Insect sounds in the evening

The insects provide a constant symphony of sound.

Goliath Stick Insect

The people in the video sound like Australians so I'm going to pinpoint the location of these giant stick insects as Australia.

Nature Zoomed In

Camera: Canon Legria HF S21. Filmed in the video-taker's backyard, handheld without a tripod. Full HD Video 1920 x 1080p, at 25fps.

Artist is Drawn to Nature's Oddities

I think most people are drawn to the oddities in life because people are quirky. The artist's name is Alexis Rockman.

The Insects Dinner

Rich in protein, insects are a viable source of food as this video demonstrates.

Hexbug nano swarm

Insect toys haven't evolved much in the past few decades.

Plants that go bad

These aren't bugs but I don't really care. The image at 0:19 isn't a plant but don't tell the person who titled this video.

Handling a Heteropteryx Female

That's a big effin' bug.

Weird Bugs on my Door

   The video-taker didn't know what kind of insects these were but they're leaf-footed bugs and I've added a photo below the video for reference.

Angry Caterpillar

The angry bug looks like it's getting ready to molt.

Deid Twigs! - Stick Insect - Kincumber NSW 2010

The guy says, "DEID Twigs" in an Australian accent. DEID. I learned a new way to spell DEAD today.

Giant Stick Insect Stars At 'Bug' Coin Launch

That huge stick insect creeps me out. Is it me or does an Australian accent make any woman 10X more attractive?

From the video's description: This video shows a giant stick insect crawling up and onto the head of Dr Beth Mantle, Collection Manager at the Australian National Insect Collection (CSIRO). Beth loves Australian insects and bugs of every kind and has been collecting them since she was a child -- making her the perfect person to introduce the Australian Backyard Bugs $1 Coin Set from The Perth Mint. Visit http://www.youngcollectors.com.au/ or http://www.perthmint.com.au for more information.

Earth Defense Force 2: Portable Trailer

The bugs are back for another romp on the PSP.

INSECTO ROBOTICO TAMIYA

A horrible insect toy which looks like it should've never escaped from the 70s.

Stick Insect - Kakavato

That's my JAM!

Red wasp nest

From the video's description: Some takes in the nest of the red wasps, the background is concrete, first scene is one of them doing mandible movements, the second is one of puppets in development moving in the nest while observed by a mature wasp. and the last take is a adult one cleaning herself.

Cecropia Larva Shed

A Cecropia Moth larva shucks its old skin and leaves it behind.

Roach crush in high heel

A harridan in high heels crushes a roach beneath her gigantic feet.

Cockrell Butterfly Center

The Cockrell Butterfly Center is located at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas.

Macro Life in HD

Macro video of an incapacitated insect followed by video of a wasp admidst the chirping and warbling of birds.

The spider looks fierce and it moves fast.

Bushveld Rain Frog Laps Up Termites

A fat frog laps up aliates (winged termites) as they emerge from their burrows.

Insect Photo Exhibit at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

From December 11 through January 23 "A Journey into the World of Insects from Their Perspective - Up Close and Personal" will be displaying at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. This photo exhibit featuring ultra close-up macro photography of insects was created by local photographer Bill Johnson and will feature over 25 color prints, plus booklets full of 4"x6" pictures for visitors to look at. Admission is free to the public and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is open 10am-4pm through the winter.

My black widow spider eating a cricket

Death Of A Conifer Seed Bug

From the video's description: I filmed this insect dying. I ended up with 4 hours of footage... THis was the first time I got emotional watching an insect die. I never much cared for insects until I started filming them these past couple of years...the micro lens opened up my heart to the insect world...

Insect Doing Breakdance

A darkling beetle on its back and feverishly moving its legs.

Nuthatch hunts for bugs

A nuthatch pokes its beak into tree bark in a search for grub.

The Red Carpenter Ant Queen and her First Workers

From the video's description: This is a colony of red carpenter ants(Camponotus novaeboracensis) in there founding stages. The workers in this video are nantics, the smallest and usually the most short lived.. I have boosted them to help them grow into a larger colony much faster then they normally would. Although I only used two pupae, the pupae are of major workers and will fulfill vital roles as nurses and guards until they are of age to forage and so on.

Eating Crickets

"Tastes like chips."

PHILIPPINE INSECTS Part 3

The insects of the Philippines shown in still-photographs and accompanied by wind instrument music.

HD Video Footage: Insect antenna

A close-up of a cockroach's antenna.

Japanese Bug Fight

If nearly 20 minutes of bug-fighting photographs is your cup of tea, look no further.

