By Wendy Winiewski
Reporter Global New
SASKATOON – With blood stained pillow cases and bedding, the peace and comfort of a good night’s rest is non-existent for Allan Moore. Dealing with relationship issues a couple years ago, Moore moved from his home to The Lighthouse Supported Living.
Related
The Lighthouse Supported Living announces opening of a stabilization shelter that will help the homeless with emergency shelter and access to support services. The Lighthouse opens new emergency shelter
Dead bed bugs New hope in the fight against bed bugs
He’s been dealing with bed bugs ever since.
“If you feel any movement on your body, you’re agitated immediately. You sit up, turn on the light, and look for them,” said Moore Wednesday afternoon outside the Sturdy Stone Centre on 22nd Street .
Moore’s claim is being heard by the Office of Residential Tenancies in Saskatoon. The hearing was adjourned Wednesday and has been rescheduled for Dec. 11. He wasn’t aware of the bed bug problem prior to moving in.
“Precautions at The Lighthouse, there are no notices or anything up on the wall saying it’s a bug infested building.”
Moore has replaced furniture, bedding and had his wrist recast after bed bugs claimed his previous one as a home. Alleged damages amount to $3,900.
Lawyer Trevor Oleniuk with Classic Inc. is representing Moore.
“Our position is that this type of claim amounts to a breach of the tenant’s rights to quiet enjoyment of having the unit free of any pests and things like that,” said Oleniuk.
By law, full disclosure of pre-existing issues must be given to potential tenants. According to Oleniuk, bed bugs would fall under this. The Lighthouse admits to and is constantly treating the problem.
“We try to house the hardest to house in our community and the people who have experienced homelessness or have been transient in the past,” said Communications Director DeeAnn Mercier.
“With that target population, sometimes there are issues, such as bed bugs.”
Darwin Micha is a tenant at The Lighthouse. Micha said the bed bug problem has recently improved.
“I’m homeless so I’d rather sleep with bed bugs than sleep outside,” said Micha.
It’s a line of thinking Moore said is common among residents of The Lighthouse, but believes tenants shouldn’t have to choose one or the other.
Moore is striving to be a representative voice in hopes of more proactive and consistent treatment when these situations arise.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the two sides were encouraged to settle the dispute on their own before to the next hearing. Moore has no intention of doing so, rather choosing to be a voice for the people.
www.prochempestsolutions.com
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
Muskogee Public Schools Develop New Bed Bug Policy
Tony Russell, News On 6
BioEmail
MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma - Muskogee parents are being warned to check their children for bed bugs Friday night. Crews quickly cleaned and sanitized a classroom after a teacher found one of the bugs crawling on a student.
Muskogee Public Schools calls it an isolated incident, but parents were warned to check their children for bed bugs.
The district said they are taking the situation seriously and even developed a new bed bug policy.
"Just because somebody had a bug crawling on their clothes doesn't mean they have an infestation, so we want people to remember that," said Wendy Burton with Muskogee Public Schools.
She said administrators at Pershing Elementary found a bed bug on a student; and just like any case where a student shows lice, they took measures to clean the classroom.
"We just don't want people to panic, but we do want them to be aware so they'll take preventative measures at home, check things out at home and things like that," Burton said.
The Oklahoma Health Department said parents shouldn't be alarmed, but should take steps to sanitize backpacks and wash clothes.
"Bed bugs don't live long off the body; basically they come like head lice, they cause no disease or illness, they're just a nuisance," said Oklahoma Department of Health District Nurse Manager Joyce Walker.
"This is not a new epidemic or something; bed bugs have been here for quite a spell. They've been in the hotels, they've been everywhere, and so people just need to be knowledgeable about their transmission, how to get rid of them, what to look for," she said.
All 14 school principals in the Muskogee school district met at headquarters to talk about a new bed bug protocol and how to respond if they have any future incidents.
"If we have another report that there might be another bed bug in a classroom, of course they'll come right out and inspect. He can set monitors to trap them at night when no one's there and that way, if he catches a few bed bugs, then we know we have a big problem and we can immediately address it," Burton said.
The school district doesn't believe any students are at risk, but they have gone the extra step and purchased additional equipment if they have to eradicate anymore bed bugs.
www.prochempestsolutions.com
BioEmail
MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma - Muskogee parents are being warned to check their children for bed bugs Friday night. Crews quickly cleaned and sanitized a classroom after a teacher found one of the bugs crawling on a student.
Muskogee Public Schools calls it an isolated incident, but parents were warned to check their children for bed bugs.
The district said they are taking the situation seriously and even developed a new bed bug policy.
"Just because somebody had a bug crawling on their clothes doesn't mean they have an infestation, so we want people to remember that," said Wendy Burton with Muskogee Public Schools.
She said administrators at Pershing Elementary found a bed bug on a student; and just like any case where a student shows lice, they took measures to clean the classroom.
"We just don't want people to panic, but we do want them to be aware so they'll take preventative measures at home, check things out at home and things like that," Burton said.
The Oklahoma Health Department said parents shouldn't be alarmed, but should take steps to sanitize backpacks and wash clothes.
"Bed bugs don't live long off the body; basically they come like head lice, they cause no disease or illness, they're just a nuisance," said Oklahoma Department of Health District Nurse Manager Joyce Walker.
"This is not a new epidemic or something; bed bugs have been here for quite a spell. They've been in the hotels, they've been everywhere, and so people just need to be knowledgeable about their transmission, how to get rid of them, what to look for," she said.
All 14 school principals in the Muskogee school district met at headquarters to talk about a new bed bug protocol and how to respond if they have any future incidents.
"If we have another report that there might be another bed bug in a classroom, of course they'll come right out and inspect. He can set monitors to trap them at night when no one's there and that way, if he catches a few bed bugs, then we know we have a big problem and we can immediately address it," Burton said.
The school district doesn't believe any students are at risk, but they have gone the extra step and purchased additional equipment if they have to eradicate anymore bed bugs.
www.prochempestsolutions.com
Monday, November 17, 2014
Case of bedbugs reported in Forbes College
The Daily Princetonian (2014) explained,
A case of bedbugs was reported in a room in Forbes College on September 26, marking the first bedbug case of the 2014-15 academic year, said University spokesperson Martin Mbugua.
