due to holes, poor construction. They can get on your clothes, luggage in a hotel stay, on subway train, at friends house. The only reason why management companies and landlords provide extermination services is to keep it from spreading. In all actuality it is not a landlord responsibility to take care of bed bugs, Rats and other infections legally they have to. With all this said, I am writing this to help you understand that if you have a landlord who isn't have the place sprayed that you can report them to HPD, Housing Authority board of health, It isn’t going to really do anything. It is your responsibility to rid your home of bed bugs, The landlord can have an exterminator come out and spray every week which wont do anything, if you are not properly prepped and diligent. I am including 3 steps to help all of you out there. I also offer a service where I come to you apartment and I will prep, treat your place and not use terrible harmful or smelly chemicals to rid your home of Bed Bugs.
Step-1 Identify where they are and what condition the infested Mattress, furniture is in, In some cases it is good idea to throw things Out, I know times are hard but, sometimes its the best thing to do.
Step-2 Package up all clothes and electronic in clear plastic bags, use mothballs for all electronics, books, DVD’s, cds, etc.
Step-3 Treat whole apartment with steam treatment, and chemicals.
Step-4 Keep all bagged items bagged for 14days, do not put things back on shelves.
Step-5 2nd treatment same as 1-4 less intense.
After another 14days if no signs of bed bugs you can get back to you life.
I am guy who lives in the area of Bushwick who has battled these Bugs for over 5years now in 3 separate apartments for friends, family, and for work.
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