Slug Eats Shrew

A slug noshes on a dead shrew who has expired in a garden.

A Banana Slug Eats Foliage

The slow and methodical way in which this banana slug eats its leafy meal tells me that it's enjoying every single bite.

Tropical Caterpillar

This lime-green caterpillar with tufts of "greenery" on top looks like it would taste sour.

Podura aquatica

The following video of an aquatic springtail was taken through a microscope.

2" Jerusalem Cricket - Potato Bug in Sink

The potato bug looks like a toy.

Extraña Mantis De La Selva

If I ever traveled to another planet, I'd imagine the "people" to look like the praying mantis. It's that strange.

Green Christmas Bug Climbing Out Of Glass

The bug walks for a little while before taking wing.

Tarantula Feeding - Merry Christmas!

This dude has a lot of tarantulas. Spiderman, fo' sho'

Robot Insect Toy

A clunky insect toy that pales in comparison to the real thing.

Venus flytrap

An unsuspecting fly serves its purpose as food for a flytrap.

Walking Leaf Insect

Mother Nature is versatile and creates insects that look like leaves.

São Paulo - CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - Brazil

A sampling of the Christmas lights on display in São Paulo, Brazil.

Crickets Eat Lettuce

A group of hungry crickets crowd around and on a piece of succulent lettuce.

Drinking Stick Insect

A stick insect seeks out and drinks water on a tabletop.

Leaf Cutter Ants in Turrialba

A parade of leaf cutter ants cut and carry segments of leaves from the top of a tree.

Ants and a roach....

A poorly focused video of a swarm of ants on the carcass of a cockroach.

FIREFLIES Near Hudson River (NYC)

Fireflies light up the night with pinpricks of luminescence.

Red Worms in a Vermiponics Grow Bed

http://www.RedWormComposting.com Presents...Red Worms in a Vermiponics Bed - I recently dismantled my small experimental vermiponics system, and I created this video to show the worm population that has developed in the bin. It's important to note that I didn't add many worms when I set up the system, so I'm definitely quite impressed with the results (especially considering the fact that I was worried I'd end up killing them off altogether). The bed contained unbelievable numbers of worm cocoons as well!

Bioponica Incubator

Raising Fish Food from Waste. Algae, Duckweed, Worm Teas.
Interesting idea from: www.bioponica.org

   This is our bioponic solution to hydroponic fertilizers and gmo aquaponic fish foods. Why buy when it is possible to become entirely food self sufficient by cyclling nutrients? Fish prefer natural pond and streams for the diversity of food. It makes them healthier and makes people who eat fish happier. Plus there is no accumulation of PCB's and other toxins that persist and bioaccumulate in fish when fed fish meal. Ever eat an organic fish? Not likely. Wild caught may have a better diet but considering the condition of the worlds waterways, they're not organic. Here's how to raise an organic fish. Same goes for plant fertility. Worm teas, algae, decomposed bacteria and protozoans all contribute to plant fertility. This is why river deltas are the most fertile farm regions of the world. Biomimickry with systems like this is how we can get back to eating healthy foods.

Wasp eats sugar and drinks water afterwards

Refined white sugar is the worse thing you can put into any living thing but this wasp eats sugar crystals and has a drink of water to boot.

Man vs. Wild - Eating Giant Larva

The larva looks juicy and squirts out a torrent of juices when it's crushed between the man's mandibles. The third larva that he eats would probably fit into the length of a hot dog bun. The ejection of material that spews out is probably the larva's entire digestive system.

Dude Attempts to Eat Grasshopper

Yokel-kids stand around with cameras and watch a friend nosh on a grasshopper in the middle of a parking lot. According to the video's description, the dude's name is Aaron and he did it for the money. If you watch until the end of the video, Aaron doesn't even swallow the grasshopper. He masticates it for a few seconds and spits out a mashed up insect loaded with saliva onto the concrete. America, ain't nothing like it.

Insexts II

The camera work isn't the greatest but the material is interesting. At 3:56, two ladybugs go at it.

Phasmatodea - Stick Insect

Stick insects that hide on trees or foliage can pretty much blend in to look like part of a tree or woody plant.

Insect Candy

That looks like good eatin' for Halloween.

Strange Insect on my arm

Not sure what kind of insect this is but it's big and a little scary.

Adult Male Hisser (Madagascan Hissing roach)

A hissing roach walks all over its owner's hand.

Varanus exanthematicus eat cockroaches

Two savanna monitor lizards nosh on roaches. That's good eatin' for sure.

