In the world of bed bugs and pest control, there are always plenty of interesting stories making the news each week. At Bed Bug Guide, we like to keep our ear to the ground and stay informed about the latest developments. This is the third in our series of regular news roundups, in which we summarize the top headlines that grabbed our attention over the past month.
- Bed Bugs Invade Iceland
The Nordic island of Iceland was once believed to be relatively free of bed bugs, but the blood-sucking insects have now settled in the sparsely populated country, according to local pest exterminator Steinar Marberg Egilsson. Egilsson claims the unwelcome parasites have gained a foothold due to increased travel and tourism, with 1.8 million tourists travelling to Iceland each year, vastly outnumbering the country’s population of 340,000. Egilsson also noted that Icelanders are traveling overseas in greater numbers than before, with many returning home from Europe after the recession and bringing the bed bugs with them.
- Claims Barack Obama sent bed bug infested blankets to hurricane victims dismissed as fake news
Last month a satirical news website, TheLastLineofDefense.org, published an article claiming that Barack Obama had sent a shipment of bed bug infested blankets to victims of Hurricane Harvey. The article included a series of photographs of victims allegedly covered in bed bug bites. The story and images spread rapidly across social media, with many believing the allegations to be true. Popular business website Business2Community.com later confirmed that the article was fake news.
- Cleveland Ranked Worst US City for Bed Bug Infestations
US pest exterminators Terminix, with 300 branches across the nation, last month released a list of the most infested cities in the USA based on bed bug callouts during the first half of 2017. The company said bed bug infestations have risen dramatically since the late 1990s, with factors such as increased travel and insecticide resistance being behind the increase. Terminix’s top-10 US cities for bed bug infestation are Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Las Vegas, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia.
- Bed Bugs Plague Erie County Government Buildings
Erie County, Pennsylvania, is suffering from a plague of bed bugs, as the number of infested government buildings continues to rise. County officials hired a pest control service this month to eradicate bed bugs at the Family Court Building and the third floor of the Rath Building on Franklin Street in Buffalo. This comes only weeks after Ashland Pest Control sprayed ten floors of the Rath Building, which houses the Department of Public Works, the Erie County Executive’s Office, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Exterminators also treated 1500 Broadway, home to the Erie County Medical Mall. Officials have spent almost $4,000 treating multiple infestations over the past month.
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