After the case was reported and an inspection of the room confirmed the presence of bedbugs, the two residents of the room were relocated to other campus housing to make room for heat treatment, Mbugua said. A University contractor was scheduled to treat the room by the next morning, and an email was sent to the Forbes community by Manager of Dormitories Kenneth Paulaski to notify residents of the contractor’s presence in the building.
“It has been confirmed that a room in Forbes Main has bedbugs,” Paulaski wrote. “A University contractor, who will be escorted by a University representative, will commence treating this room tomorrow morning.”
Paulaski deferred comment to Mbugua.
“In addition to preparing the room for treatment, monitors were placed in adjacent rooms as a precautionary measure,” Mbugua said. The results of the extermination procedure have yet to be determined, he added.
The room was a one-room double bedroom in the main inn. Cases of bedbugs are not uncommon in Forbes. A case was reported in April and another last September. In other parts of campus, three reports of bedbugs were made in Rockefeller College’s Holder Hall last March.
One of the Rocky cases was recurrent. After students were moved from the room and the room was exterminated, they reported a new case of bedbugs only four days after being allowed to move back in.
The common bedbug feeds on blood and causes itchy bites, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Although considered public health pests, bedbugs are not known to transmit or spread disease.
The prevalence of bedbugs has risen in the United States in recent years, according to the EPA. The EPA explains that this trend is possibly due to more travel, lack of public prevention awareness and increased resistance to pesticides.
The EPA recommends reducing clutter, using special bedbug-repelling mattress covers and regularly washing and heat-drying bed sheets and other cloth materials that touch the floor to prevent infestations. To identify possible bedbug infestations, the EPA suggests looking for spotted bedding and the presence of larvae and eggs.
Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misstated the date of the bedbugs incident. The incident was reported on September 26. The ‘Prince’ regrets the error.
Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that the treatment used to combat bedbugs in a Forbes College room was heat treatment.
http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2014/10/case-of-bedbugs-reported-in-forbes-college/
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Low-income renters in Anchorage bitten by another problem: Bedbugs
Alaska Daily News (2014) explained,
After years of homelessness with her husband and children, Sandra Haviland was ecstatic to land an apartment this May.
The two-bedroom unit at the Royal Suite Apartments, a former motel that fronts Minnesota Drive, was modest.
The couple’s elementary school-age sons would share a bed. So would their two teenage daughters. Haviland and her husband would sleep on the couch and a fold-out cot, respectively.
But after camping on the floor of a church and being crammed in motel rooms, an apartment promised stability and peace.
“When you are homeless and you finally get an apartment, you’re just so happy,” Haviland said.
But six months later, Haviland and others who reside at the Royal Suite Apartments are finding out just what being a low-income renter with few other options can mean in Anchorage.
Haviland and some of her neighbors say their apartments are so infested with bedbugs that they put children to bed at night with a dose of Benadryl to dull itching and allow sleep.
One of Haviland’s neighbors, Crystal Girlando, has taken to at times sleeping in her pickup to escape the bugs.
Girlando’s daughter-in-law Brandy Straight, who lives in another unit, catches bedbugs in a cup of water for proof. Like many other residents, she has removed her mattress, box spring and couch from the apartment to a stairwell in an effort to expel bedbugs.
The manager of the Royal Suite Apartments says he is doing everything possible to rid the apartments of bugs, having purchased a $10,000 electric heater that is supposed to safely eradicate bedbugs from an apartment over a six-hour period.
“I am very confident we are taking care of those problems,” said manager Thomas Yoon.
After years of homelessness with her husband and children, Sandra Haviland was ecstatic to land an apartment this May.
The two-bedroom unit at the Royal Suite Apartments, a former motel that fronts Minnesota Drive, was modest.
The couple’s elementary school-age sons would share a bed. So would their two teenage daughters. Haviland and her husband would sleep on the couch and a fold-out cot, respectively.
But after camping on the floor of a church and being crammed in motel rooms, an apartment promised stability and peace.
“When you are homeless and you finally get an apartment, you’re just so happy,” Haviland said.
But six months later, Haviland and others who reside at the Royal Suite Apartments are finding out just what being a low-income renter with few other options can mean in Anchorage.
Haviland and some of her neighbors say their apartments are so infested with bedbugs that they put children to bed at night with a dose of Benadryl to dull itching and allow sleep.
One of Haviland’s neighbors, Crystal Girlando, has taken to at times sleeping in her pickup to escape the bugs.
Girlando’s daughter-in-law Brandy Straight, who lives in another unit, catches bedbugs in a cup of water for proof. Like many other residents, she has removed her mattress, box spring and couch from the apartment to a stairwell in an effort to expel bedbugs.
The manager of the Royal Suite Apartments says he is doing everything possible to rid the apartments of bugs, having purchased a $10,000 electric heater that is supposed to safely eradicate bedbugs from an apartment over a six-hour period.
“I am very confident we are taking care of those problems,” said manager Thomas Yoon.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Bedbugs found on another subway line, MTA takes three R trains out of service
 |
| ProChem - Heat is the best treatment |
Bugger off! The bloodsuckers have survived the MTA's fumigation efforts, adding to the 21 bedbug sightings in August. Subway workers unions are calling on the authority to establish a more regular spraying schedule.
Hey straphangers, R you feeling itchy?
Bedbugs have jumped over to the R train — one subway line that had not been affected by a series of recent sightings of the dreaded bloodsuckers riding the rails.
Since last Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has taken three R trains out of service after receiving reports of bedbugs on board, transit sources said.
“The MTA is losing the war on bed bugs,” said Joe Costales, a chairman with the subway workers union, Transport Workers Union Local 100.
Late last month, the Daily News published the low-down on bug stats in the subways: there were 21 bedbug sightings during the month of August, affecting the A, L,N,Q,3,4,5 and 6 lines.
Most of the sightings were on subway trains; a few were in subway crew rooms or offices.
The MTA confirmed that it fumigated 16 trains after bedbugs were found on board last month.
In addition to the September sightings on the trio of R trains, an A train was sent to a rail yard after a bedbug sighting was made within the last week, the sources said.
Costales and Kevin Harrington, a Local 100 vice president, demanded the MTA fumigate the entire subway fleet, establish a regular schedule for cars to be sprayed and make regular cleanings more thorough.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz, however, said the agency would not change its course. “We continue to follow the same protocol,” Ortiz said. “Once we receive a report of a sighting, the train is taken out of service and inspected. In most cases, the car is then treated, even in cases where no bugs are found.”
