Bed Bugs

I wasn't so sure that I really wanted to "go there" with this post; however, I did promise to report the good and the bad of my experiences in New York City. So, here's the dirty dish.

"Bed Bugs" are apparently quite an issue in the city. I've heard some say that because the city is an outlet for so much traffic (person and otherwise), it's difficult to maintain decent sanitation in some ways. (I'm not sure how accurate this hypothesis is.) Bed bugs are small little bugs that harbor themselves in mattresses. A lot of people will wake up with welts all over their bodies from "bed bug bites." (Sounding a bit like a nightly farewell from mom and dad, "don't let the bed bugs bite!") Great, bugs in bed? Wash the sheets! Not so easy... Bed bugs spread like wild fire. Once they're there, they're not easy to diminish. A lot of people have had to dispose of their entire beds, as they camp out in the cracks of wood and metal frames as well. Then, they may transfer to other furniture. (You can see how this can become a problem...)

So, John Jay has been in the news the past few days, and it's not a good thing. Recently, staff in a number of administrative offices (financial aid, the health office, undergraduate admissions, etc) started reporting a "strange rash on their arms and legs." The administration decided to have this problem investigated. After a review of our main building on campus, the EPA found evidence of bed bugs on three of four floors. According to our administration, the bed bugs are more of a "situation," or "nuisance" than a "problem." Students and faculty immediately started panicking, mainly concerned about bringing these horrible little creatures home. As a result, administration decided to close the building for the rest of the week and through the weekend to chemically clean the building.

Disgusting.

So... bed bugs. College building, no beds. Weird? No, not really. Apparently, bed bugs have started to manifest themselves in office buildings, finding passageways through electrical wiring and small cracks. According to the NY Times, the NYC Fox building has had plenty of experience with them.

Really then - what is a bed bug?? Before migrating east, I had never heard of bed bugs before. After moving out here, I was consistently hearing reports of people having to throw away entire bedroom sets to rid themselves of the problem.

So, Alix and I are on alert. However, we're happy to report - no bed bug sightings in our apartment and no evidence of bites on our bodies. Amen. I'll keep you posted.