Yes, I know the title of my post is a little dramatic, but there is some truth to this title.  Abercrombie & Fitch had to temporarily close their namesake store in South Street Seaport and sister store Hollister in SoHo recently.  Abercrombie is asking the Mayor for advice on how to handle bed bug infestations in commercial spaces.

Bed bugs have long been a problem in rental apartments in New York where tenants have been more consistent in reporting the problem to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development.  Owners of New York City apartments tend to try to mitigate bed bug infestations on their own and are less likely to report the problem.

Bed bugs are not a problem in New York City alone.  A recent EPA conference highlighted that bed bug infestations have tripled since 2005 in the U.S.  Yikes!

So if you are planning a shopping trip (or hotel stay) in the city in the coming months, check your luggage and belongings when you get home!