GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Bedbugs, the parasitic insects whose infestation levels have reached near epidemic proportions in New York City, were discovered in schools at an unprecedented rate this year, according to totals released by the city Department of Education.

There were 3,590 confirmed cases of bedbugs found in schools this year, a rate that more than tripled the 2009-2010 totals. The DOE did not release which schools were treated for bedbugs.

The city is battling back without the help of specialized exterminators. A troubled no-bid private contract with a bedbug pest control company was terminated in November, leaving just over a dozen employees in the DOE pest control unit to fight the growing case load.

The increase is significant, but not a complete surprise. The upsurge actually began during the 2009-2010 school year. In February, I reported that through just five months of the 2010-2011 school year, there were already 1,700 confirmed cases, far surpassing the previous year’s total of 1,019. (more…)