Bedbugs in NYC apartment: Can they spread on their own? (apartments, mattresses)

[Mr. Chad]

Hello all,

I just found out a friend has a serious bedbug infestation in his apartment. He claims to be clean but claims that the bedbugs are from either of the 2 next door neighbors on the same floor who he claims are slobs. So from what I have been told the landlord has been slow in responding, and that the bedbugs have gotten onto a large majority of his clothes and furniture. His roomates have also gotten bitten and now have rashes. For now its frustrating because he has no place to go, but maybe perhaps to crash on someones sofa, or to check into a local motel.

My question is: can bedbugs spread like this from one apartment to another on their own without hitching a ride on someones clothes or in their bags? Since my friend claims that the next door neighbors are slobs, I was wondering how true can that be if he's never actually set foot inside their apartment.

[nybbler]

Yes, bedbugs can't travel far on their own, but they can certainly move around a building.

[likeminas]

Yep. They can travel within a building.
And tell your friend (that unlike other pests) having bedbugs has nothing to do with being a slob.
Some of the most ritzy hotels in Manhattan were hit bedbug infestations.

[gvillager]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chad

My question is: can bedbugs spread like this from one apartment to another on their own without hitching a ride on someones clothes or in their bags?

Yes, this is most certainly possible.

While having a clean apartment doesn't prevent bedbugs, it certainly hinders any attempt to get rid of them. Your friend won't be able to completely get rid of them until his neighbors apartments are successfully treated as well.

[bluedog2]

LOL @ can they spread on their own ? Yes,that's what they do!

There is no getting rid of them when they have infested multiple apartments on multiple floors of the same building.It becomes nearly impossible, as they are likely to keep coming back.The only real solution is to abandon everything and move.

Williamsburg has such a bad bed bug problem that some people have started to flee the neighborhood.

I have a friend who is a hotel manager and he told me that when they discover bed bugs in a room they close off all the surrounding rooms and all of the rooms above and below all of those rooms,destroy all the furniture,carpeting,etc,remove wall coverings and flooring before fumigating and then completely redo the rooms.If they discover that the bed bugs have already spread to a room above or below the originally discovered infestation then they immediately expand the isolation area to the next floor above or below.Everything gets destroyed( burned).Pretty scary stuff.

Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness.You can pick them up on a subway bench and bring them home.And you might not notice them until they have infested your apartment and spread to your neighbors apartment.People shouldn't think that because they are "clean" they couldn't be the source of the problem.The person who is the subject of the original post might just as well be the typhoid Mary.

[SeventhFloor]

I wonder how this whole thing even started...we never had this problem before.

[Mr. Chad]

Thanks for the replies guys! I know it's a horrible situation to be in and that pretty much everything has to be thrown out.....I guess these bed bugs are worse than roaches.

[bluedog2]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

I wonder how this whole thing even started...we never had this problem before.

An increase in world travel by the masses,the banning of ddt in pesticides and the disregard of laws about reselling used mattresses.Bed bugs were always a problem up until about ww2.

The labels on mattresses and pillows that used to say that selling used mattresses was illegal were there because of bed bugs. I'm not even sure those labels are still there.Are they ?

The wide acceptance of buying used clothes(now called vintage) hasn't helped.The whole problem in Williamsburg is directly related to recycling of used furniture,used mattresses and vintage clothing,crowded living conditions and sleeping around.Historically,bedbugs have always thrived in crowded ghetto conditions.

[Mr. Chad]

Originally Posted by bluedog2

An increase in world travel by the masses,the banning of ddt in pesticides and the disregard of laws about reselling used mattresses.Bed bugs were always a problem up until about ww2.

The labels on mattresses and pillows that used to say that selling used mattresses was illegal were there because of bed bugs. I'm not even sure those labels are still there.Are they ?

The wide acceptance of buying used clothes(now called vintage) hasn't helped.The whole problem in Williamsburg is directly related to recycling of used furniture,used mattresses and vintage clothing,crowded living conditions and sleeping around.Historically,bedbugs have always thrived in crowded ghetto conditions.

Hummm...maybe we can blame the "hipsters" and their love of vintage clothing lol....

but on a serious note I never knew it was once illegal to sell used mattresses.

[Kefir King]

"Used Mattresses"...what a creepy concept.


Yes bedbugs can walk under drywall or into light fixtures and easily stroll to an adjoining apartment.

For now its frustrating because he has no place to go, but maybe perhaps to crash on someones sofa,

and then spread the infestation to his kindly but stupid friend.