NYC Bedbug Cases Drop to Four-Year Low

According to recent data from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, bedbug infestations have dropped every year for the past four years. Brooklyn has had the most bedbug violations since 2010, but all five boroughs have seen declines in confirmed bedbug cases. Here are the numbers:

• Manhattan: 846 violations in 2010, 520 violations in 2013;
• Bronx: 1,104 in 2010, 768 in 2013;
• Brooklyn: 2,147 in 2010, 1,290 in 2013;
• Queens: 593 in 2010, 478 in 2013;
• Staten Island: 118 in 2010, 80 in 2013.

Citywide, bedbug infestations were cut by nearly 53 percent – from 4,808 in 2010 to 2,268 in 2013. Officials credit the drop to legislation enacted in 2011 that required landlords to properly deal with infestations, and to better awareness citywide of the crawly critters. “As opposed to just a few years ago, people today are considerably more vigilant and there is more and better information available to the general public regarding how to prevent and deal with infestations,” stated an HPD news release.