Now This Is Disgusting - RIOC Advises Possible Presence Of Bed Bugs In Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department Office

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) reported today:

RIOC is actively responding to concerns it has received about the possible presence of bed bugs in our Public Safety Department facility. This appears to be an isolated and contained matter; however, out of an abundance of caution, RIOC has hired two specialists to conduct a thorough inspection of all of its facilities. Residents, businesses, and stakeholders of Roosevelt Island should know that RIOC remains committed to taking every necessary precaution to address these reports and will work to ensure the continued health and safety of the public and RIOC employees.

Here's more than you'll ever want to know about bed bugs.



UPDATE 10/1 - From RIOC:

The Public Safety Department Office at 550 Main Street is temporarily closed due to an investigation into the presence of bed bugs at the facility. The office is scheduled to re-open this afternoon at approximately 3:00 PM. Anyone who needs PSD assistance can use their regular number - 212-832-4545. If that number is busy, please contact 212-832-4540. If you need to speak to PSD in person, please come to 591 Main Street where officers will be ready to assist you. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Got Roosevelt Island Bed Bugs? Exterminator Parked Nearby

Uh- Oh - walking past the Blackwell turnaround earlier today, I spotted this Exterminator's Car with the appealing

 GOT BED BUGS

rear end signage parked across from the Rivercross and Riverwalk buildings. Previous posts have reported on bed bug problems at Rivercross

 ... A larger discussion took place about the matter of bed bugs reported as being/having been a problem in at least six apartments in the building. It was noted that the bugs are quite mobile, using people as a convenient carrier, as well as finding paths between apartments through holes in the building structure....

 and Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood but have no confirmed reports from other Roosevelt Island buildings.

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) has even formed a Bed Bug Committee. More on Roosevelt Island bed bugs here.

You Tube Video Of How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

Have you stopped scratching yet?

Roosevelt Island Rivercross Mitchell Lama Cooperative Residents Meet Again To Discuss Issues Of Common Concern & Solve Problems - Secrecy Rejected But Bed Bugs Found

Image of Rivercross from Adventures of a Goodman

Are you a resident of Roosevelt Island's Rivercross Mitchell Lama Cooperative and interested in learning more about what is going on in your building? If so, consider joining with some of your neighbors as they meet to discuss common interests of concern and find solutions to existing problems.

Rivercross resident David Bauer sends the following report from the October 26 meeting. Mr. Bauer writes:

Folks --

The October 26 meeting covered some interesting ground.

The meeting Tuesday evening continued the conversation about Board actions or comments made by Board members, including the following matters --

1A) Board matters that seem positive

a) the conversation sessions with shareholders

b) establishment of a window screen maintenance policy

c) raising the temperature setting for the common spaces

d) the active search for a window washer

e) the book exchange center

f) clarifying the process for reporting/correcting the transmission of odors between apartment

g) upon request, building staff will install u-shaped handles to facilitate window opening

h) request RIOC to install bench at bus stop.

1B) Events that seem negative

a) Board unwillingness to give reasonable answers to failing to increase the surcharge

b) opposition of two Board members to the bench in front of building

c) apparent significant Board opposition to ramp

d) stand that a green roof is not feasible or affordable without presenting data to justify

e) apparent belief that additions to facilitate window washing would likely be prohibitive in cost without providing data

f) the Board's unwillingness to have its meetings open to interested Shareholders

g) apparent general plans for the expenditure of multi millions of dollars without any indication of the impact on the monthly maintenance cost for individual apartments

2) A significant discussion took place as to whether it was appropriate for these summaries of Shareholder Forum meetings to be made available to the Roosevelt Island Blog. The feeling of most of the attendees was that making such information available was important, particularly in serving as a counterpoint to the veil of secrecy that surrounds the deliberations of the Board. However, one person withdrew from participation in the meeting on the basis that publication on the Blog was inappropriate and unwarranted

3) A larger discussion took place about the matter of bed bugs reported as being/having been a problem in at least six apartments in the building. It was noted that the bugs are quite mobile, using people as a convenient carrier, as well as finding paths between apartments through holes in the building structure. A three person group -- Al, Kimberly and Stephanie -- volunteered to develop a program for furthering information for shareholders.

4) The 'bed bug' discussions led to comments about the range of approaches and attitudes used by various building staff members when they deal with shareholder concerns.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 . The Forum will reconvene in three weeks on Tuesday November 16 at 7:30.

There is also an online Rivercross Google Group for residents to communicate with each other as well.

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Announces Bed Bug Spray Located In Aisle 5 - On The Front Entrance Door

Can you think of any less appealing signage on the front entrance door to a supermarket than what I saw last night as I entered the Roosevelt Island Gristedes?

