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The Reebok Sports Club has bed bugs. Is your gym next?

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By Teri Karush Rogers  |
April 11, 2011 - 7:36AM
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On the heels of the New York Post's report this weekend that the Upper West Side's upscale Reebok Sports Club is battling bed bugsand that some members are afraid to leave their clothes in the locker room, we asked bed bug expert Gil Bloom how worried other city dwellers should be about picking up more than a six-pack at the gym.

His response was somewhat reassuring.

"Lockers can serve as transfer points for bed bugs," he says, but as in school and retail settings, heavy infestations are "unlikely due to the lack of consistent food sources and nocturnal companionship, both of which are needed to thrive."

Even if you did manage to pick up a lone bed bug from a locker or someplace else, he notes, you don't have to worry about anything but a few bites unless the hitchhiker happens to be a pregnant female.

"Pick up a few adults and you probably will have a problem," acknowledges Bloom, an entomologist who runs Standard Pest Management in Queens and was recently recently named #1 bed bug warrior by NY Magazine.

Overall, "gyms that allow overnight or longterm locker use are more risky," so if you're going to use a locker, Bloom suggests packing your stuff in pouches.

 As for both preventative and active treatment of infested locker rooms, it's not that hard to do--as long as it's done: "Lockers themselves can be inspected by certified bed bug canines and treated by dry steam vapor after hours if an issue is found," says Bloom. 

Related posts:

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Top 10 bed bug products for New Yorkers

How to bed bug proof your NYC apartment

BrickUnderground's bed bug survival kit

NY Magazine names best bed bug exterminator of the year

Bed bugs and lice in the laundry room


 

Teri Rogers Headshot - Floral

Teri Karush Rogers

Founder & Publisher

Founder and publisher Teri Karush Rogers launched Brick Underground in 2009. As a freelance journalist, she had previously covered New York City real estate for The New York Times. Teri has been featured as an expert on New York City residential real estate by The New York Times, New York Daily News, amNew York, NBC Nightly News, The Real Deal, Business Insider, the Huffington Post, and NY1 News, among others. Teri earned a BA in journalism and a law degree from New York University.

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