Giant Hornet vs Man

The description for the following video reads, "A man put up a fight with Giant hornet." but that's not a fight. It's a slaughter of innocent giant hornets that are drowned in a jar of honey. Sure, the hornets have a venomous sting but don't provoke them and you won't get stung, amirite? The Japanese call the giant hornet, "suzume bachi" which translates to "sparrow hornet" because they're almost as big as a bird.

Centipede Eats Mouse

There's something disturbing about an insect eating a mammal but here it is in all of its gory glory. Don't watch if you're a squeamish person who cannot stand the sight of a massive centipede consuming a little mouse.

Dung beetles race to food

A monkey takes a greasy poop in the jungle and dung beetles hurtle themselves towards their own little piece of nirvana to make dung balls. Remember, "The bigger your ball, the better your chances."

Phyllobates Bicolor and Fruit Flies

The frogs in the video snap up fruit flies with a lightning-fast tongue.

Bearded Dragons Eating Giant Mealworms

These dragons eat a lot of mealworms which slither in a feeding dish. The sound of the worms' bodies cracking and getting mashed under the force of the dragons' mandibles may be heard throughout the video. At the end of the segment, the dragon on the lower left looks at the camera and seems to say, "Where's the dessert?"

Life in the Undergrowth - Dragonfly

The majesty of Mother Nature's creatures is shown in the flight mechanics of the dragonfly. If man set out to create a machine as elegant and as versatile as a dragonfly, it would probably cost a few million dollars. Per dragonfly.

TomM's Tarantulas and True Spiders

It's feeding time and these arachnids are hungry.

Ladybug Mania!

Releasing ladybugs to combat aphids at the Cape Tech Greenhouse. From the video, I learned that a pint of ladybugs in a paper bag contains 9,000 ladybugs and they "tickle" when they're on your hands and forearms. The video was taken last month but was only uploaded yesterday.

Playing with a Praying Mantis

The mantis is lurking around the garbage when it should be in the grass and hooking crickets, flies, and other delectable morsels from the insect kingdom.

Stink Bugs Are Cool

I could watch this bugger all day. Alas, I have something called "work" to perform and wages to earn.

Huge Bug

    I know it's not a bed bug in the following video but the theme of bed bugs is getting tired. I'm thinking of changing this blog into a general interest blog about bugs. I'm still a little boy at heart so I'm interested in staring and bugs and occasionally collecting them into jars and then releasing them again. Fleeting ownership is all I can bear since bugs should be free and buzzing around outdoors. I don't know what kind of bug is shown in the video but it looks cool and measures 1.75" in length. It's also dead since it doesn't move or even shiver when the videographer flips it over.

Bed Bugs: A NYC Invasion

   A student project which covers the bed bug situation in NYC. The Starship Troopers footage at the beginning was probably used without authorization but it's a little overdramatic, don't you think?

Big Bed Bug Debunked

   The description for this video reads, "found a big bed bug" but that's not a bed bug in the video. They don't get that facking big. If bed bugs got that big, a bunch of them would be sucking out serious amounts of blood from their victims every night. The video quality is horrible but that's a beetle of some sort with a hard outer shell and wings. It can be seen flying at one point towards the end of the video. Bed Bugs don't fly. If they did, we'd all be in a lot of trouble.

Bed Bug Invasion Not Leaving Any Time Soon

This video tells me something I already know.

Bed Bugs Flock to Juicy Couture

   Bed Bugs crept into the Juicy Couture store on 650 Fifth Avenue a couple of days ago and forced the company to issue the following statement:

   We wanted to inform the public and our consumers that we have temporarily closed the Juicy Couture Store at 650 Fifth Avenue due to the discovery of bed bugs.

   Like other major retailers recently impacted by this issue, we are moving swiftly and aggressively to address the problem. We expect the store to re-open later this week.

   The people who shop and work at the store are our top priority and we are taking all necessary precautions. There are three other Juicy Couture stores serving New York City shoppers – 860 Madison Avenue, 368 Bleecker Street, 103 Fifth Avenue – and of course all merchandise is available 24-hours a day at www.juicycouture.com.

