Early detection is one of the keys to solving infestations relatively painlessly. I’m so sorry that you have struggled with this problem for so long. It is indeed very hard to locate live bed bugs. Highly trained professionals have trained eyes and experience and can locate harborage sites efficiently, as well as the signs of infestation, fecal traces and exuvia. So, the answer to that question is, yes, pest control operators really work provided that they are experienced and good. Some are better at the detailed work and detailed tasks that this involves. And some do not have the right training. So, I hope you find a good person to deal with your problem. Of course, in apartment buildings, inspecting other apartments is key.

The money that is being wasted on bed bugs is huge. And those reputation costs are nothing to sneeze at either. I hope you will find the time in this stressful situation to attend the hearing and/or testify.

By the way, we’re not pros, but other places to look are window casements and behind electric switches and outlets. So, checking the outlet and window nearest the bed, as well as behind any frames or objects on the walls in the room where the bites are suspected to occur, might yield more evidence. However, your capture this morning should be more than enough. I would not expect to find many more live insects unless you know where you are looking. Get an experienced pro in there asap is our best advice. Some self-treatment steps that people typically take are actually counterproductive.

Anyway, I wanted to mention a few things. (1) I think infestation is under-reported for many reasons including the reluctance of people to come forward for fear of being branded by friends and neighbors as “contaminated.” It’s understandable but unfortunate. (2) Bed bugs are a potentially huge economic issue, not just the direct cost of dealing with them but also the indirect cost. I know that I am very reluctant to stay in a hotel, go on a cruise, fly, ride a coach, go to a movie theater or any other environ in which there is a possibility of catching an unwanted “hitch-hiker.” Maybe I am being ridiculous, but if this mindset cathches on, the economic consequences for our city could be significant. (3) Maybe I’m a little cynical but do exterminators really work?

It is also my understanding that offices and schools (including my kids’ PS) are host environments for bed bugs. I hope more people, more building managers and our elected officials get serious about this. This bill should be a no-brainer, and is only a start; monitoring and inspections should be a part of the control/extermination process.