Queens New York Bed Bugs
Past newspaper articles have linked Queens to being the gate through which the latest wave of bed bugs is passing into New York City. Starting around 1999 bed bug complaints began to flood city housing boards and public health officials and the charming neighborhood of Astoria, in Queens, was the epicenter for the majority of calls. While some stories jumped the gun and put the blame squarely on immigration Queens has always been home to the most immigrants in New York City but never had a problem with bed bugs before. In fact, the first bed bug invasion that occurred in the 1940’s and 1950’s focused mostly on Manhattan and not the surrounding boroughs.
Still, because of its large immigration population as well as young residents, especially students, Queens is considered a danger zone for bed bug infestations. Whether or not Queens is where bed bugs are finding their way into the city is debatable but regardless of how the bugs are getting in they are here now and have to be dealt with properly if any progress is to be made in eliminating bed bug infestations.
When people think of Queens usually it includes row houses, project tenements and warehouses. While such sites may not be pleasing to the human eye it is a paradise for bed bugs. The Queens section of New York is a vast though congested area that has ideal conditions for bed bug infestations to thrive including cramped living spaces, high turnover rates among students, young professionals and immigrants and enough used and second hand furniture to give bed bugs an endless amount of hiding places.
Astoria in particular has seen more than its fair share of bed bug congregations. From 1990 on the Queens neighborhood has been a popular home for young working people in their 20’s and 30’s, students and immigrants. As recently as 2006 Astoria was rated #1 in bed bug complaints throughout the entire New York metropolitan area. With so much activity among so many diverse peoples it’s no wonder why bed bugs are thriving in this section of Queens.
Another factor leading to bed bug infestations is that Queens has long been known as the working class borough of New York. While Manhattan caters to the urban jet set and Brooklyn appeals to couples looking to start families Queens has long been proud of its blue-collar roots and population diversity through immigration. More immigrants settle in Queens than any other New York borough. Still, large populations living and working in cramped apartments, offices and hostels are at high risk for carrying bed bugs to virgin territory.
Though the current bed bug problem has yet to reach the hysteria it caused during the late 1940’s it is enough of a concern that the Environmental Protection Agency is issuing public health warnings and condo co-op associations are hosting pest control seminars and shareholder meetings to effectively combat the new wave of bed bugs.