New Yorkers have one more reason to celebrate the new year: Bedbugs are losing their bite.

The panic that gripped the city in 2010, when the nasty critters invaded every corner of the five boroughs—from people's homes and workplaces to trendy clothing shops like Victoria's Secret—is subsiding. City agencies that track the bloodsuckers and the exterminators who stamp them out are reporting fewer cases. Even ordinary New Yorkers are feeling less edgy about the scourge.

In fiscal 2011, bedbug violations in apartment buildings declined by 344 instances, to 4,481. Queens was the only borough to report an increase, with 17 more violations, for a total of 610, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. A violation occurs when inspectors find at least one bedbug. Full Article..

The war on bedbugs was winnable, experts say.

When the flesh-eating insects began their U.S. resurgence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we humans had our chance. Brought into airports and hotels by international travelers, a focused attack could have eradicated the pest not seen in such great numbers since the mid-20th century.
But no one talked about bedbugs then. And by the time the widening epidemic was noticed by the general population in the late 2000s, it was too late.

Now, according to Richard Cooper, one of New Jersey’s foremost experts on bedbugs, humans are in for a long, entrenched war whose progress will be measured in years.

“I think we had that opportunity and missed it,” Cooper said.
New Jersey is in the heart of the Northeast’s bedbug outbreak. Located between two major urban infestations — New York City is No. 1, according to a 2011 Terminix ranking of the most infested U.S. cities; Philadelphia is No. 5 — reports of bedbug problems are increasing in the Garden State as the pest makes its way from city centers into the suburbs and their public spaces. Full Article...

Bedbugs, unwashed sheets and dirty toilets are among the biggest hygiene fears of Kiwi travellers, a survey has revealed.
The Travelbug survey of 11,000 New Zealanders, conducted by the Trade Me website, asked people their destination preferences and hotel habits.
Of those, 32 per cent revealed their biggest hotel hygiene fear was discovering unwashed sheets in a room, followed by an infestation of bedbugs (24 per cent) and dirty toilets (15 per cent).

"Maybe people think bedbugs are unlikely but unwashed sheets are quite a real fear - you do hear some horror stories about what people find when they pull back the sheets. But in reality NZ hotels are very clean by world standards," said Trade Me head of travel Daniel Bridges.

Those most scared of germs were women aged 18-29, with 95 per cent having some hygiene fears, compared to the least concerned - men over the age of 60 - 22 per cent of whom had no hygiene fears.
The survey also revealed some fascinating habits of travellers once behind the hotel room door, said Mr Bridges.
Men were more likely to wander into the wrong hotel room, with seven per cent having done so; and 68 per cent of female respondents aged 18-25 had no problem taking the hotel toiletries home with them.

Queenstown was a clear winner when it came to the most sought-after destination.
More than 80 per cent of New Zealanders planned to travel around the country this summer, with the town topping the list of best destination they had visited and most preferred place to return to.
The visitor-friendly aspect of the town was a large part of its appeal, said Mr Bridges.
"It's no longer just a winter playground there's so much to see and do and it really is an exhilarating place to be all year-round. It's exciting and unlike anywhere else in the country with world-class visitor experiences like ZipTrek Ecotours, Shotover Jet and bungy-jumping."

The "Queenstown obsession" was particularly strong among young people, with 26 per cent of those aged 18-29 picking it as their number one holiday destination.Northland also rated strongly, with those over 60 selecting it as their favourite place to visit.When travelling, most people preferred to people were happy to pay for accommodation and have their own space rather than stay with friends and family.
By Abby Gillies

        
      Just because you haven’t heard much about bed bug-infested airplanes doesn't mean that economy or business class seat is free of the icky pests. While the topic hasn't hit the headlines the way bed bugs in hotels has, the stories are getting out. 

By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff
WriterCarroll County Times

If you think the stink bugs lingering around your windows or buzzing around
your lights this time of year are bad, you're not going to like what you see
next fall.

 Mark your calendar for the third week of September, said Bryan R. Butler Sr.,
a regional fruit educator working with the University of Maryland Extension,
Carroll County Office, because that's when he predicts the bugs will be trying
to get into your home again. Full Article....

NEW ORLEANS — It sounds like a horror movie: Biting ants invade by the millions. A camper's metal walls bulge from the pressure of ants nesting behind them. A circle of poison stops
them for only a day, and then a fresh horde shows up, bringing babies. Stand in
the yard, and in seconds ants cover your shoes.  
  
It's an extreme example of what can happen when the ants — which also can disable huge industrial plants — go unchecked. Controlling them can cost thousands of dollars. But the story is real, told by someone who's been studying ants for a decade. Full Article..