The country is slowly being invaded by the determinedly vexing cimex lectularius, commonly known as the bedbug. Infestations in the U.S. have been on the rise since the mid-90s, thanks to an increasingly mobile population and the critters' growing resistance to pesticides. (Watch a local report about bedbug infestations.) Though particularly acute in New York, the problem is spreading quickly across the country. Here are some alarming stats:
57
Percent increase in the number of calls to bedbug exterminators nationally since 2005
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82
Number of confirmed infestations in NYC six years ago
4,084
Number of confirmed infestations in NYC last year
100
Percent increase in calls to bedbug exterminators in Houston in the last two years
1 in 6
Chances that a residents of Cincinnati had a bedbug infestation in 2008 — a few years prior there were no reports in the entire state of Ohio
2
Number of days the New York branch of the Hollister clothing chain was shuttered so that its bedbug infestation could be eradicated
3
Number of weeks Hollister allegedly waited to tackle its bedbug problem after the staff's initial complaints. (Other NYC retailers and media offices that have reportedly suffered infestations include: Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Marie Claire magazine, and FOX News.)
600
Number of bites one woman allegedly received at a New York hotel in 2007
$382,000
Amount a Chicago jury awarded in 2003 to a couple who were besieged by bedbugs in a local motel
$8,000-10,000
Average amount a victim could expect to receive in an out-of-court settlement over bedbug infestation, according to one lawyer
$50 million
Amount that Rep. George Butterfield (D—NC) proposed Congress spend to help tackle America's bedbug problem. Sadly, his "Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2008" (its actual name) never became law
80° F
Temperature at which bedbugs grow fastest and lay the most eggs
1 out of 3
Number of humans who don't feel bedbug bites
550
Number of days an adult bedbug can survive without food
Sources: MSNBC, Gothamist, L.A. Times, Business Week, Bed-Bug.org
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