How Bedbugs Hurt the Poor

This fall, while college students move in and low-rent apartments are packed to the gills, more than just eager freshman are making the news. Bedbugs, a recurring problem in urban areas, are once again infesting people's lives at what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency jointly called an "alarming rate." With the only effective chemical combatant of the tiny brown bloodsuckers (DDT) banned since 1972 after being deemed too toxic, the critters have become even more resilient and sparked an unprecedented multi-city outbreak this year.

Bedbugs don't just infest in poor areas — they did, after all, invade Google's downtown Manhattan offices last week — but they do tend to affect the poor in ways that wealthier people are able to avoid. The poorer you are, the less likely you'll be to pay for an exterminator. The Associated Press reports that this is leading to a higher rate of injury and illness for some due to mixing toxic outdoor-use-only chemicals to kill off the bedbugs indoors without professional assistance (though professionals are relying on carcinogenic chemicals in their desperation too).

One Ohio landlord sent some tenants to the hospital to be treated for chemical exposure after hiring an unlicensed pesticide applicator. Some tenants and homeowners have put themselves at financial risk by using fly-by-night exterminating companies, desperate for service when reputable providers are booked solid. Many of the pesticides people are using in their do-it-yourself crusade against the bug invaders are also highly flammable, resulting in a house fire surge across the country. As if enough people weren't already losing their homes in this recession, they've now got one more way to find themselves on the streets.

Because of the way housing tends to work in urban areas — apartments stacked high and wide by the dozens in neighboring buildings — bedbugs can spread relatively easily. They can even go with you if you travel — that includes to hotels and on domestic and international flights. They also live in high-turnover areas like homeless shelters and dormitories. You can avoid bedbugs by doing several things:

• If you suspect you have bedbugs, don't panic. Wash everything in hot water (bedbugs are sensitive to extreme temperatures) and do not attempt to use chemicals to kill them on your own.
• Don't pick up pillows, mattresses or other discarded upholstered items from the street or dumpster. Be wary of these items in thrift shops.
• Clearly mark discarded furniture and other items you believe to house bedbugs. Some cities provide stickers, while others spray-paint the offending items.
• When in doubt, call the city inspectors. They can confirm if you have bedbugs and fumigate as needed.

While bedbugs don't pose a particular public health threat — unlike lice, ticks, mosquitoes or fleas, bedbugs don't carry pathogens — they do cause itching and incalculable stress and anxiety. But unless you've been exposed to the epidemic, there's no cause for alarm. Keep perspective but keep an eye on dark corners and crevices. It may seem difficult right now, but as that old saying goes, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.

Photo credit: Paul Lowry