Man Releases Bedbugs In City Office That Refused To Help Him With His Infestation

Published June 7, 2017
Updated August 22, 2017

When Maine officials told a man he was ineligible for assistance with his bedbug infestation, he dumped 100 of the insects on the counter.

Bed Bugs Augusta City Revenge

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/MCT via Getty Images

When a Maine man was informed that he did not qualify for city assistance with his bedbug problem, he apparently figured that if he had to deal with the pests, the government should have to too.

He slammed a container filled with the tiny and incredibly annoying insects onto the counter of the Augusta City Center, yelling, “They’re your problem now!”

City Manager William Bridgeo guessed that about 100 of them were flung around the office — some of them landing on the poor employee behind the counter.

In his four decades as a municipal employee, Bridgeo told the Kennebec Journal, he had never experienced “anything as yucky as this.”

Employees called the police and a pest control contractor, who closed the entire building for the rest of the day.

The man — who had been denied a lease on a new home based on the bedbug infestation in his last apartment — was confronted by police and will likely face criminal charges.

His bug attack is particularly worrisome because new studies have discovered that bedbugs are becoming resistant to the most common insecticides used to kill them.

This new immunity has triggered recent spikes in bedbug infestations around the country.

Bad news for city official in Maine, but maybe something to keep in mind next time you need a really evil revenge plot.


Next, watch the incredible origami-like way that ladybugs fold their wings. Then, learn about how female dragonflies play dead to avoid having sex.

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All That's Interesting
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Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
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John Kuroski
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John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.