Sleep Tight

Sleep Tight

i'm not someone you could care about, just a pretty face when you watch me smile.
and the little chance that you could win me over gives you the thrill that makes you stay..
and while i lie in bed awake at night you're counting your blessings while i just cry mine away..
and you'll say..

sleep tight, oh sleep tight.
sleep tight, oh sleep tight.
sleep tight, oh sleep tight.
don't let the bed bugs bight.. tonight.

i'm not here to make you happy when your favorite football team loses the game and,
i don't do it because i love you..
i love who i made you up to be.
while i lie in bed awake at night you're counting your blessings while i just cry mine away..
and you'll say..

sleep tight, oh sleep tight.
sleep tight, oh sleep tight.
sleep tight, oh sleep tight..
but i won't sleep at all. not at all tonight.

Bed Bug Inspection Process

This video is hilarious because the "lady" that is referenced by the inspectors is so clueless and oblivious to the massive bed bug infestation that's she's been sleeping upon. I don't know why there's porno-ish music playing in the background however.

Barnaby the Bedbug

A bed bug in a Ziploc bag travels the world, meets a dinosaur, and even hovers over a pregnant lady.

Road Star Inn Bed Bugs LOL

The quality sucks and the people in the room aren't the brightest bulbs but this video was apparently taken the morning after spending a night in a motel room with bed bugs.

Lola the Bed Bug Sniffer Dog

The UK's first bed bug sniffer dog. Rejoice!

Black People are Crazy as Bed Bugs

Ever see a video title that makes you think, "That's dead ass wrong" and then you click on the video, watch it, and then think to your self, "Ironic." Here's one of those videos. Enjoy.

Bed bugs plague Bloomington elementary again

Keeping in the theme of yesterday's school bed bug news, here's another school-related story that was reported yesterday. Again, one student caused the panic, fear... and loathing. Can you imagine the panic when the zombie invasion begins?

Bedbug Infestation at Prestigious High School

   An example of how one single person can create fear, panic, and loathing. It's getting ridiculous already but hey, welcome to the Republic.

Paris bitten by New York-style bed bug scare

   According to a Reuters article today, the Parisians are also contending with bed bugs just like New Yorkers were doing this past summer. Looks like the contagion is spreading outwards in a concentric circular-shaped wave.

From the article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLNE6AG00U20101117

Bed bugs, known in French as "punaises de lit", or "bed drawing pins", were a rarity in France just three years ago, far less prevalent in homes than mice or cockroaches and well under the radar of public health officials. No longer. An employee at the public health section of Paris' City Hall who asked not to be named said more than 600 places in the city have needed treating for bed bug infection so far this year -- a marked increase from 2009.

While the city is playing down the extent of the problem, rejecting the term "invasion", exterminators said bed bugs were spreading quickly throughout the French capital and had already appeared in other parts of the country. "Let's say it started in 2007," said Reynald Boudet, owner of the Aurouze extermination shop in Paris. "Back then we had ten requests per year. Now it's more like a hundred ... We are getting more and more orders for (extermination) products from all over the country."

Bed Bug Summit in Buffalo, NY

Remember that big summit a couple of months ago? A smaller summit was held in Buffalo, New York to address the bed bug contagion.

Bed Bug Demolition

The following video is titled, "UGLY OLD BED BUG INFESTED BUILDING COMES DOWN !!! IMPLOSION !! BEDBUGS !" which is (probably) untrue but I like the video anyway. The idea of demolishing an ugly-ass building because of bed bugs sounds appealing to me. Of course, the blast would send the bed bugs *everywhere* but hey, Americans like big explosions, right?

Friday Night Apathy

   I have a date in about an hour. I don't want to go but she's special and I don't want to disappoint her again. She works in a law firm and they're burning the midnight oil. I'm supposed to pick her up at 10:45PM but I'm tired, grumpy, and killing time listening to jumpy Italo music. The music's high energy is not working to invigorate my spirits. The weather in New York's been nice ever since I got back from Vegas with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. That's one good thing but I'm tired. I want to go to bed but I have a date. I don't want to disappoint her again. Hah. I'm repeating myself now. Going outside for a walk. Until my next entry, look at this bed bug video. ZzzzZzzzZzzz.

The Waldorf-Astoria and Bed Bugs

   I wasn't in New York when the Waldorf-Bedbug story came out and I'm catching up on the news so bear with me. I have to give my point of view on the story.

   The hospitality industry is scared to death of bed bugs but not for the simple reasons that you might think. Sure, bed bugs can be disastrous for a hotel's reputation but think about another scenario for a minute. If an unscrupulous guest doesn't feel like paying his or her bill for the hotel stay, what's the best way to squirrel out of it?

