A bedbug infestation occurred on at least three subway trains Sunday, causing the trains to be taken out of service.
Some of the bedbugs were found in the seat cushions in train cabs used by conductors and motormen.
"When we found them, we exterminated them," said Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Adam Lisberg to the NY Daily News. The infested trains were sent for fumigation at the Coney Island yard in Brooklyn.
Bedbugs are small wingless insects that feed by sucking the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans. They get their name because they are most commonly found in couches, bed mattresses and other soft furnishings. The bugs spread by clinging to luggage, furniture and bedding, according to Medical News Today. It's difficult to get rid of the infestation; it's recommended to use a pest control professional.
"We found bedbugs in a few trains, all of which were immediately taken out of service for exterminating. Remember, we have more than 6,200 subway cars in service," Adam Lisberg told My Fox NY.
WABC reported that the MTA is taking precautions by checking other crew and passenger areas in the subways. The MTA told WABC that the issue appears to be isolated and there are no reports that crew members or passengers were bitten by the bugs during this incident.
This was not the first time these unwanted riders made their way into the New York City subways.
In 2008, a city bedbug educator claimed to see bedbugs on benches in subway stations, according to New York Post reports. In 2009, the Gothamist reported a spotting a bed bug on a commuter, its body dark brown from having gorged on its victim's blood.
