The bedbug results are in.
As of November 12th, only 2 of the 18 survey responders actually had a bedbug infestation in their own homes. Both of them were in Brooklyn and both were in the past 6 months.
About 3/4 of the those who did not have bugs themselves, knew someone who has and 40% say that this has affected the way they socialize with them.
Here are some of the ways respondents said the bedbug “plague” has changed or affected their lives in New York:
“I’ll cross the street if there’s a sketchy looking mattress or something out on the curb, but that’s more my weird neurosis than a serious precaution.”
“I look for tell-tale signs when I go to people’s apartments and wonder why someone is scratching himself or herself.”
“I stick my clothes in the dryer after i go to the movies (when i used to have a dryer)”
“I try not to touch people in the streets or buy clothes from any area near NYU.”
“I sometimes get phantom bites!”
So far, it does look like the hype is bigger than the reality when it comes to bedbugs in NYC. Worrying, rather than itching, is the problem for most of these respondents.
See the complete results in the chart below, and if you haven’t taken the survey yet, please click here.