Continuing from Friday…

The NYDailyNews.com reported on November 9, 2011 that New York’s PS 361 is now dealing with bed bugs again…for the 31st time in the past 12 months.  In typical fashion, the Department of Education does not believe that the bed bugs have spread within the school, but they will conduct an inspection and will provide treatment according to their findings.  You may read the article here.

New York City has been plagued by the bloodsuckers for the past few years.  Schools and the DOE have worked to provide important information about how to avoid bed bugs and what to do once you have them.  For a school to have 31 sightings of bed bugs in 12 months, clearly there is a breakdown in the system.  Either there is an undetected infestation within the school or there is a family or families that are transporting the bloodsuckers into the school.  Another thing to consider is that the bed bugs which have been transported into the school are hitchhiking a ride and transferring from student to student, administrator to student, or student to administrator.  It is even possible that bed bugs have remained in the vacuum cleaners at the school that is used by the maintenance crew.  Bed bugs are able to abstain from food for over a year if need be.  Perhaps the critters are lurking within the walls of the school.  With bed bugs, the possibilities are endless.

The NYDailyNews.com reported on September 1, 2011 that Astoria’s PS 70 has the worst bed bug infestation problem out of all five boroughs in New York.  According to their report, the Department of Education (DOE) confirmed that not only were bed bugs found in the school in December of 2010, but evidence of breeding was discovered in a closet in a classroom.  The DOE claims that out of the 1600 schools within the school system, that this is the only school where bed bugs have been found reproducing.  Bed bugs need to have a blood meal in order to reproduce which clearly shows that bed bugs can indeed survive quite well within a school environment. Check out the article here.

Bed bugs are a difficult pest to kill.  For expert NYC bed bug eradication services contact Stern Environmental Group.