Bedbugs at Amazon's largest air hub in Northern Kentucky? What we know

Bedbugs – vampire-like insects that suck your blood at night while you sleep – were allegedly found at the largest Amazon Air Hub in the world recently, workers said. Amazon officials deny the claim.

The Enquirer checked with workers, company officials and an insect expert to learn more about bedbugs and whether there’s anything you need to worry about when you get your Amazon packages.

More: Potentially record summer travel + low housekeeping staff = bedbug nightmares

What do Amazon workers say?

Amazon workers said they found a bedbug in a crew van back on Memorial Day and had to fight for the right to go home with pay to decontaminate themselves.

Ramp agent Braeden Pierce, 25, said in an interview that workers use the vans to get around the large facility.

He was among those in the van and featured in a TikTok about the incident on the Unionize Amazon Northern Kentucky KCVG account.

"This issue has been going on for about as long as I have been working there, about a year and some change," he said about the bugs.

What does the company say?

Amazon officials, however, said the facilities and vehicles are regularly inspected by pest control professionals as part of health and safety protocols.

"In this instance, an employee told us about a potential issue and we immediately took the van out of service and had it treated. Pest control experts have since confirmed the insect in question was not a bedbug," Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis said in a statement.

Amazon officials would not release the name of the pest control company so The Enquirer could independently verify their statement. Amazon also did not respond to a question about what kind of bug or insect was found.

Last year, an Amazon fulfillment center in Amarillo, Texas temporarily closed after an alleged bedbug incident, according to reports. The company also denied there were bedbugs at that facility.

What an expert on bedbugs had to say

Bedbugs like dark places and need blood to survive. They usually prey on humans but will settle for cats or dogs if they’re in a pinch. But can they sneak into your home on packages?

“I would say people do not need to worry about this,” Gregory Dahlem, an entomologist and faculty member at Northern Kentucky University, said.

Boxes and warehouses aren't the ideal home for the bugs. The critters prefer something soft, like a bed or couch, to hide in until they can feed.

It’s possible a bedbug found its way into a van at the Amazon facility, Dalhem said. But it’s not likely the bugs would last long in public places without a consistent supply of humans to feast on.

Dahlem also said bedbugs are more common than people think and can be found in movie theaters, schools and offices. The appearance of one or two of the bugs isn't likely to create an infestation because of the optimal environmental factors they need to thrive.

Cincinnati is consistently ranked among the topmost bedbug-infested cities in the country, coming in at 13 this year on Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List. The Cleveland-Akron area is ranked at No. 4 and Columbus comes in at No. 10.

Bedbug charge comes amid union drive

Amazon worker Pierce pointed to the bedbug incident as one of the reasons workers continue pushing for unionization, getting people to sign union authorization cards in support of a vote and convincing people of the importance of a $30 per hour starting wage and 180 hours of paid time off annually, among other demands. 

"We're really working hard for it and we're very happy with the progress that we've made," he said.

Workers said hundreds of people have committed to a union vote and they continue to recruit people, including using informational material that's been translated to Spanish.

Amazon reiterated in a statement that employees have always had a choice about whether to unionize.

"As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees," the statement continued. "Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work."

Workers have accused Amazon of union busting, but company officials deny those claims.

If the Amazon Air Hub in Kentucky is unionized, it will be only the second of the company's facilities to do so. The first was at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York. Other unionization efforts by Amazon workers have been unsuccessful in places like Alabama and upstate New York, according to reports.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bedbugs at Amazon Air Hub? What you need to know