The main offices of The Wall Street Journal and the New York headquarters of its parent company, News Corp., were cleared for bedbug treatment recently. The suspected bedbug outbreak was traced to a staff member of a subsidiary of News Corp. Although no actual bugs were found, bedbug-sniffing dogs indicated their probable presence. The Journal decided to steam clean and treat as a precaution.
Previously, Time Warner announced that the company was dealing with an outbreak of bed bugs in its Manhattan offices, which houses CNN news network.
But the news industry is not the only business to be infested. Google also suffered an infestation at its Manhattan office. Other bedbug victims include the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the Empire State Building, and Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn as bedbugs continue their invasion of New York.
The city of New York has virtually declared war on bedbugs, citing a 2,000% rise in complaints since 2005. Bedbugs have made their way inside retail businesses, movie theaters, hospitals, government offices and homes.
People get really hysterical over bedbugs. Once nearly wiped out in the U.S with the use of DDT after World War II, bedbugs have made a comeback due to a number of factors, such as increased international travel. The bugs are transported from one location to another in suitcases and on clothing.
When the tiny brown insects infest hotels or homes, they typically inhabit mattresses and feed on sleeping humans. However, they can live in furniture, behind walls, or in carpeting.
Since bedbugs aren’t known to carry any diseases, federal agencies such as CDC don’t keep track of infestations. The pesticide DDT was banned in the United States in 1972 because it contributed to the near extinction of many birds, including the bald eagle, and was potentially harmful to human health.
Bedbug sniffing dogs have become a popular way to locate the presence of the blood-sucking insects. Numerous articles tell how to recognize the bugs and offer tips on the latest fumigation techniques and how to freeze, bake or suffocate bedbugs when found.
