An Amazon worker and self-declared freelance labor organizer is warning people of a bedbug infestation at an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky—though Amazon is denying the allegation.
Drew D. Duzinskas, whose LinkedIn profile shows he’s both a “freelance labor organizer” and Amazon fulfillment associate, put up a TikTok video on Wednesday in which he warned viewers based on a TikTok shared with him. As of Friday morning, the video has tallied more than 273,800 views.
He starts by claiming, “Apparently, bedbugs had been found at an Amazon facility in Kentucky. Someone shared a TikTok video with me from a worker from SDF9 in Kentucky, in which they claimed that on July 20, 2024, the SDF9 facility was shut down in order to inspect the facility for bedbugs. This same worker is reporting that both night shift and day shift are reporting that they have had bedbugs found in their own personal situations.”
The warehouse in question is in Shepherdsville, Ky., near Louisville.
Are Amazon workers unknowingly taking home bed bugs?
Duzinskas goes on to say, “Apparently, the corporation has been telling them to go to Amcare if they feel itchiness or feel any bites. Given the fact that it’s mosquito season as well as poison ivy season, can be kind of hard to tell whether or not you’re getting bedbug bites or not.”
While there are no recent news reports to corroborate Duzinskas’ story, a Reddit post on r/Louisville made on Thursday also alleges there’s a bedbug situation.
“There’s an alleged beg bug scare going on this week at the Amazon facility nearby Louisville,” that post said. “It’s also allegedly being said that Amazon workers are unknowingly taking bed bugs home.”
However, an Amazon spokesperson told the Daily Dot that two independent pest control companies checked the facilities and determined it did not have bedbugs.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has long been a pest – feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) all consider bed bugs a public health pest. However, unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease. They can, however, cause other public health issues, so it’s important to pay close attention to preventing and controlling bed bugs.”
The article goes on to say, “Experts believe the recent increase in bed bugs in the United States may be due to more travel, lack of knowledge about preventing infestations, increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides, and ineffective pest control practices.”
What to do in case of an infestation
A CBS News article provides some tips for determining if you have bedbugs, including, “If you notice reddish stains on your bed sheets, this could be your first sign of a bed bug infestation. It’s not pleasant to know this, but it’s worth it to be prepared: These stains are likely the result of crushed bedbugs and an indication that you should take a closer look at your mattress.”
Commenters reacted to the possibility that Amazon packages might be carrying bedbugs.
One quipped, “Shopping addiction cured!”
Someone else claimed, “SDF9 is a mostly clothing/shoe return facility. It has always been rumored to have bed bugs.” The person then clarified, “Never saw one while I worked there.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Duzinskas via LinkedIn mail and TikTok direct message,
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