   Scream that you've been bitten by bed bugs, that's how, and make sure you've got a vial of the little critters to boot just in case. Take it a step further. What if the unscrupulous guest wants to be paid for "damages" and wants compensation for pain and suffering? You go to the press and make a big stink about it because bed bugs are on the news every day and a story involving a renowned hotel makes a great headline. Once the brouhaha is brewing, the unscrupulous guest hopes that the hotel will make a settlement to shut the story down.

   Of course, I'm not claiming that this particular case that arose last week is part of a scam. It just smells like one but who knows. Maybe the Waldorf is hosting a teeming colony of bed bugs that are out for blood. In a story from the Daily News last week, here are two salient snippets:

Parent company Hilton Worldwide said outside specialists found no trace of bedbugs in either room the Drabickis' used and had received no previous complaints about those rooms.

Drabicki's lawyer, Alan Schnurman, said the Waldorf has a serious infestation and an obligation to keep bedbugs out of rooms.

   "Serious infestation?" Where are the other guests who have suffered from this "serious infestation" that has apparently taken over the Waldorf? If there is a bed bug plague at the hotel, there should be a lot more claims, suits, and news than this one story that has appeared thus far. You wouldn't happen to be an ambulance chaser would you, Alan Schnurman?

An old lady talks about bed bugs

J-Sonoma's back in New York but he's not back at work yet. We think he'll be back tomorrow. In the following video, an old lady sits near a bright window and talks about bed bugs. Enjoy.

Hundreds of Bed Bugs Biting a Man's Arm

J-Sonoma's back from vacation tomorrow. Til' then, check out the swarms of bed bugs in these jars.

Bedbug-sniffing dog

J-Sonoma will return from vacation on Wednesday of this week. Til' then, here's a bedbug video from Action News.

J-Sonoma's on vacation so we're half-assing his page

Bed Bug Guide

J-Sonoma is on vacation. Until he returns, us temps are going to be half-assing it on his pages. Enjoy this bed bug guide. J-S makes a point about not having bed bugs but trust me, ~80% of New Yorkers don't have bed bugs so he ain't special.

National Geographic and Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs - Cryonite Treatment for Office - Part 1

   This has to be one of the dumbest bed bug treatments I've seen on Youtube yet. You can tell that the guy spraying the "Cryonite" is unhappy to be there and he's going through the routine like he's probably done a thousand times. I can read his mind and this is what I'm reading, "I'm bored. I'm spraying haphazardly. When's lunch. I'm bored. Jackass 3D was great. My job sucks. Bed Bugs are great. I'm bored." The end result of all that spraying? I bet 80% of the bed bugs in that office are still alive and are sneering, "SUCKERS!"

Single dad driven off the job by bedbugs

   The scourge of bed bugs has no end. No end. Even single dads (potential DAP) are affected:

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/884719--single-dad-driven-off-the-job-by-bedbugs
   The guys at work noticed that Mel was scratching. They asked him what was up. He said he had bedbugs. Here is a fresh hell:

Mel works with a dozen other men; a city job, to do with waste-water pumping. So, how did Mel’s mates react to the news about the bed bugs?

“At first they didn’t treat me bad. They’d say they felt sorry for me.” Their sympathy didn’t last.

“Pretty soon they didn’t want me around. To be honest, I don’t blame them.”

Mel had been doing his best. He was taking precautions. He was shaking out his clothes before he went to work. Not good enough, I guess.

“Eventually, they didn’t want to work with me. The acting super told me to take two weeks off — the guys were complaining.”

Mel’s blood pressure shot through the roof, as it would have done anyway: no sleep; constant worry; fear and frustration. But if you think it’s bad when you’ve got bugs and you can’t get rid of them, it’s worse when you’re treated like a leper at work.

Bed Bugs: Enemies of the Democratic Process

Date Night

   It's 8:07PM here in New York as I start this post. I was supposed to have completed this entry earlier today but it's been busy at the company over the past couple of months. I have a date tonight and I have 2 hours to kill before I meet her. She's a night owl too and she's still at her law firm. Nah, she's not a lawyer but a legal secretary. We're going to Bouley which is downtown. I'm not going to drive so my plans are as follows:

1) Take a cab to her office building
2) Wait until 10PM and hope that she's done by then
3) Walk to Bouley since her office is only about 3 blocks away
4) Actually, it's freezing outside so we might take a cab
5) Eat and wince at the bill
6) Take our complimentary lemon bread when we leave
7) Go to the motel I've mentioned before on this blog
8) Inspect the carpet, mattress, and blinds for bed bugs
9) Sleep. Well, sleep as in "go to bed" which is what I tell my little nieces and nephews.
10) Tomorrow morning, I'll watch her do the walk of shame down the street

   I've known this girl for about 3 months so I figure I'll give it another month before I allow her into my apartment. By then, I'll know she's not a bed bug carrier - can't be too careful these days.

