Ask a Native New Yorker: How Do I Cope With Bedbugs?

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Are you relatively new to this bustling metropolis? Don't be shy about it, everyone was new to New York once upon a time, except, of course, those battle-hardened residents who've lived here their whole lives and Know It All. One of these lifers works among us at Gothamistpublisher Jake Dobkin grew up in Park Slope and still resides there. He is now fielding questionsask him anything by sending an email here, but be advised that Dobkin is "not sure you guys will be able to handle my realness." We can keep you anonymous if you prefer; just let us know what neighborhood you live in.

This week we have two questions from locals struggling to cope with bedbugs.

Dear Native New Yorker,

I've been living in a two bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in Chinatown for 3 years. The building is old and things are falling apart but it's in the heart of downtown and cheaper than Bushwick. Recently, a close girlfriend of mine, who often stays the night at my place, informed me that she has bedbugs. What are the odds she's brought them to mine during our pizza-slumber parties? And even worse, my building won't do anything for prevention. She suspected she had bedbugs and did nothing about it for months. Now she may have infested my apartment and building. What's the right course of action here? It's going to cost me thousands of dollars to eradicate the critters. Do I ask her for help? Do I scold her for keeping this information from me. What do I do?

Signed,

Itchy and broke

Dear Native New Yorker,

I have been living in Brooklyn for three years now. Almost two years ago, the apartment I was living in (I have since moved) was struck with bedbugsthey came in the belongings of a well-intentioned, but completely oblivious new roommate. It was, as you might have heard/experienced, completely awful. In addition to having to wash and dry every cloth-covered possession on super heat, and putting everything into sealed plastic bags for 3ish weeks, we also got in a huge, stressful debate with our slummy landlords about paying for extermination. That coupled with the ever-lingering fear that the bugs might not get truly exterminated after a complete treatment AND with the social stigma surrounding getting a bedbug infestation in the first place made the entire experience pretty horrific.

Since that time, I have been experiencing symptoms that can only be described as a mild PTSD. A couple months ago, I saw marks on my bed and was completely convinced I had them. I made and placed bedbug catchers around my bed, checked every item of clothing I had and the walls in my room, sent pictures in to the local exterminator, and cried to my current roommate (who has since made up a song about my worries). The exterminators said that what was on my bed was most likely dirt, and that I should calm down, but I just don't know how to do that.

Recently, when I was out of the country and woke up with some weird bites, my first thought was of bedbugs; while it didn't ruin my vacation, it definitely gave me something to worry about in what otherwise would have been a carefree time. I check for signs passively or actively most evenings, even when I have no bites and no reason to think there's anything wrong. I know many other people get them, have a terrible experience like I did, and then see it as nothing more than a bad memory that they can ignore, but I can't seem to do that. Can you give me some advice to get over this and enjoy my otherwise decent New York life?

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Ask a Native New Yorker: How Do I Cope With Bedbugs?

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