Some checks are done visually, butthe MTA brings sometimes in a pest control service that uses a bug-detecting dog.
“Regular fumigation of cars would be a waste of time and resources considering we have not discovered an infestation anywhere in the system, and fumigating would only be as good as the next time a person walks into the system carrying a bug,” Ortiz said.
Bedbugs can live up to 30 days without feeding and often move from location to location by hitching rides on a person’s clothing. Since bedbugs feed on blood, an infestation usually occurs in areas where people sleep, including apartments, rooming houses and hotels.
They bunk down in the seams of mattresses, bedframes, dressers, and cracks and crevices near food supplies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They do not carry diseases but can cause itchiness and other discomfort.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bedbugs-found-subway-line-article-1.1934519
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tenant warns of ‘brutal’ experience with bedbugs
The Chronicle Herald (2014) explained,
Student lost about $5,000 in belongings to insects
One student back for the fall semester is warning others that long-term bedbug infestations can go unchecked in Halifax, even as unwitting new tenants move in.
After losing about $5,000 worth of belongings, Sara Lampinen says too much is at stake to allow lax pest control.
At the beginning of August, Lampinen arrived from Edmonton to sublet an apartment for seven months in Ocean Towers on Brunswick Street.
Just days after she moved in, she started getting bites.
The infestation was so bad that Lampinen, 23, could see bedbugs crawling around on her bed. She talked to building management and offered to show them her bites.
“They said, ‘No, no, we already know what they look like,’” she said.
“They said they did have bedbug problems before, but they weren’t in the unit that I was in. So they obviously knew that there were bedbug infestations within the apartment building.”
She only lasted three weeks in the apartment before giving up and moving out Friday. She said she threw out thousands of dollars worth of furniture and bedding, and her clothes needed to be specially laundered.
Managers at the building, which is owned by Toronto company CAPREIT, first arranged for Lampinen’s apartment to be sprayed, but she said the one-time treatment didn’t clear up the problem.
Bedbugs can live in walls and easily travel between apartments, and pest control experts often recommend treating a whole building or a whole section of a building rather than a single unit.
When Lampinen told them she was leaving, and the bugs were still there, “they didn’t seem to care at all,” she said.
A CAPREIT representative did not respond to a request for comment.
The renter who sublet Lampinen the apartment eventually admitted he knew there had been a bedbug problem in the building, she said. Building management also had a chance to warn her, she said; though she was subletting, she introduced herself ahead of time.
“I just want people to know because it’s … brutal, especially when I asked questions beforehand,” she said.
Bedbug-related complaints and financial losses are often handled on a case-by-case basis in Halifax.
Tenants have the option to complain to the Residential Tenancies Board about the state of their apartments, or go through small claims court to recoup financial losses, said Tracy Barron, spokeswoman for Service Nova Scotia.
It appears some financial issues can be resolved through the tenancies board. In at least one case in 2007, the board director ordered a landlord to pay a tenant $875 because of a bedbug infestation, a decision that automatically became an order of small claims court if it wasn’t appealed.
The tenant in that case had asked for retroactive rent rebates and money to cover laundering and damaged belongings. The landlord admitted the bugs had been present when the tenant moved in.
To monitor long-term infestations, it’s up to municipalities, not the province, to ensure landlords are meeting standards for residential buildings. Halifax bylaws require landlords to keep their units free of rodents and insects at all times.
Tenants can call 311 to report infestations and request inspections at their buildings, said an operator with the information service.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1231671-tenant-warns-of-brutal-experience-with-bedbugs
Student lost about $5,000 in belongings to insects
One student back for the fall semester is warning others that long-term bedbug infestations can go unchecked in Halifax, even as unwitting new tenants move in.
After losing about $5,000 worth of belongings, Sara Lampinen says too much is at stake to allow lax pest control.
At the beginning of August, Lampinen arrived from Edmonton to sublet an apartment for seven months in Ocean Towers on Brunswick Street.
Just days after she moved in, she started getting bites.
The infestation was so bad that Lampinen, 23, could see bedbugs crawling around on her bed. She talked to building management and offered to show them her bites.
“They said, ‘No, no, we already know what they look like,’” she said.
“They said they did have bedbug problems before, but they weren’t in the unit that I was in. So they obviously knew that there were bedbug infestations within the apartment building.”
She only lasted three weeks in the apartment before giving up and moving out Friday. She said she threw out thousands of dollars worth of furniture and bedding, and her clothes needed to be specially laundered.
Managers at the building, which is owned by Toronto company CAPREIT, first arranged for Lampinen’s apartment to be sprayed, but she said the one-time treatment didn’t clear up the problem.
Bedbugs can live in walls and easily travel between apartments, and pest control experts often recommend treating a whole building or a whole section of a building rather than a single unit.
When Lampinen told them she was leaving, and the bugs were still there, “they didn’t seem to care at all,” she said.
A CAPREIT representative did not respond to a request for comment.
The renter who sublet Lampinen the apartment eventually admitted he knew there had been a bedbug problem in the building, she said. Building management also had a chance to warn her, she said; though she was subletting, she introduced herself ahead of time.
“I just want people to know because it’s … brutal, especially when I asked questions beforehand,” she said.
Bedbug-related complaints and financial losses are often handled on a case-by-case basis in Halifax.
Tenants have the option to complain to the Residential Tenancies Board about the state of their apartments, or go through small claims court to recoup financial losses, said Tracy Barron, spokeswoman for Service Nova Scotia.
It appears some financial issues can be resolved through the tenancies board. In at least one case in 2007, the board director ordered a landlord to pay a tenant $875 because of a bedbug infestation, a decision that automatically became an order of small claims court if it wasn’t appealed.
The tenant in that case had asked for retroactive rent rebates and money to cover laundering and damaged belongings. The landlord admitted the bugs had been present when the tenant moved in.
To monitor long-term infestations, it’s up to municipalities, not the province, to ensure landlords are meeting standards for residential buildings. Halifax bylaws require landlords to keep their units free of rodents and insects at all times.