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Front Door Bed Bug Signage

Yep, that right, the Roosevelt Island Gristedes is welcoming it's customers with:

NEW ITEM

BED BUG SPRAY

LOCATED IN
AISLE #5

There have been bed bugs reported in Roosevelt Island buildings recently and the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) announced during their September Monthly Meeting the formation of a Bed Bug Committee. But still, is posting a sign on their front door the best way for Gristedes to sell bed bug spray?

You Tube Video of Bed Bug Infestation From NBC News

Update On Roosevelt Island Bed Bugs - They're Crawling Around Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings And Rivercross Too! Call Out The Dogs!

You tube Video of Bed Bug Dogs

In response to earlier posts concerning reports to the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department about a bed bug problem at Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings, a skeptical reader asks:

Just wondering, don't you think both bedbug reports are more than a little suspicious? Have you heard anything independently about bedbugs at Eastwood?

I replied:

Regarding the bed bugs - They were mentioned as a problem by the RIRA housing committee chair at the September RIRA meeting in addition to the Public Safety reports.

I am looking into it and will try to get a comment from Urban American when I return.

I think it is a relevant story. If the presence of bed bugs is true, then people should know about it. If it is not true, then the fact that someone would make it up in order to get out of a lease or pressure the landlord in some manner is a story as well.

In response to my inquiry Joyce Mincheff, Co-Chair of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Housing Committee, confirmed the presence of Bed Bugs at Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings and Rivercross. She writes:

There is a bedbug problem throughout the City!

Not only have I heard of the problem in Eastwood but also in Rivercross. It is likely that the other buildings are affected as well.

People are loathe to come forward when they have the little critters for several reasons- because it's a source of embarrassment and because they may simply not know or be in denial over having them. The most important thing to recognize about having them is that it's not your fault! If you fail to report them, however, you're enabling their spread to your neighbors.

Not only does the invaded apartment have to be exterminated, the adjacent units, both laterally and horizontally should be sprayed as well. Failure to report the problem to management inhibits their ability to take comprehensive action.

Temperature extremes kill bedbugs and they don't just hide in mattresses. They can be in clothing as well, picture frames, furniture, couches, etc. Placing clothing in the dryer or the freezer for several days will destroy them.

Urban American is cooperating totally in eradicating the problem. They will bag and remove mattresses as well as helping to move bags of clothing or belongings. No one with an infested mattress should attempt the removal of it on their own. They need to be encased and discarded where no one else can pick it up. Management will exterminate in infested and adjacent units. When they send you a notice telling you they need access to spray, please heed their request!

In Eastwood, because of its intricate design, the neighboring apartment is unlikely to be the person next door to you on your hallway nor the person who's address is directly above or below you. Please be diligent in contacting management so the correct apartments can be located. Report your problem immediately.

If you wake up and have an itchy bump that wasn't there when you went to sleep....you had a six legged visitor during the night. Call right away. You could have been such a great host that your guest doesn't need to dine again for several months, so don't judge whether you have a problem by whether you're bitten again the next evening.

Just because you have bedbugs does not necessarily mean the removal of your mattress. Only a professional should make that call. There are ways to treat and salvage your mattress.

If you have bedbugs please don't attempt to eradicate them simply through the use of home remedies! Your problem is your neighbor's problem as well. Please contact management to have it treated effectively and immediately.

There are a couple of things folks can do to minimize the liklihood that they will bring bedbugs into their apartment:

Refrain from purchasing second hand furniture or second-hand clothing.

If purchasing something second hand, keep your purchase sealed until you can either cycle it through the dryer or send it to the dry cleaner.

If you travel, take a good look at the mattress you are sleeping on and upon your return, carefully inspect your belongings and luggage as you unpack.

Although bed bug pictures usually portray them as a brownish red disks about half the size of your fingernail, they go through stages that are less obvious, including a clear stage.

If you're really concerned about whether you may have them hibernating...they can go up to a year without feeding....you might want to call the bedbug sniffing beagle.....no kidding....it really exists! You can find him on the internet.

More on Roosevelt Island bed bugs here.

UPDATE - 10/6 - An Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings Bug Bug Task Force has been formed.

Another Roosevelt Island Complaint Of Bed Bugs at Eastwood/ Roosevelt Landings - Are You Scratching Yet?

You Tube Video of Bed Bug Attack

Another report of Bed Bugs found at Roosevelt Island's Eastwood/ Roosevelt Landings building complex. From the 9/11 Roosevelt Island Daily Public Safety Report:

Investigation - A complainant reported bedbugs in her mattress, complainant referred to Urban American Management.

Here is a July post on earlier incident of Bed Bugs reported at Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings.

Very few things are as disgusting and creepy as bed bugs. They lurk in your furniture or bed and come out to feed on your blood at night.... once they are in one apartment they can easily get into adjacent ones.

