Bed bugs in Massachusetts
As one of the United States education centers, Boston is using specialized research to fight its bed bug problem. The city has experienced a boom in reports of the critters over the past two years, as inexpensive student apartments and high-end hotels alike battle to ensure that the creatures are no longer able to affect guests. The city fears it could become a bed bug haven without further action.
But beyond the somewhat misleading news reports and alarming blog posts, Boston is actually a fairly bed bug free city. When compared to nearby New York City and southern Philadelphia, its one of the most compelling clean cities on the East Coast. However, a bed bug massacre is very much going on within the citys historical apartment buildings, and it could soon grow bigger.
Residents have lodged complaints about bed bugs for years, though the total annual complaint count rarely rises above fifty. However, as the use of pesticide chemicals and high-power spray treatments has been outlawed, the city has experienced an exponential increase in the number and frequency of bed bug related calls. What was once a fifty-call problem now results in hundreds of calls annually.
The call outs are mostly to densely-packed apartment complexes, many of which house thousands of residents in the city. Due to Bostons temperate winters and rough snow-heavy weeks, the buildings in many inner city suburbs are packed with insulation and build to last. Thats great for heat, but its a paradise for bed bugs the pests can make insulated walls their homes, alongside most furniture.
Cambridge is one of the most obviously affected areas, with its large student population unable to incur the cost of a professional extermination and equally unwilling to spend weeks complaining with a stubborn landlord. Student accommodation is one of the most frequently infested locations for Northeastern cities, as the great housing density allows bugs to easily travel from room to room.
However, despite the obvious reason for concern, Massachusetts appears to be tackling the bed bug problem better than its neighbors to the south. Calls are responded to quickly and the states choice of pest control companies is fairly good. However, given the harsh winter the state is famous for, a bed bug infestation is not the ideal presence when double blankets and duvets are required.
How are bed bugs spreading through Massachusetts?
Experts believe that Massachusetts bed bug problem is coming from travelers, particularly those arriving in the city from Eastern and Southern Europe. The city is a major travel hub for residents based in the Northeast, taking hundreds of flights daily and routing passengers traveling south to New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and even cross-country to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Its position makes it a popular one-night stopover location, with thousands of short-term visitors packing the citys hotels on a nightly basis. This quick turnover makes it very difficult for staff to locate and eradicate bed bugs quickly, particularly in hotels geared towards business travelers. A single outbreak can spread from room to room, compounding the citys obvious problems.
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Bed Bugs Massachusetts - Bed Bug.org
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