Council Urges Feds To Study Bed Bug Problem
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As a national summit on bed bugs kicks off in Washington, the City Council is asking the federal government to jump into the fight against the critters.
In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and several other Council members are asking the EPA to conduct further research and development of effective pesticides.
They are also calling on the Department of Housing and Urban Development to allocate funds for bed bug extermination in public housing.
The two-day meeting of the "Federal Bed Bug Working Group" will focus on remedies to control the insects.
Research has shown bed bugs are developing a resistance to pesticides.
Here in the city, bed bugs have shown up in hotels, theaters and homeless shelters.
Local officials have ramped up efforts to educate New Yorkers about the bugs.