Psssttt. Another “attraction” for the US’s most visited city: bedbugs.
So says the New York Daily News, which reports a minor infestation of the blood-sucking creatures in the one of the city’s most-visited attractions, the Empire State Building.
“Staff at the iconic skyscraper discovered a minor infestation of the blood-sucking critters in the building’s basement,” the paper said.
"That makes me think they’re not cleaning when they should be," Phalyn Kazmaerczak, 23, of Buffalo, N.Y., told the newspaper. "You would think that for US$20 a ticket, it should not be infested with bugs."
Bedbug infestations are a growing problem in New York City, with infestations rising fivefold in the 12 months to June, according to pest control company Assured Environments.
Locations including a movie theater, a Victoria’s Secret lingerie store and clothes retailer Abercrombie & Fitch all are reporting infestations this year.
The creatures bite into human flesh with two hollow prongs and feed on blood. After the insect has had its fill and scurried off, the bite will start to itch painfully and swell up.
The insects can hide in walls, clothes and even computers and go a whole year without eating, making them extremely difficult to eradicate.
By David Wilkening