Tenants can call 311 to report infestations and request inspections at their buildings, said an operator with the information service.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1231671-tenant-warns-of-brutal-experience-with-bedbugs
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Bedbugs spotted at least 21 times on subways in August, say sources — MTA hiring expert to review efforts
New York Daily News (2014) explained,
'We’ve never had sightings to this magnitude,' said Joe Costales, a chairman with Transport Workers Union Local 100. 'We’ve had isolated incidents in crew quarters, but it’s no longer an isolated scenario. It’s throughout the system.'
Another day, another bedbug found in the subway.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have been very reluctant to talk about bedbugs in the transit system. It’s a story they wish would just go away.
So we’ll rely on undercover transit sources to bring you the first-ever BugStat.
There were at least 21 reported bedbug sightings or encounters in the subway in August — including a few incidents in which a bloodsucker bit a conductor or a rider, sources said.
According to these transit insiders, there were nine sightings on N trains, three on Q trains and two on No. 6 trains.
Bedbugs are riding the subways this summer. There have been 21 reports in August.
The itch-inducing insects also were spotted once each on Nos. 3, 4, 5 and L trains, the sources said.
In addition to riding the rails, bedbugs were found in transit worker crew rooms and subway offices in Astoria, Queens, and Coney Island, Brooklyn (N and Q lines), and Euclid Ave., East New York, also in Brooklyn (A line).
“We’ve never had sightings to this magnitude,” said Joe Costales, a chairman with Transport Workers Union Local 100. “We’ve had isolated incidents in crew quarters, but it’s no longer an isolated scenario. It’s throughout the system.”
A couple of transit workers believe they have unwittingly brought bedbugs home from the job.
The MTA has steadily downplayed the significance of its insect ridership. It’s just a small part of life in the big city, officials contend.
“The subway system has 5.5 million riders every single day and we can’t check all of them for bedbugs before letting them on the train,” MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said in early August. “That said, when we get reports of bedbug sightings, we investigate — and exterminate. This is an interesting story but not a big problem.”
On Friday, the chief spokesman pretty much said the same thing, although the math was slightly different.
“More than 5.8 million people ride 8,000 subway trains on an average weekday, but the MTA has found no bedbug infestations on any trains, and has found and treated bedbugs on only 16 trains,” Lisberg said.
Bedbugs were found on the N line.
Still, there is some evidence to suggest the MTA is getting a bit uncomfortable.
The agency is hiring “a recognized expert” to review its anti-bedbug efforts, Lisberg said Friday.
And it is responding to rider complaints with surprising speed.
Laura Cohen, a lawyer who regularly rides the Lexington Ave. line, complained by email of being bitten by a bedbug on Aug. 25.
The bed bugs found riding the N train got a free ride to an MTA cleaner's home - and now the employee's infested with the little critters. The 54-year-old MTA cleaner, who wished not to be named, said she first noticed the bedbugs in her home on Aug. 3.
“This is disgusting and frightening,” she wrote.
Cohen received an automatic reply stating a response would come — but could take up to 15 days.
“I was furious,” she said. “Fifteen days. That’s worse than a slumlord.”
But she need not have gotten angry; a customer service manager wrote back less than three hours later.
“Please be assured that pest control will continue to be dispatched to trains and employee crew rooms where bedbugs have been reported. They will inspect . . . and fumigate as necessary.”
It’s good to know the MTA is listening. But if this story doesn’t go away soon, officials are going to keep getting bitten.
PDonohue@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/bedbugs-spotted-21-times-subways-august-sources-mta-hiring-expert-tackle-issue-article-1.1923375#ixzz3CZxSWLuc
'We’ve never had sightings to this magnitude,' said Joe Costales, a chairman with Transport Workers Union Local 100. 'We’ve had isolated incidents in crew quarters, but it’s no longer an isolated scenario. It’s throughout the system.'
Another day, another bedbug found in the subway.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have been very reluctant to talk about bedbugs in the transit system. It’s a story they wish would just go away.
So we’ll rely on undercover transit sources to bring you the first-ever BugStat.
There were at least 21 reported bedbug sightings or encounters in the subway in August — including a few incidents in which a bloodsucker bit a conductor or a rider, sources said.
According to these transit insiders, there were nine sightings on N trains, three on Q trains and two on No. 6 trains.
Bedbugs are riding the subways this summer. There have been 21 reports in August.
The itch-inducing insects also were spotted once each on Nos. 3, 4, 5 and L trains, the sources said.
In addition to riding the rails, bedbugs were found in transit worker crew rooms and subway offices in Astoria, Queens, and Coney Island, Brooklyn (N and Q lines), and Euclid Ave., East New York, also in Brooklyn (A line).
“We’ve never had sightings to this magnitude,” said Joe Costales, a chairman with Transport Workers Union Local 100. “We’ve had isolated incidents in crew quarters, but it’s no longer an isolated scenario. It’s throughout the system.”
A couple of transit workers believe they have unwittingly brought bedbugs home from the job.
The MTA has steadily downplayed the significance of its insect ridership. It’s just a small part of life in the big city, officials contend.
“The subway system has 5.5 million riders every single day and we can’t check all of them for bedbugs before letting them on the train,” MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said in early August. “That said, when we get reports of bedbug sightings, we investigate — and exterminate. This is an interesting story but not a big problem.”
On Friday, the chief spokesman pretty much said the same thing, although the math was slightly different.
“More than 5.8 million people ride 8,000 subway trains on an average weekday, but the MTA has found no bedbug infestations on any trains, and has found and treated bedbugs on only 16 trains,” Lisberg said.
Bedbugs were found on the N line.
Still, there is some evidence to suggest the MTA is getting a bit uncomfortable.
The agency is hiring “a recognized expert” to review its anti-bedbug efforts, Lisberg said Friday.
And it is responding to rider complaints with surprising speed.
Laura Cohen, a lawyer who regularly rides the Lexington Ave. line, complained by email of being bitten by a bedbug on Aug. 25.
The bed bugs found riding the N train got a free ride to an MTA cleaner's home - and now the employee's infested with the little critters. The 54-year-old MTA cleaner, who wished not to be named, said she first noticed the bedbugs in her home on Aug. 3.
“This is disgusting and frightening,” she wrote.
Cohen received an automatic reply stating a response would come — but could take up to 15 days.
“I was furious,” she said. “Fifteen days. That’s worse than a slumlord.”
But she need not have gotten angry; a customer service manager wrote back less than three hours later.
“Please be assured that pest control will continue to be dispatched to trains and employee crew rooms where bedbugs have been reported. They will inspect . . . and fumigate as necessary.”
