The good news: Drug resistant head lice will not eat your brain! 
The bad news: Drug resistant head lice might actually be a thing!
An item posted today on the Greening the Apple, the Environmental Protection Agency's New York City blog, suggests that these nasty bugs have gotten better at doing battle with human treatments over the years.
More »
Invasion?
The Voice recently wrote about bugs' inevitable(?) triumph over humankind.
And though it doesn't look like bed bugs are necessarily going to be the creepy, crawly culprits who enslave us, we have recently learned about another species that comes out while you are asleep and defenseless: carpet beetles.
So what's the deal?
More »
This just in from the Daily News: a most troubling report suggests that the early onset of warm weather could prompt swarms of stink bugs -- and other creepy crawlies -- to invade America! (Invade!) 
Of course, Runnin' Scared wondered: What about bed bugs?
Indeed, past reports on bed bugs kinda makes the meteorology-infestation link. Also out today was info about bed bugs at an upstate children's hospital.
But it might not be necessary to worry about these wily arthropods quite yet.
More »
Archaeologists in South Africa have discovered what they believe is the world's oldest mattress, and they didn't even find it on Craigslist. National Geographic reports a team of researchers at the Sibudu Cave site came across bedding made of reeds and rushes, the most ancient of which is about 77,000-years-old. In addition to being old, the bed would've been "very comfortable," according to the University of Witwatersrand's Lyn Wadley.
New mattress technology, not inspired by ancient mattress.
Astoria's P.S. 70 has been given the dubious honor of being the most bedbuggy school in the city. It's the only school in New York that's been found to have bedbugs that inspectors admit came from inside the building. Usually when bedbugs are found in public schools, officials claim that the bugs came from the students; but with P.S. 70, "There was evidence of breeding last winter in one closet in one classroom in a school system of 1,600 schools. The bedbugs were removed," an Education Department spokesman told the Daily News. Though the bedbugs were spotted in December, no one from the DOE told anyone because they weren't required to at the time. 
Bed bugs, we haven't heard much of you this summer. So, you had a party in a Staten Island jail. At least you aren't invading our (well, the tourists') clothing stores. But now we find you're running rampant in schools? Don't you have hearts in those little, brown, blood-sucking bodies? (No.) The Daily News reports that your appearances in public schools have tripled this past school year from the one before. As if attempting to latch your gross selves onto children isn't enough, classrooms, their libraries, and "teaching materials" have all become victims of the methods of your eradication. Think of the children, bed bugs! Think of them! They need to learn! A Department of Education spokeswoman told the Daily News that schools are "not hospitable environments" for you. Hear that? They don't want you! [NYDN]
Finally some potentially good news in the ongoing war against bed bugs: insurance. According to a press release issued yesterday, Aon Risk Solutions, Global Excess Partners, and Terminix have joined forces to provide bed bug insurance for "hotels, landlords, student housing, corporate businesses, and leisure travelers." Look what you can get: "discounted rates for mattress encasements and bed bug kits for greater peace of mind." Peace of mind is exactly what we need. 
The absolute worst part is how they've made it so it looks like little bed bugs are crawling around on your screen. Are you fucking kidding me? Excuse me while I go vomit, scratch myself, and burn everything I own.
[CBS]
 |
We're into a map that DNAinfo has up today, showing which parts of Manhattan have had the largest numbers of bed bug complaints over the first three months of this year. 
DNAInfo.com
According to the news site, Manhattan residents made 455 complaints to 311 about bed bugs for the first three months of 2011. Since bed bug infestations tend to spike in the summer, this high number of winter complaints means that exterminators and residents are expecting another bed-bug ridden Summer From Hell.
More »
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