A recent NY Times article described how the presence of bed bugs impacts condo sales:

... Complaints about bedbugs have risen sharply over the last few years in New York, according to city officials, and no neighborhood in the city has been spared. While the pests do not pose a dangerous health risk, they inflict considerable psychological distress on their unwilling hosts. Moreover, the uninvited guests can be excruciatingly difficult and costly to evict.

According to the law, sellers and their brokers must acknowledge a problem if asked. But conflicts of interest aside, neither can be expected to know whether an infestation exists elsewhere in the building.

The problem is so pervasive that some lawyers have begun incorporating sellers’ representations about bedbugs into sales contracts, adding to now-standard ones about leaks, mold and noise issues. And buyers are having to determine if the pests are a deal-breaker or just one more headache on the road to a new home...

But nothing on what redress tenants in a rental building may have or not. However, a 2008 NY Sun article reported: ...

... In New York City, landlords are responsible for getting rid of bed bugs in infested buildings and units and they must pay for extermination.

This was not always the case, but a turning point was a 2004 case, Ludlow Properties, LLC, vs. Young, in which Judge Cyril Bedford sided with a tenant who refused to pay rent for six months because of a persistent bed bug problem.

"Although bedbug are classified as vermin, they are unlike the more common situation of vermin such as mice and roaches, which, although offensive, do not have the effect on one's life as bedbugs do, feeding upon one's blood in hoards nightly turning what is supposed to be bed rest or sleep into a hellish experience," Judge Bedford wrote....

For those not scratching at the moment, more on bed bugs.

Bed Bugs Reported On Roosevelt Isand - Echhhhh Disgusting

Image of Bedbug From NY Times

The July 8-9 Roosevelt Island Daily Safety Incident Reports advise of the following:

Investigation - Reporter stated to PSD he was having problem with bed bugs. Reporter stated management was unable to assist. Reporter was referred to 311.

Very few things are as disgusting and creepy as bed bugs. They lurk in your furniture or bed and come out to feed on your blood at night. I inquired of Public Safety Director Guerra for more information as to which Roosevelt Island building was reported to have bed bugs but have not received a response as of yet. It is important to know which building the bed bugs have been reported in because once they are in one apartment they can easily get into adjacent ones. Residents of this particular building should be made aware so that they can take action.

The NY Times reported this week:

AFTER virtually disappearing for decades, bed bugs have made a comeback throughout the nation, with particularly bad infestations in densely populated apartment buildings....

... Small and nocturnal, the insects are hard to spot. They love to hide in mattresses and box springs, of course, but they also burrow in woodwork, night tables, picture frames, cushions and even behind outlet and light-switch covers. They come out only to feed on sleeping humans...

... Bedding, clothes, stuffed animals, backpacks and anything else you can fit into the clothes dryer can be decontaminated by 20 minutes on the high setting. Carry the items to the dryer in a cloth laundry bag that you can throw into the machine. If you use a plastic bag, discard it immediately; bed bugs or eggs might be lurking.

For items that can’t go in the dryer, consider packing them in plastic bins or bags and storing them for a year to make sure any hidden insects die.

For furniture and other large items, you may want to consider a professional fumigation service that will decontaminate the items away from your home and return them within a week or so. This can easily add $1,000 to your bed bug bill. But for antiques, heirlooms and other hard-to-replace items, it may well be worth the cost.

To learn how others rid themselves of bed bugs, the NY Times Wellness Column sought comments from their readers. Among the many comments were:

We had them in an apartment in Queens. We spent 6 months and five thousand dollars getting rid of them. Then we moved. 70 percent of our stuff is still in storage - if they are still in our possessions, they will eventually starve and die. I wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone. The psychological effects of such an infestation are lasting.

Techletter has 10 recommendations to apartment managers on how to get rid of bed bugs.

... 2. Be proactive. As soon as the first bed bug problem is reported and verified, assume that there are more and act aggressively. We can't emphasize this point enough: bed bug control can become extremely expensive once bed bugs become widespread. (It is not unheard-of for a property to spend $50,000 to finally "eliminate" a widespread bed bug infestation in a medium-sized apartment complex.)

3. Whenever a new bed bug infestation is identified, the apartments on either side next door, and above and below need to be inspected for bed bugs. A new infestation may be overflow from a severe infestation in a nearby apartment with a resident who does not want to report their infestation for some reason....

Ignoring them, as the person who made the complaint to Public Safety reports his building management did, should not be an option. Again, this is disgusting. I am glad to be finished with this post so I can stop scratching!

UPDATE 6 PM - RIOC Public Safety Director Keith Guerra advises that the above bed bug reporting incident was for 560 Main Street - Roosevelt Landings / Eastwood.