It’s good to know the MTA is listening. But if this story doesn’t go away soon, officials are going to keep getting bitten.
PDonohue@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/bedbugs-spotted-21-times-subways-august-sources-mta-hiring-expert-tackle-issue-article-1.1923375#ixzz3CZxSWLuc
Saturday, September 6, 2014
New York City Subways Invaded by Bedbugs
Train cars have been fumigated in the New York City subway system, but officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) say that the problem is not a big one. Trains on the N and 5 lines have seen bedbugs in conductor cars and four or more trains were later released from service and fumigated. In addition, bedbugs have been seen in passenger cars on the Lexington Avenue line and also in the homes of at least two MTA workers.
The latest reports indicate that the MTA expanded its investigation by looking into reports of sightings on the 7 train. However, no evidence of bedbugs on that train was found. Nevertheless, one rider recalled a bedbug-ridden ride Monday morning on the 7 line, saying that he saw them exiting “from under the seat to feed on people’s legs.” Another rider on the 4 train said he smashed a bug on the floor, turned it over and “There was blood everywhere.” He said “I … was like ‘Whoa! It’s a bedbug alright.’”
An anonymous New York City subway cleaner said she noticed bedbugs in her home two days before her employer fumigated a locker room on August 6 where she works at the Ditmars Boulevard Station. She said she and her home had not had signs of bedbugs before then but now “they’re all over me” and have infested her home.
The anonymous cleaner said she cannot afford the cost of having her home fumigated and MTA policy dictates that it cannot help. An MTA spokesman said that his organization cannot fumigate property that it does not own.
Billy Swan, who works for NYC Pest Control, said that an actual infestation of bedbugs on a subway train is not likely because of the way they travel, which is by moving from host to host, in this case, rider to rider. In Swan’s opinion, he would expect “one, maybe two or three bedbugs max” on subway cars.
Bedbugs are parasites, relying on human beings for food, hydration and shelter. If a bedbug is seen on the floor of a train the chances are good that it recently fell off another person.
Swan pointed out that any bedbugs seen on trains are “likely” to be pregnant females trying to get away from males because … males pierce the abdomen of females during the mating process, ultimately leading to the female’s death. Attracted to body heat, pregnant female bedbugs “are like hitchhikers,” Swan said, trying to hang onto a subway rider, eventually landing in a new home where they can begin a new colony.
Adam Lisberg, who is a spokesperson with the MTA said that the issue is not a big one, noting that his transportation system sees 5.5 million riders each day so, clearly, all of them cannot be checked for bedbugs prior to getting on a train. “This is an interesting story but not a big problem,” he said.
New York City has received reports of bedbugs in its subway system before. They were seen in a booth in a station in Brooklyn in 2010, which was subsequently fumigated. That was the year the bedbug problem throughout New York City peaked. Reports throughout the city are now 50 percent below what they were.
On the other hand, Swan argues against this statistic, saying that people have simply become more complacent about bedbugs and therefore are not filing reports. He remains convinced that “they are spreading like wildfire.” He reports that his company gets more calls for bedbug service every month than the previous month.
To avoid a personal invasion by bedbugs as a result of riding on a New York City subway train, Billy Swan says that diligence is key “… and look around” to avoid getting infested.
By Gregory Baskin
Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2014/08/new-york-city-subways-invaded-by-bedbugs/
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Seniors battling bedbugs at Halifax apartment building
A group of Halifax seniors say they are at their wit’s end after dealing with a bedbug-infested building for years.
“I have panic attacks over them,” says Charlene Meisner, who lives at the Gordon B. Isnor Manor in the city’s north end.
Meisner says the tiny tenants have taken up residence in her apartment and others.
“I walked into a friend’s place last night. His whole mattress is covered in blood, he was bitten that bad,” she says.
When Meisner isn’t scratching at her bedbug bites, she is on the lookout for other pests.
“Out of the radiator, I’ve seen three mice continuously come out.”
The building is managed by the Metropolitan Regional Hospital Authority. General manager Janet Burt-Gerrans says new measures will soon be taken to control the pest problem, including changes to the building’s infrastructure and educational programs for tenants.
“In my nine months as general manager with this organization, I quickly identified this as our number one priority,” says Burt-Gerrans.
Meisner says pest control has been brought in over the years, but it isn’t helping.
“They have a gentleman come in spraying and he says he can’t keep up, this is the busiest,” she says. “All the manors, the three manors here are just filled.”
“In a large multi-unit building, one of the biggest issues is the vast amount of people in different units,” says pest control expert John Zinck. “You can’t just isolate one unit. It has to be looked at as a whole problem.”
Most of the tenants are low-income seniors who feel the province is to blame for the pest problem, but some say the tenants themselves are also part of the problem.
“People going through people’s garbage and bringing more dirt into the building, that’s not helping either,” says tenant Ann Frame.
Margaret Sutherland says she has never seen a bedbug in her apartment, and she spends a good part of her week making sure it stays that way.
“Everything gets moved around…box spring, mattress, everything comes off.”
Burt-Gerrans says she isn’t certain when the new ‘innovative methods’ will be introduced at Gordon B. Isnor Manor, but she hopes it will happen before the end of the year.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand
Read more: http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/seniors-battling-bedbugs-at-halifax-apartment-building-1.1972241
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Bedbugs infest hotel says pregnant woman
Dover Express (2014) explained,
A HEAVILY pregnant teen living in a taxpayer-funded room at the County Hotel claims she was moved twice because of bed bugs – but the owners say she must have brought them into their building.
Catherine Goldup, 19, was allocated a room at the Townwall Street hotel by Dover District Council (DDC) last week and claims beds in two of the rooms were "full of bugs".
The former Christchurch Academy pupil said: "It was fine for the first four days, but then we were told we had to move rooms and they wouldn't say why.
"The new room we were given had bugs all over the mattress. We were moved to another room and there were loads of bugs in it again. It was gruesome.
"So we put them into a glass and went to show the manager, and he said we would have to cope with it because there are no other rooms available.
"I wasn't very happy – it's not the sort of thing you want to deal with when you are eight months pregnant.
"Our neighbours in the hotel told us they had complained about the same thing.
"There are lots of young families here. There are newborn babies everywhere."
Shortly after the Express contacted hotel staff saying a guest had complained of bed bugs, Miss Goldup says she was phoned and told to leave immediately.
