My friends in other cities such as Denver told me in late October how they were inundated with commercials for the November 2010 elections.

They couldn’t turn on the television without seeing one candidate bash his/her opponent.

New Yorkers rarely have the

pleasure/displeasure of

these commercials on

a state-wide scale.

All of our competitive races in recent years have been

our

local races (Mayoral, etc)- those chosen

mostly on the strength of the

candidate.

If you live in New York City and occasionally watch television, instead of political ads, you have been watching ads for companies who can rid your home of the dreaded BEDBUGS!

Speaking of which, what’s the difference between a politician and a bedbug?

I don’t know- but that’s joke worth writing.
All of this is a roundabout way of introducing my monthly Do-It-Yourself segment.
The question that came to mind is: “Can you get rid of bedbugs without hiring a company?” I work with companies who will come in, wrap all of your belongings in plastic, bring all of your clothing to be steam/dry cleaned, and get to work on your apartment.

However, this can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

This cost could be a concern for many.

Of course, the affluent are not immune from bedbugs- these critters

do not discriminate by address.

Back to my question:

Can you do it yourself?

My short answer- I wouldn’t.

This is one of those times when I would hire the professionals.

A managing agent I spoke to about this, one of the largest in the city, called this “an economic stimulus” in the city of a scale “that no one truly understood.”

Sounds scary, but I think that the impact of bedbugs is understated.

The problem isn’t going away.

Think about who benefits- cleaning companies, mattress companies, anyone selling upholstered furniture, clothing companies, dry cleaners.

I almost forgot attorneys- frankly, there is such fear about bedbugs that I can only wish that I don’t have clients who’ve had bedbugs in their apartment- that makes for a challenging sale!
The only item that I might consider doing myself is the bulk drycleaning/steamcleaning- Clients have found commercial cleaners who will save you hundreds on this portion of the work.

The rest seems too risky to rely purely on over the counter remedies.

You should also know your rights-

Recent legislation requires disclosure about bedbug infestation in the last 12-24 months.

Even if it has been mitigated, some queasy New Yorkers would prefer never to live in an apartment that has ever seen a bedbug.

In fact, I have clients who wouldn’t live in an apartment that had ever been lived in before, by anyone.

So I see varying degrees of what people will tolerate.

Be careful, and weigh your options.

Peace of mind is pretty valuable.