Brooklyn Bed Bugs
If the borough of Brooklyn ever wanted to break off from New York City not only would it be the largest of the New York area cities it would also be the #1 hot spot for bed bugs. The greater New York area is home to millions of pests including termites, cockroaches and fleas but the bed bug problem is growing at an alarming rate and Brooklyn has seen a tremendous increase in complaints with the city housing officials. In the past year alone the borough of Brooklyn has logged 641 more complaint calls than the year before and totaled 1,489 more complaints than runner-up borough Manhattan.
Brooklyn has several high-risk areas that have fielded more bed bug complaints than any of the other New York neighborhoods including Bushwick, Flatbush, Ocean Parkway and Kensington. Brooklyn is one of the oldest American cities and with centuries of development and building taking place the area is a prime location for bed bug infestations. Older buildings including offices, residential condos and apartments, schools, hostels and dormitories are notorious for housing irritating bed bug infestations and if left untreated these places become long-term residences for urban pests.
While some areas report more complaints than others this doesn’t mean that bed bugs are not present in the more upscale neighborhoods of Brooklyn including Williamsburg, Park Slope and Cobble Hill. Experts have noticed than high end neighborhoods, hotels and condo buildings are less likely to report a bed bug infestation due to embarrassment and the bad publicity that can come with it. If there are bed bugs in one are of Brooklyn it’s a safe bet the annoying mite-size pests have found their way to other buildings and homes as well.
Once believed to have been eradicated with the widespread use of the synthetic pesticide DDT in the 1950’s bed bugs have slowly mounted a comeback and again are causing headaches for public health officials who have to warn the residents of Brooklyn where bed bugs tend to hide, how they infest furniture and old mattresses and what steps can be taken to not only detect and identify the bothersome pests but also eliminate entire infestations.
People are still flocking to Brooklyn for better living conditions and more affordable housing than Manhattan but prior to moving new residents need to be aware of the growing bed bug problem primarily in the Brooklyn borough and the proper steps to take so bed bugs can be detected, identified and exterminated.