Asked if this was true, owner Steve Christo said: "I don't know."
He said: "If there were bed bugs then why didn't she mention it when she first moved in?
"I don't know what my staff were shown as I was away for the weekend, but we checked on Monday and couldn't see anything. We have pest control in every three months to make sure we are on top of that sort of thing.
"If there were bed bugs she must have brought them in with her, probably in her luggage."
A DDC spokesman said: "The council has a duty to provide advice and appropriate assistance to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and this does mean that we sometimes have to house people in B&B accommodation in an emergency.
"We try to ensure that the accommodation used is of an appropriate standard, but if concerns are raised with us we will always address them."
A spokesman for SOS Pest Control said: "Both of the situations are absolutely possible. Bed bugs can be transferred easily from clothes, so there's really no saying where they might have come from."
Read more at http://www.dover-express.co.uk/Bedbugs-infest-hotel-says-pregnant-woman/story-22729753-detail/story.html
A HEAVILY pregnant teen living in a taxpayer-funded room at the County Hotel claims she was moved twice because of bed bugs – but the owners say she must have brought them into their building.
Catherine Goldup, 19, was allocated a room at the Townwall Street hotel by Dover District Council (DDC) last week and claims beds in two of the rooms were "full of bugs".
The former Christchurch Academy pupil said: "It was fine for the first four days, but then we were told we had to move rooms and they wouldn't say why.
"The new room we were given had bugs all over the mattress. We were moved to another room and there were loads of bugs in it again. It was gruesome.
"So we put them into a glass and went to show the manager, and he said we would have to cope with it because there are no other rooms available.
"I wasn't very happy – it's not the sort of thing you want to deal with when you are eight months pregnant.
"Our neighbours in the hotel told us they had complained about the same thing.
"There are lots of young families here. There are newborn babies everywhere."
Shortly after the Express contacted hotel staff saying a guest had complained of bed bugs, Miss Goldup says she was phoned and told to leave immediately.
Asked if this was true, owner Steve Christo said: "I don't know."
He said: "If there were bed bugs then why didn't she mention it when she first moved in?
"I don't know what my staff were shown as I was away for the weekend, but we checked on Monday and couldn't see anything. We have pest control in every three months to make sure we are on top of that sort of thing.
"If there were bed bugs she must have brought them in with her, probably in her luggage."
A DDC spokesman said: "The council has a duty to provide advice and appropriate assistance to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and this does mean that we sometimes have to house people in B&B accommodation in an emergency.
"We try to ensure that the accommodation used is of an appropriate standard, but if concerns are raised with us we will always address them."
A spokesman for SOS Pest Control said: "Both of the situations are absolutely possible. Bed bugs can be transferred easily from clothes, so there's really no saying where they might have come from."
Read more at http://www.dover-express.co.uk/Bedbugs-infest-hotel-says-pregnant-woman/story-22729753-detail/story.html
Friday, August 8, 2014
Don't let them bite: Why bed bugs are worse than ever
Canada's bed bug problem is worse than ever, as experts say the pesky little bloodsuckers are multiplying in record numbers in cities and smaller communities across the country.
Pest control experts say the frequency of bed bug reports has shot up 20 per cent since last year, as the blood-sucking, rapidly-reproducing insects have continued to spread. Mike Heimbach of Abell Pest Control says that increase has been a steady, "compounding growth" in the last six years. And it shows no sign of letting up.
"They've really got a good foothold in Canada and the United States, and we don't see that changing any time soon," Heimbach told CTV's Canada AM on Monday morning. He added that while the bugs were initially an urban problem, they've spread to rural and less-populated areas in recent years.
Heimbach also stressed that bed bug infestations have no link to socioeconomic status.
"Anyone can get bed bugs," he said. "The challenge that we see is that certain people can't afford to get rid of them."
A bed bug is about the size, shape and colour of an apple seed, three millimetres long and oval-shaped, with reddish-brown colouring. When found hiding in the seams of mattresses, the insects are visible to the naked eye. They only emerge to feed late at night. Their bite is similar to a mosquito bite, Heimbach said, leaving behind an itchy welt in the spot where they draw blood from the skin.
The insects spread by hitchhiking in bags and on clothes, but they can also be hiding in discarded furniture and electronics that people unwittingly bring into their homes.
Aside from the small, red bites, there are other identifiable signs of a bed bug infestation. Heimbach said a quick check of your mattress seams and headboard can reveal many telling signs, from leftover insect husks and little black droppings, to blood spots on the mattress.
"They know how to live unseen," Heimbach said. Spotting one of the bugs is, of course, another sign of infestation, he said.
"The key is to learn to identify them and to act quickly if you get them."
Attempting to get rid of bed bugs yourself with over-the-counter bed bug sprays can actually make the problem worse, Heimbach said, as the spray can agitate the insects and drive them to spread out, widening the infestation.
"You can't get rid of them," he said. "You have to call an exterminator."
Heimbach called it a "real skill" to stop a bed bug infestation, as it requires the use of special vacuums, steam, residual spray, and diatomaceous earth.
Peak bed bug season is typically between June and October, when weather is warmest and the insects reproduce fastest, Heimbach said. Bed bugs like to hide in bags and on clothing, making them easily transferrable and more likely to spread in the high-travel summer season.
Bed bug numbers have been steadily on the rise in recent years, going up by an estimated eight per cent annually, Heimbach said.
"The problem, I think, is growing," he said.
Ontario's bed bug information site offers tips for identifying and dealing with a bed bug infestation at home. The site also offers tips for avoiding a bed bug infestation in the first place.
It recommends keeping your home clean and vacuumed, and advises you seal all cracks and crevices in your house so no bugs can get in. Thoroughly inspect any used clothing you buy, and don't bring home discarded furniture or electronics, as they are prime hiding places for bed bugs.
When travelling, check the bed in your hotel room for blood spots and other signs of bed bugs. Also keep clothes in oversized sealable plastic bags to avoid picking up bed bug hitchhikers, and inspect your luggage before you leave.
And if you do find bed bugs at home, Heimbach has one bit of advice: call an expert.
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/don-t-let-them-bite-why-bed-bugs-are-worse-than-ever-1.1923633
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Report: New Bedford bank still battling bedbugs
Southcoast Today (2014) explained,
NEW BEDFORD — Four months after a bedbug infestation was first reported at the Santander Bank building at the bottom of Union Street, the pests were detected again in June, according to documents obtained by The Standard-Times.
