A rogue bed bug made its way behind enemy lines.
Officials discovered a single bed bug on the 19th floor of the Queens branch of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Building in Long Island City on Friday, September 28. According to a Health Department spokesperson, there was no evidence of an infestation. The vicinity where the pest was spotted was steam cleaned and vacuumed, standard procedure for a bed bug discovery, and the building’s staff was alerted about the infiltration.
“It is very rare for bed bugs to sustain themselves in an office,” said the Health Department spokesperson. “There is no good place for them to live and populations are low.”
According to the spokesperson, bed bugs are generally active at night. The representative did not know how the bed bug got into the building, but said they frequently travel in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding and furniture.
“Most people do not realize they are transporting bed bugs as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel,” said the spokesperson.