Dirty Ass People at the United Nations?

From the Canadian Press:

UN not giving diplomatic immunity to wingless, bloodsucking emissaries known as bed bugs

By Anita Snow (CP)

   There are a few emissaries at U.N. headquarters that won't be able to count on diplomatic immunity: bedbugs. Bed bug sniffing dogs twice this month found evidence of the insects in furniture in two U.N. buildings, and the furniture was moved to unoccupied areas of the complex to be fumigated, Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the Secretary-General, said Wednesday.

   At the U.N., no staff or other occupants of the complex overlooking the East River have reported bites, Nesirky said. He also said that the bed-bug sniffing dogs are unable to distinguish between insects that are alive or dead.

   Nesirky said that a bed bug infestation reported last fall at the Albano building, a midtown Manhattan building on East 46th St. where the U.N. is housing some offices during a major renovation, was cleared up by a several rounds of fumigation. An insect discovered at the site after fumigation in May was deemed not to be a bed bug but a clover mite, which is not harmful to furniture or humans, he said.

   "We continue to follow the expert advice of our exterminator specialist making further tests with the bed-bug sniffing dog to more fully assess and manage the problem," Nesirky said.

What I, J-Sonoma, learned from this article:
1) Bed bug sniffing dogs can't tell the difference between live and dead bugs
2) There's an insect called a "clover mite"
3) The U.N. is not immune from the scourge of dirty ass people and the bed bugs they harbor

Are Bullies the New Bed Bugs for 2011?

   The year 2010 was all about bed bugs... at least in New York City. Now, I'm hearing about bullies and bullying on the news pretty much every other day. I'll make a prediction right here and right now:

BULLIES are going to be the BED BUGS of 2011

   The news media will talk about bullies, bullying, and the bullied in 2011 like they talked about bed bugs in 2010. The face of bullies will be paraded on television, the papers, and websites. Bullies will be on the cover of Time magazine and I will shed a tear for the bullied.

   I don't like bullies but I think I know where bullies come from - low self-esteem, low self-worth, ignorance, trouble at home, and a "get them before they get me" mentality. In light of all that, I think bullies serve an important social function. It's not a pretty social function to talk about but bullies can be motivators and serve as the impetus for change for those that they bully. The recent Rutgers suicide has been attributed to bullying but I don't agree. The roommate who filmed Tyler Clementi having relations wasn't a bully - he was idiotic, misguided, and a voyeur but a bully? If people are calling him a bully then the term is being bandied about very loosely. So, there it is, my first prediction for the coming year - the rise of the Bully.

HeadDrama: 10/25- Bed Bugs Bite!

All-natural bedbug sprays have little bite

   A new article published in the L.A. Times takes a look at "natural" bedbug sprays and finds them wanting. Read up on their in-depth analysis here: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-skeptic-bedbug-spray-20101025,0,2017880.story

AP Interviews Bed Bug Expert

   Some common sense suggestions from a "bed bug expert" named  Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann on keeping bed bug free when staying at a hotel. I've pasted two snippets from the AP interview below:

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/10/22/2010-10-22_tips_for_travelers_worried_about_getting_bedbugs_from_hotels.html

 

AP: How do you inspect a hotel room for bedbugs?
JGK: Experts say that inspection of the mattress under the sheets is good, but you're even more likely to find bedbugs in less disturbed places like the box spring and the headboard, so I make some effort to inspect these areas. I'm not especially paranoid so I don't go crazy inspecting. But even rooms that appear clean have been found to harbor bedbugs behind the headboard. And most headboards are mounted on the wall with hooks and can be lifted off and removed or replaced. Places where the box spring meets the frame are good; crevices are favorite hiding spots. And I always look between the mattress and box spring by lifting the mattress. The fecal stains are what to look for primarily, although they could be old. If those are found, it's a strong indication to either do a very thorough inspection or change rooms.

 

AP: A number of products claim to repel bedbugs. Has any product been found to be effective?
JGK: The only thing that was studied and published in a peer-reviewed journal was standard insect repellents versus bedbugs. They found evidence that DEET is repellent to bedbugs. It makes sense that other botanicals might be repellant as well, but none is foolproof because you can't possibly cover your whole body or your entire environment with an even layer of the scent. Plus given a no-choice situation, bedbugs will likely brave it and get their meal. Also all these repellents wear off over time, so by 4 a.m., you might no longer be protected, and that's usually when they like to feed anyway.