Health Department officials say Santander is doing what it can to contain the problem. Director Brenda Weis said the department inspected there in January and June, finding no evidence that it's not a safe place to work.
According to documents obtained through a freedom of information request, bank officials told health inspectors that bugs had been spotted in cubicle walls during a June 21 inspection, particularly on the third floor, which houses a Santander call center.
"I believe that Santander"» is doing everything possible to eradicate this issue to the absolute best of their ability," wrote city sanitarian Derek Macedo in an incident report.
Santander Bank declined to comment for the story.
Long and brown with a flat, oval-shaped body, the common bed bug is about the size of an apple seed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Giving off an odor described as "musty-sweetish," bedbugs feed on blood, causing itchy bites but they are not known to transmit disease.
Documents show that the bank first brought in exterminators to spray in January, offering 110 employees the chance for their homes to be treated, 44 of whom accepted. Subsequent inspections revealed no bedbugs, exterminator reports show, though activity was detected at rodent bait stations in March and July.
In April and June, complaints were logged with the Health Department. One referred to "people bringing bedbugs from this bank," another to a bank employee bringing bedbugs to her apartment.
The bank at 128 Union St. is being monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"It is an ongoing OSHA investigation in which the company has been making efforts to correct the issue and the agency is monitoring their progress," said OSHA spokesman Andre Bowser in an email.
Follow Simon Rios on Twitter @simonfriosSCT
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140719/NEWS/407190320/-1/NEWS01
NEW BEDFORD — Four months after a bedbug infestation was first reported at the Santander Bank building at the bottom of Union Street, the pests were detected again in June, according to documents obtained by The Standard-Times.
Health Department officials say Santander is doing what it can to contain the problem. Director Brenda Weis said the department inspected there in January and June, finding no evidence that it's not a safe place to work.
According to documents obtained through a freedom of information request, bank officials told health inspectors that bugs had been spotted in cubicle walls during a June 21 inspection, particularly on the third floor, which houses a Santander call center.
"I believe that Santander"» is doing everything possible to eradicate this issue to the absolute best of their ability," wrote city sanitarian Derek Macedo in an incident report.
Santander Bank declined to comment for the story.
Long and brown with a flat, oval-shaped body, the common bed bug is about the size of an apple seed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Giving off an odor described as "musty-sweetish," bedbugs feed on blood, causing itchy bites but they are not known to transmit disease.
Documents show that the bank first brought in exterminators to spray in January, offering 110 employees the chance for their homes to be treated, 44 of whom accepted. Subsequent inspections revealed no bedbugs, exterminator reports show, though activity was detected at rodent bait stations in March and July.
In April and June, complaints were logged with the Health Department. One referred to "people bringing bedbugs from this bank," another to a bank employee bringing bedbugs to her apartment.
The bank at 128 Union St. is being monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"It is an ongoing OSHA investigation in which the company has been making efforts to correct the issue and the agency is monitoring their progress," said OSHA spokesman Andre Bowser in an email.
Follow Simon Rios on Twitter @simonfriosSCT
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140719/NEWS/407190320/-1/NEWS01
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Bed bugs infest Honolulu homeless shelter
Bed bugs.
Just the thought of them make you itch.
But those staying at a Honolulu homeless shelter say it's not just their minds playing tricks on them. They got bite marks to prove it.
"Oh yeah I got bite all over my legs. Lotta cuts over here, cuts over there. It's really infested in there,” said Michael Laimana pointing at his legs.
Laimana is one of 150 people who stay at the shelter each night. He says his bed isn't the only one with a pest problem.
A mother shared photos of her 3-year-old covered with red marks that she says are bed bug bites.
Connie Mitchell, the Executive Director at the Institute for Human Services, admits there is a problem. But she says it's almost impossible to prevent with the amount of traffic in and out of the emergency shelter.
"We definitely take it seriously. We have regular fumigation going on and we also have protocols that we follow on a daily basis as well as when we actually find that there's some kind of infestation with a particular bunk," said Mitchell.
There was a recent infestation at Oahu Community Correctional Center and some of Hawaii's finest hotels have had reports of them. So Mitchell says a problem at a homeless shelter is almost inevitable.
"Sometimes, with the folks that do come in, they're bringing them in their belongings a lot of the time if they're coming from the street. So it's very challenging to keep it in control,” Mitchell said.
The shelter says they get reports of the pests about twice a week. But those staying there say they see them every night.
"I would say like 4 or 5 in the night," Laimana said.
The ongoing problem adds yet another wrinkle to the city's push to get people off of the streets and into shelters.
"It kind of is a really good illustration of some of the challenges that we have in running a shelter and being a safety net for the community," Mitchell said.
Mitchell says it's impossible to tent the shelter because the building is too large and the problem is limited to just one level where everyone sleeps.
http://www.wsmv.com/story/25912042/bed-bugs-infest-honolulu-homeless-shelter
Friday, June 27, 2014
Bedbugs attack at Manayunk movie theater, lawsuit claims
An East Germantown woman's cinema outing morphed into a real-life creature feature when she was “aggressively attacked” by bedbugs at a local movie theater, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in the civil division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Sabrina Hammond attended the United Artists Main Street Theatre 6 in Manayunk on Sept. 28, 2013, according to the complaint. While there, she became fodder for a hoard of bloodthirsty bedbugs, the lawsuit claims.
Hammond allegedly suffered serious parasite-related injuries to the head, body and extremities, “including, but not limited to bites on her legs and buttocks, and a severe shock to the nerves and nervous system,” according to the suit.
The complaint claims the damage has interfered with Hammond’s daily routine and may be permanent. Hammond will have to continue to spend money on medical treatment in the future, the suit alleges.
Both Hammond and her attorney declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
Reports of bedbugs have been on the rise in Philadelphia for the past several years. A 2013 Terminix survey ranked Philly as the nation’s second most bedbug-infested city.
A Penn Medicine study published earlier this year in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that, from 2008 to 2011, reports of bedbugs in the city rose 4.5 percent each month, an increase of nearly 70 percent year to year. The study recorded 382 reports of bedbug infestations in Philadelphia during those three years.
