“BedBuggedNYC” : 9/15/11

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BRICKUNDERGROUND TO HOLD MEETUP: “BedBuggedNYC”:  Thursday, September 15th, 6:30pm-8:30pm

–Event Co-Hosted by Neighborhood Social Networking Site Romio.com and Sponsored by Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists–

New York, August 22, 2011 –BrickUnderground, http://www.BrickUnderground.com, the online survival guide to finding a NYC apartment and living through the aftermath, has announced its second Meetup event, “BedBuggedNYC.”

The free, panel-style event and Q&A will take place from 6:30pm-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15 at the West 23rd Street penthouse headquarters of co-host Romio.com, the neighborhood social networking site.

In-the-know BedbuggedNYC Meetup experts will dispense the practical lowdown on bed bugs, including what bed bugs really look like and where to find them; the best ways to get rid of them; who pays for removal; how to get your landlord or board to do the right thing; and how to deal with the emotional upheaval and social stigma of infestation.

Meetup sponsor Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists will be on hand to explain fumigation using Vikane gas, provide steps to bed bug-proof your next move, and introduce attendees to The Fume Cube, an innovative portable solution for bed bug treatments in a multi-unit urban environment such as New York City. While The Fume Cube has been available and in operation in NYC since 2008, BBFS will introduce a second-generation Fume Cube for the first time at the Meetup.

The BedbuggedNYC panel will be moderated by BrickUnderground’s founder and former New York Times real estate contributor Teri Karush Rogers, who has been reporting on the city’s bed bug epidemic since 2009. Panelists include:

  • Gil Bloom, president of Standard Pest Management: An entomologist and pest control operator as well as New York Magazine’s “Best Bedbug Warrior of 2011,” and a former member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Bed Bug Advisory Board, Gil has also provided training to a number of city agencies. Gil will kick off the BedbuggedNYC Meetup with an overview on the essentials of  bed bug biology, prevention, detection and banishment of bed bugs.
  • Steven Wagner, real estate lawyer, Wagner Davis PC: An attorney extremely familiar with the tactical and legal complexities of blame-placing and exterminating bed bugs in apartment buildings, Steve will explain how to get landlords or boards to  properly address a bed bug problem, as well as talk about who is responsible for the cost of extermination and whether a landlord can refuse to rent to you if you had bed bugs in your last home.
  • Theresa Braine, journalist, bed bug survivor, and BrickUnderground’s Bedbugged! columnist: Fresh from a seven-year stint working as a journalist in Mexico, Theresa returned to NYC in late 2008, took over her brother’s apartment, and found a jarring surprise: A bed bug infestation. Reflecting on her yearlong battle to get rid of the bugs, Theresa will discuss the emotional and social side effects of having bed bugs, the coping measures that worked for her and what she’d do today if faced with the same situation again.

“The object of this Meetup isn’t to stir up fears, gross people out, or engage in policy debates,” says BrickUnderground’s Rogers. “Our panelists will tell you exactly what you need to know to protect yourself, your family and your neighbors from bed bugs and minimize the financial, social and emotional consequences of an infestation.”

Spots at the Meetup are limited, so participants are strongly advised to register in advance on BrickUnderground’s Meetup page, www.meetup.com/BrickUnderground-NYC-Real-Estate-Meetup/.  Light refreshments will be provided by Romio.com.

About BrickUnderground

BrickUnderground.com is the online survival guide to buying, selling, renting and living in a NYC apartment. Content on BrickUnderground is updated three times daily and features smart, originally reported stories on topics that matter to NYC apartment dwellers, seekers and sellers. For more information, please visit http://www.brickunderground.com

About Romio

Romio’s mission is to efficiently connect people, businesses, organizations, and groups around their interests in the neighborhoods where they live, work and play. Leveraging connection technologies, the social network enables residents to effectively find, follow and support those in their neighborhood who have like-minded interests, offer products and services and work toward solutions to better their communities. Romio launched its first neighborhood social network in New York City in 2011 by CEO Tarik Sansal. www.romio.com

About Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists (BBFS)

Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists is the industry leading Fumigation Treatment Service specializing in bed bugs, termites, clothes moths, powder post beetles and other pest infestations. With over 40 years of collective fumigation experience, BBFS is the company with the record you can count on. Our professionals have safely completed more than 50,000 fumigations in our history, including over 2500 successful bed bug eradications in NYC alone. BBFS is also a recipient of DOW AgroSciences Commitment to Excellence (CTE) award for safely administering Vikane for thousands of customers. For more information, visit www.bedbugfumigators.com.