  

   I stay at a motel about once a week and I've inspected my rooms carefully when I'm there. I've mentioned the motel before on this blog and it's clean, has cable tv, and they make an okay sandwich. I've never seen bed bugs in that establishment but it's a sleepy little motel that doesn't see many visitors and I'm puzzled as to how they stay in business. Maybe they're dealing drugs in the basement.

New iPhone App Tracks Bed Bugs

   For the measly fee of $1.99, you can download Bed Bug Alert from the Apple Store today. According to the publisher Apps Genius:

   "Stay on top of the rampant spread of bed bugs with Bed Bug Alert. No matter where you are located, you can easily see all reported infestations of these pesky creatures. Thousands of locations of bed bugs are updated daily. Protect yourself and know what lurks around you with Bed Bug Alert."

   The app also allows iPhone users to report bed bug sightings by tapping on the "Report Bed Bugs" bar which brings up a screen which requests the address and any comments that you might have. Once you've filled out the address fields, tap on the "Report" button and your sighting is added to the Bed Bug Alert database.

   While the app is a welcome one, I thought something like this already existed. Must've been something else but the app also opens up the opportunity for false reports. For example, if a motel operator wants to screw a rival motel operator, there's nothing stopping him from making a false bed bug report and sending it to Bed Bug Alert. There's no screening at the moment so "false positives" are possible. A bed-bug-spammer could also blanket the database with a list of addresses that don't really have bed bugs.

Bed Bug Intruder Song!! Official Parody

Bed Bug Dogs

Bedbugs Put Bite on Co-op Deals

   I own a co-op in NYC and the building had its annual inspections about a week ago. During the inspection, someone from the company that operates the co-op comes by and looks at everyone's living quarters to ensure that no one's flouting the co-op's bylaws or living in filth. My apartment is on the second floor (of an eight floor building) so the lady that came by had pretty much seen everyone's apartment by the time she reached me. They start on the eighth floor and then head downwards when they do their inspections.

    In any case, she was reasonably attractive (usually the first thing I notice) and she went around the apartment with a clipboard and made some notes. I asked if anyone in the building had bed bugs because that was the hot topic in the city this year. She hesitated for a minute but then said, "No, but as you know, we've had a roach problem in some apartments for months now." Her hesitation was a concern but maybe she was thinking about another building since they operate a few of them.

   According to a WSJ article today, bed bug disclosure will soon be the law:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704300604575554591824168312.html

"Selling a co-op apartment has been tricky in today's market, but now it may get harder—because of a mistake in a new bedbug disclosure law for renters.

State housing authorities have ruled that buyers of co-ops, but not condos, in New York City are entitled to learn the recent history of bedbug infestation in the building and the apartment they plan to buy.

The law's prime sponsor said it was intended to provide renters with bed bug histories, but through a drafting error, the state housing agency has determined it also triggered the same requirement for co-op buyers.

The ruling is a major—if inadvertent—expansion of the new disclosure law. It could unveil now-hidden bedbug histories in some of New York's most expensive co-ops at a time when outbreaks of the tiny nocturnal blood-sucking insects have spread across the city"

   I'm all for this law. I don't plan on selling the co-op since the building imposes a 20% flip tax and I'll just give it to one of my siblings if I ever move out or buy another place. I saw a roach scampering in the kitchen earlier this year and I put out Boric Acid which appears to have solved the problem. I think the roaches migrate throughout the building by crawling on the pipes which reach every apartment and provide them with the means to go everywhere and into every apartment.

Bed Bug Bill a Bust

   Did you know that there's a Bed Bug bill going through Congress? It's called the "Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act" and it was originally introduced to the House in 2009 by Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC). The bill would have put federal money behind the bed bug menace and was designed to help public housing and the hotel industry.

   If passed, the bill would hand out $50 million a year between 2011 to 2013 for bed bug inspections and pesticides if the pests are discovered. However, according to an article in today's LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bills-20101018,0,931424.story "The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, aimed at lowering the volume on loud TV ads, appears headed for approval. But a bill seeking to squash another annoyance, the Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act, is likely to fail. And the sponsor of the All-American Flag Act must figure that the bill's name alone should ensure its success."

   So, it would seem that Congressman Butterfield's bill is going to die a lonely death as the Congressional session comes to a close. Notch another win on the belt of the bed bugs. 

