Believe it or not, there is actually a hot line in New York City where tenants can call to report bed bugs. You can report bed bugs by dialing 311. Unfortunately many tenants are reluctant to call no matter how bad their problem is and even though landlords are responsible for treating infested apartments.

The big questions are “Why don’t these people want to call?”. Well, rumor has it that some landlords can allegedly check the list of people who have complained and then black listed the tenants so they can’t find a place to rent.

The way that tenants escape from bed bug infested apartments is generally by breaking their lease and moving. The only safe way to warn future tenants, they feel, is by posting the infested address on the “Bed Bug City” or “Bed Bug Registry” website that lists bed bug infested rental apartments and hotels. What you see if you go to Bed Bug City is a Google map of New York City (they also have one for Boston) with bug icons at addresses where these pests have been reported.

Both are useful websites. If you are looking to either report an infestation or want to rent an apartment, you should definitely check them. Nevertheless, it would be much better if bed bugs were treated like the public health issue they are and not some shameful secret tenants and landlords try to hide from.

Professionals know how to get rid of bed bugs and prevent recurrent infestations. It is good business to cal them if you discover or have a reported problem with them so the pros can take care of the problem right away before it gets worse.