A recent article on NewYorkMagazine.com posed the question, “Is the great bedbug scare over (in New York)?”

According to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, bed bug related violations in Manhattan decreased by 7 percent from 2010 to 2011. Complaints are still on the uptick, only at a much slower rate than the previous year.

New York Magazine asked residents in Bushwick their opinions on the subject and found that many people are still concerned about the presence of bed bugs, but to a lesser degree because of increased awareness and education.

“When I lived in Manhattan, I wasn’t too worried because there was a big push to get rid of them,” said Justin French, 24-year-old Bushwick resident. “I’ve definitely taken precautions. I’ve got two mattress covers.”

See more comments from residents in the full article on NewYorkMagazine.com.

Being aware of what to look for and protecting your home with things like mattress and box spring encasements can help in the fight against bed bugs. Protect-A-Bed offers a variety of bedding protection products that can help ensure a bed bug free sleep zone. For more information on products, visit the Protect-A-Bed website.

Cincinnati’s FOX19 reports on the less-than-obvious places bed bugs may hide. This video provides tips from moving and cleaning professionals on preventing bed bugs, where to look and steps to take if you find yourself plagued.

Sometimes the hidden gems found at thrift stores or in a neighbor’s garage sale are so unbelievable, it’s hard to imagine anyone parting with such a valuable piece. However, experts recommend that you proceed with caution when it comes to certain thrift or garage sale finds, because the remarkable find may include more than you bargained for, especially when it comes to bed bugs.

Tips for cleaning pre-owned items include:

• Wash all clothing and fabric-encased pieces on the hottest washer setting and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes. These temperatures can kill the eggs.
• The piece of furniture may be beautiful, but its history is more important. Unless you know where the furniture comes from, there is a risk. Bed bugs have a penchant for tight spaces and imperfections within fabric. While that couch may fit perfectly in your family room, the possibility of dust mites, allergens and other unwanted elements is high.
• Bed bugs love small nooks and crannies. Imperfections in wood and fabric are prime breeding grounds. Everything from sofas, dressers, frames and lamps risk contamination. Think twice before purchasing such a deal.

Trae Bodge recently shared an article on RetailMeNot.com regarding Protect-A-Bed products. Read more by visiting the website. Follow Trea on Facebook and Twitter for more from RetailMeNot.com.

Photo Credit: Google Images via Elon.edu

In April 2012, students at North Carolina’s Elon University put their smarts and logic to the test when the class participated in a one-question assignment. The students were divided into two teams and challenged to find a way to give back to the community; two non-profit organizations in Alamance County benefited.

One of the recipient organizations, Allied Churches, acts as a temporary home for many of the community’s residents. After researching the needs of homeless shelters and kitchens, the students determined the organization was in dire need of bed bug protection. Data gathered in the area helped the students conclude that if bed bugs were on premise, the entire place would be at risk for closure, leaving many stranded and hungry.

As a result of the students’ work, The Allied Churches shelter and kitchen was awarded grant money to be put toward bed bug protection for the residents they serve.

A flight that landed in Chicago was quarantined for more than two hours, over fears of a mysterious virus that turned out to be a case of bed bugs.

Lisa Seavers was returning to Minnesota from Africa, where she was planning to adopt two children. One boy Seavers was seeking to adopt was suffering from an illness with lesions on his skin.

While on the plane during the return trip, Seavers noticed small bumps on her skin and called her mother to share that she had bug bites. Seavers’ mother misunderstood and called health officials claiming her daughter had monkey pox. After an investigation, The Chicago Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control declared her not contagious and allowed the plane to take off.

Seavers said the only fear she has now is that the hitchhiking bugs followed her home. You can watch the full interview with Seavers on MSNBC.com.

Over the years, dogs have been trained to guide the visually impaired, and detect weapons and drugs. According to a recent story in South Carolina, dogs are being trained to sniff out unwanted bed bugs in homes, hotels and other shared spaces.

At Merrill’s Detector Dogs Service canines are learning to pinpoint the pesky bugs in order to identify and prevent the spread of the critters.  The firm trains animals to detect a variety of threatening objects, but each dog is trained for one specific purpose.

A dog looking for bed bugs is trained in a setting where it learns to identify the jar of bugs by sniffing out the insects’ pheromones. Once the dog is ready to detect in real situations, it can identify anywhere from a few bugs to a family of them; after its nose lead them to the right place, it waits patiently for its reward — a tennis ball or a treat.

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) is marking April 22 through 28 as Bed Bug Awareness Week. PPMA hopes that this week serves as a reminder to the public regarding the dangers of bed bugs in advance of the summer travel season.

“PPMA will be issuing a series of tweets throughout the week offering bed bug facts and tips using the dedicated hashtags, #bedbugs and #bedbugweek,” said Missy Henriksen, executive director of PPMA. “We hope companies will join us and use the hashtag during their own Twitter outreach.”

Find out more about Bed Bug Awareness Week at PCTOnline.com.

The University of Florida and the Duval County Extension Office, have teamed up in Jacksonville, Fla., to create the Jacksonville Bed Bug Task Force. The task force was created after the city noticed a jump in the number of bed bug reports.

The team has created “Bed Bugs and Book Bags,” a program aimed at educating youth on bed bugs and bed bug prevention. The program can be downloaded by visiting the Duval County Extension Office website.

Ben H. Winters’ bestselling novel “Bedbugs,” is the inspiration behind a new horror movie. Tango Pictures purchased the rights to the novel and hired Ti West, the writer and director of “The House of the Devil” and “The Innkeepers,” to draft the script.

Learn more about the plot of the upcoming movie, by reading previous posts from Bed Bug Plague.