ARLINGTON, Va. — The federal government is waking up to what has become a growing nightmare in many parts of the country — a bedbug outbreak.
The tiny reddish-brown insects, last seen in great numbers before World War II, are on the rebound. They have infested college dorms, hospital wings, homeless shelters and swanky hotels from New York City to Chicago to Washington. They live in the crevices and folds of mattresses, sofas and sheets. Then, most often before dawn, they emerge to feed on human blood.
Faced with rising numbers of complaints to city information lines and increasingly frustrated landlords, hotel chains and housing authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted its first-ever bedbug summit Tuesday.
Put on by an EPA’s federal advisory committee, the two-day conference will provide the agency with advice and recommendations.
