Megathread: Bug situation in NYC (11/7/23)

Hello and welcome to the sub. This is a megathread for all the people freaking out about the situation in NYC. <br><br>These bugs are Leptoglossus occidentalis—a western conifer seed bug. They are about as common as fruit flies. <br><br>They are not a pest. They are not encroaching on your territory. They’re just happy to eat a little dying conifer sap. If you don’t know what they eat or how they look, you wouldn’t find your first introduction to the bug situation very pleasant. I get it. I’m sorry you have to put up with this situation. It sucks to have to deal with stinky bugs.<br><br>Some people don’t like the visual. I get it. They’re a little cute (or not), depending on your definition of cute. <br><br>They migrate in the fall. Right now they’re looking for food, warmth, and shelter. The better insulated your building is, the safer it is for them. They can’t survive -20 degree winter nights I’m sure most of you are familiar with, so they find somewhere they can survive the winter months. <br><br>You can’t stop them from migrating. You can’t stop them from leaving for food. They’re 0.3 inches big. They can squeeze into any opening. They will get inside and no amount of bug traps, glue traps, or worse will stop them. It’s not worth the trouble. They do not bite. Yes, they may bite if they feel threatened, but would you not do the same if you were stuck to the glue trap with no chances of escaping? They are not venomous, so even if they do bite, you’re fine.<br><br>Homeowners can protect themselves by replacing window screens and sealing any holes. <br><br>The whole situation doesn’t have to be a threat. No reason to feel panicked, no reason to feel defeated or angry. They’re just bugs.<br><br>They can’t kill buildings. They’re just guests who will be gone in the spring. You won’t have to put up with them for long.<br><br>To the bug situation, I say: I told you so. New York City is not built for you. It is not built for your fragile bodies and delicate lives.<br><br>If you feel anger or disgust or frustration, I get it. I’d feel that too. I’d probably be living in my car at the side of the road if I was you, constantly on the run from the city that swallows you whole. <br><br>I feel bad for you guys. You thought you were being smart, buying a home and settling into a life, and then the bugs came. And suddenly you’re scared of a bug situation. <br><br>All I can say is that you have no idea how lucky you are.<br><br>Probably won’t post for a while since I’m not really interested in engaging with people who have no intention of engaging with me. This is my home. This sub is all of our home. If you want to be guests, you’re welcome to join us. But if you’re just here to yell at everyone, then no thanks. I’ll be happy to ignore you. <br><br>You are not welcome in our home. You will never be a part of this sub, but you are welcome to listen and observe. We are not angry at you for the bug situation. We are thoughtful and empathetic. I wish you the best.<br><br>Original post body has been removed. For context, this is a copy of the original post body:<br><br>>Hi. I’ve been using this sub for a few months. I live in Manhattan and we’ve been experiencing many issues with pests in the building where I live. We had been dealing with persistent issues with roaches, rats, and bed bugs for about a year and a half before the 2019-2020 winter, and it seem to be an ongoing problem. We get fumigations and exterminations, but it never seems to improve. They don’t seem to be actively reproducing, I.e. they don’t seem to be living in the walls or something, but they’re always present. I’m not even that bothered by it, but it’s still kind of strange to see this many bugs in my apartment every night. We have a few windows that don’t close all the way, and a lot of the apartments in the building are in disrepair. So I assume they’re just getting in through the poorly insulated parts of the building, but I was wondering if anyone here has any insight as to why we had a sudden infestation of stink bugs. I’ve lived in NYC my whole life, and I’m pretty familiar with all of the pests that are common here, like cockroaches, bed bugs, rats, roaches, etc., but I’ve never seen stink bugs in my apartment before, or really even in NYC. They just kind of showed up at the end of last fall, and then left again at the beginning of spring. And then they just showed up again at the end of this fall. So many. They’re everywhere. In my apartment, in the hallways, and in the common spaces. We clean them up regularly but there are just so many. I’ve been trying to find information on why they’ve suddenly started living in NYC and in buildings, but I haven’t found anything. I don’t really know where to look. I’ve been trying to find something about whether or not climate change has caused them to migrate north, but I haven’t found anything clear. Our landlord says that it’s some kind of epidemic, but he’s not very reliable.<br><br> bam<br><br>Edit: Thank you all so much for your responses and help. I have a few more questions that I will probably post in a day or two. But I feel like I have a pretty good handle on it now. Thank you