Towns along major commuter train lines like New Jersey Transit and Metro-North are showing an increase in bed bug infestations, according to a New Jersey-based pest control firm.
“We’re getting a lot more work in towns along the commuter-rail lines,” said Glenn Waldorf, a director with Parsippany, New Jersey-based pest-control company Bell Environmental Services. “Bed bugs are a huge problem for people in these communities.”
“We’ve seen problems emerge in Stamford, Conn.; Mount Vernon, New York; Montclair, New Jersey; and Jersey City,” he explained.
“It’s a significant concern for commuters who go to the same offices and the same stores as New Yorkers,” he added. “Bed bugs travel well.”
New York City pest control experts say they are not surprised to hear that bed bugs are commuting from the city into the surrounding suburbs.
“People have brought me bed bugs that they found on commuter trains,” said Jeffrey Eisenberg, author of “The Bed Bugs Survival Guide.” “Suburban areas are the fastest-growing market for bed bugs. People who work in the city will bring them home to Long Island or New Jersey.”
