Ack: Bed Bugs Found On The N Train

It looks like straphangers made a mistake when they named the Q train the dirtiest of the lot. Bed bugs have now been found on at least three subway trains on the N line, as well as in lockers of two N train crew members and at the home of one conductor.

The Daily News reports that two trains were removed from service on Sunday and sent to the Coney Island yards for fumigation. On Tuesday, they found the parasitic insects on another train, which has also now been cleaned.

Sources told the paper that bugs were found in “seat cushions in train cabs, which are used by conductors and motormen.”

Then on Wednesday, the Daily News learned that bed bugs had been discovered in the lockers, and one conductor — who did not work on the N train — told the paper that she’d discovered them in her home.

It’s not the first time the blood-sucking bed bugs have been found on MTA property. In recent years they’ve been found in the filthy crevices of the wooden benches at some stations — including here in Park Slope — as well as on the R train.

Generally speaking, the subway system shouldn’t be too appealing to bed bugs. The hard-to-kill insects favor warm, dark environments (and while that may describe subterrenean platforms, the cars themselves are well-lighted and air-conditioned). They also tend to be found inside cloth or bedding, and are mainly active at night.

If you spot bed bugs on the train, call 311. Also, take a photo and send it to us. And then run like hell.