Feast Your Eyes

Bed Bugs and Lincoln Center

   The scourge of the summer - bed bugs - have made their way into the hallowed confines of Lincoln Center. According to a New York Times article published today:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/cue-the-exterminators-bedbugs-at-lincoln-center/?partner=rss&emc=rss
   The pests were sighted in the dressing room of the David H. Koch Theater, the New York City Opera confirmed on Wednesday, and at the Metropolitan Opera. City Opera, whose fall season opens Oct. 27, shares the theater with the New York City Ballet, whose season ended on Sunday. The outbreak was reported online on Wednesday by The New York Observer, which quoted from an Oct. 8 e-mail from Mark Heiser, the theater’s managing director, who said treatment was under way. “Please understand that this is an epidemic,” Mr. Heiser wrote. “Any signs of bedbug activity should not be considered a sign of an untidy house.”

   I beg to differ with Mr. Heiser. You got some dirty ass people working there and I'm of the opinion that attendance for the upcoming performances might be a tad off.

I'm going to burn in hell but I laughed out loud when I saw this

New Zealand attacked by bed bugs

   The stuff.co.nz website has posted an article about the bed bug assault on New Zealand. The writer Kristy Johnson says:

"The bug outbreak has been labelled as verging "on the threshold of a pandemic" by the National Pest Management Association of America and has struck countries around the globe this year.
The bloodsucking creepy crawlies are worst in New York, where they have been found in major retail stores, theatres and on public transport."

   I live in New York City and I don't know anyone in my social circle who's had a problem with bed bugs. It is true that I associate with Clean People (CP) instead of Dirty Ass People (DAP) so maybe that makes a difference. I suppose the local media hysteria over bed bugs has infected the perception of New York and New Zealanders now think that bed bugs are in every nook and cranny of the City. A few years ago, I entertained visitors from England who wanted to visit the usual tourist traps and I took them around town. Before coming to New York, they mentioned that their perception of New York City was borrowed entirely from the movies and the occasionally story about Gotham on the BBC.

Bed Bugs and Motel Rooms

   I've been spending at least one night a week at motels over the past few months. The motel that I go to is generally clean and I've searched the rooms that I stay in for bed bugs - checked the headboard, beneath the mattress, the curtains, and even the carpeting underneath the bed with a flashlight. I did find a roach once and a ladybug that had flown indoors but no bed bugs. It's a small local motel that's sleepy and I'm probably their only frequent customer. Well, me and this other guy I've seen from time to time who looks like a serial killer but that's a story for another day.

   That absence of the little buggers in motels can't be the norm however. Motels that see a lot of traffic from travelers near and far are almost certain to encounter at least some bed bugs. Think about it - dirty ass people travel around and spread the contagion of bed bugs everywhere they stay. Motels would never publicize this fact however because it wouldn't exactly be good for business. How can travelers find out if a motel or hotel has had reports of bed bugs? Check out the Bed Bug Registry http://bedbugregistry.com/ which allows visitors to punch in the name and address of a hotel and search for any reports of bed bugs sightings. I checked my motel and they're clean. Good to know.

Bed Bugs = Big Business?

   Two articles were posted today on the business of bed bugs. One from the Daily News titled "Broadway to bedbugs: Stage manager quits job for lucrative bug gig" and another from MSNBC which reads "Bedbug invasion is turning into big business."
   As more of these stories hit the newswires, serial entrepreneurs and "me too" businessmen are probably going to get into the bed bug business. Eventually, there'll be a saturation point where there's more bed bug killers than clients and the whole damn thing will collapse under its own weight. Well, that's my opinion anyway. No, I don't think the bed bug problem is going away anytime soon but this type of social ill can't go on forever into perpetuity. Of course, bed bug exterminators can always propagate the problem by releasing bed bugs into the wild themselves to cause a problem and offer a solution. Yes, that's evil but I wouldn't put it past the greed of man to further a problem for the sake of profit especially when business hits a speed bump. The term "Bed Bug Sabotage" is on my mind.

 

The Washington Post tackles Bed Bugs

   The WPO website has a 3-page article on bed bugs titled "Don't let the bedbugs bite" today. The writer is Andrea Sachs and she starts the piece off with the following:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100706855.html
If evolution really worked in our favor, bedbugs would be as large as melons, with neon carapaces and a courteous deportment, announcing their presence every time a newcomer entered a hotel room. Alas, the vampirish insects are neither obvious nor polite: They're tiny and reddish-brown like freckles, and masters of subterfuge.

   I like that first paragraph and the article runs the gamut from bed bug history, how they're public enemy #1, and tips on preventing bed bug infection. Read it.