Learn how to control bedbugs

On Thursday, February 17 at 7 p.m., State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblymember Michael Miller will be sponsoring a free seminar providing important information from the experts on how to prevent, identify, or get rid of, the spreading problem of bedbug infestations.
If you or someone you know is concerned with the issue of bedbugs, come to the event at Emanuel United Church of Christ, 93-12 91st Avenue (off Woodhaven Boulevard, near Atlantic Avenue) featuring speakers from the NYC Department of Health, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and local pest control business owner William Puricelli of Advanced Pest Management Services.
“I want to thank these experts for providing timely information to my constituents — homeowners, tenants or landlords — who are afraid that the city’s bedbug plague will hit their buildings,” said Addabbo. The senator points out that it has been reported that the city had logged 12,768 bedbug complaints for 2009, with bedbug violations issued by HPD inspectors exploding from 82 in 2004 to 4,808 in that same year. In 2010, exterminators were extremely busy, as the critters temporarily shut down businesses, forced residents to move, and left beleaguered New Yorkers suffering from red welts and bites. Some local movie theaters, offices and hotels also reported being visited by the bugs.
“The citywide fight against bedbugs will be won one home at a time. Winning the battle can save you thousands of dollars, and information is your best weapon,” added Miller.
According to local certified entomologists and exterminators, bedbug removal is one of the most difficult and costly tasks in the pest control industry. Landlords have been known to spend up to $80,000 to get large buildings bedbug free. Adding to landlords’ woes of dealing with these pests is the “Bedbug Disclosure Act,” a new citywide law that took effect August 30, 2010, which requires landlords to notify prospective tenants about any infestations in the building within the previous year.
For more information about this free event, call Addabbo’s Howard Beach district office at 718-738-1111, his Middle Village satellite office at 718-497-1630, or Miller’s Woodhaven district office at 718-805-0950.