That number exploded between September 2011 and June 2012, when city residents made 236 reports of bedbug infestations, according to study results. The number of infestations peaked annually in August and reached a yearly low each February, the study found.
Though anecdotal reports of movie theater bedbug infestations are legion, fewer complaints have been independently confirmed. An AMC in Wisconsin reportedly underwent pest control treatments in October after bedbugs were found in three rows of seats in one auditorium of the theater.
In 2010, bedbug infestations temporarily shuttered the AMC Loewes Monmouth Mall movie theater in Eatontown, N.J., as well as AMC theaters in Harlem and Manhattan.
A spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said the agency does not require proprietors to report bedbug infestations because the insects are regarded as pests, not vectors for the transmission of diseases.
The lawsuit filed this week faults United Artists Theatres for allegedly failing to adequately inspect its Main Street premises and to observe protocols for the detection and eradication of bed bugs. It also claims the theater maintained conditions “which it knew or had reason to know presented an unreasonable risk of harm to the plaintiff.”
The Regal Entertainment Group, which operates the United Artists chain, did not return calls or emails seeking comment. Court documents did not list an attorney for the company.
The lawsuit, which is asking for less than $50,000 in monetary damages, has been submitted to arbitration, court records indicate. A hearing is scheduled for March 16.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bedbugs_attack_at_Manayunk_movie_theater_lawsuit_claims.html
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Protect yourself from bed bugs
 |
| ProChem - Remember they are "master hitchikers". |
Durham Region (2014) explained,
Bed bugs have been the subject of many headlines lately, as they spread through the community. They are very difficult to get rid of, so prevention is key.
The first step is to not bring bed bugs home. If you are travelling, be sure to check the mattress in your hotel room for the bugs or brown marks indicating their droppings. Watch for headlines and avoid places with reported outbreaks, including hotels, libraries, movie theatres, etc.
If you have picked up bed bugs, it's important to leave your suitcase outside and immediately wash your clothes in hot water to kill the bugs. Fumigate your suitcase or bags and leave them in the garage or outside for at least two weeks.
Buy a mattress encasement for all the beds in your home. If you do bring bed bugs home with you, the encasements will prevent them from making a home in your mattresses, and will make it much easier to get rid of them.
Buying a used mattress can also lead to a bed bug infestation. Just because you don't see any, doesn't mean that they are not hiding in there. Your safest bet is to always buy mattresses new and not from stores selling exchanged mattresses.
Another mattress issue that rarely makes headlines is mites. These also live in your mattress and are sustained by body fluid and dead skin. They are invisible, but can cause your allergies to go into overdrive. The simple solution is to starve them out with a mattress pad. This will prevent sweat and dead skin from reaching your mattress and help allergy sufferers breathe easier when they sleep.
http://www.durhamregion.com/shopping-story/4443221-protect-yourself-from-bed-bugs/
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Don't let the bed bugs bite this summer
 |
| Prochem - Heat kills bedbugs @ all stages of life. |
When Heather Rozzell of Visalia thinks of bed bugs, she gets a little squeamish.
The 40-year-old has never had any encounters with the blood-sucking bugs, but when she travels, they're never far from her mind.
Rozzell travels about twice a year. When she's on the hunt for a hotel, she always checks reviews and does her homework before booking a room — all to avoid the pests.
"One of the things I do when I make a reservation is ask if they've had a recent outbreak of bed bugs, and of course they always say no," Rozzell said. "So when we get there, I'm always lifting up the sheets, looking in the creases and making sure I don't see any of the little critters in there."
Rozzell's caution may be well warranted more now than ever before. According to recent reports, the country's bed-bug population is seeing a resurgence. The parasites are fueled by summer heat which is now sweeping into the valley just as travel season begins.
A 2013 Bugs Without Borders Survey conducted on behalf of the National Pest Management Association showed 99.6 percent of pest management professionals treated for bed bugs within the year and that infestations increased in the majority of locations in which professionals typically treat for bed bugs. That number is up slightly from 99 percent in 2011.
Of the locations cited in the 2013 Bugs Without Borders Survey, 75 percent of the locations that have seen an increase in bed bug activity have been hotels and motels.
The Bed Bug Registry, a free online database that allows the public to report bed bugs at locations across the U.S. and Canada, shows much less bed-bug reports in the Valley than in the more heavily populated California regions that include the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Since its 2006 launch, the website, which doesn't confirm reports, has collected about 20,000 accounts across 12,000 locations.
Local hotels
A Visalia hotel and a Tulare hotel are among the locations reported in the area on the website.
Included is the Lamp Liter Inn, which has had three reports since 2010 despite its four out of five overall guest rating on travel website Expedia. This rating includes a 4.1 out of five rating regarding room cleanliness based on 485 reviews.
Lamp Liter Inn Manager Jan Lee declined to comment for this story.
Shilpa Patel, a receptionist at America's Best Value Inn in Visalia, said their hotel takes a vigilant approach to prevent bed bug infestations. The West Main Street hotel was not listed on the bed bug registry website.
Patel said the hotel's cleaning maids "pull mattresses out and look at all things." She said maintenance men perform monthly checks of mattresses, spring boards, bed frames and other furniture to guarantee rooms are bed bug-free.
The Tulare hotel listed on the database is Motel 6 along North Blackstone Street.
Prevalence
Despite reports citing a surge in the bed bug population, Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency's Division Manager of Environmental Health, Nilsa Gonzalez, said the department has had a few recent complaints regarding bed bugs but no significant influx of calls.
Debra Ipox, owner of Visalia's Swift Pest Control, counters this. Ipox said her company has had a substantial increase in requests for bed bug removal during this year in Tulare and Kings County.
"We're going into the season right now," Ipox said. "It started early this year. We've already done about five or six jobs already within the last 30 days and that's definitely up from last year."
At the same time last year, Ipox said her company had only received one or two requests.
Extermination
To prevent bed bugs from penetrating mattresses, Ipox said individuals can purchase bed bug mattress covers that keep the insects out. Those with an infestation can use home remedies or call local pest control groups for either a heat treatment, Fumitoxin treatment or a liquid spray treatment, Ipox said.
Though there is no solid evidence to explain why nationwide people may be seeing an upsurge in bed bugs, a resurgence in their population happens every few years according to Bernadette Burden, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And there are theories.
"We do know that oftentimes you'll see circumstances where certain types of pesticides or other types of agents that are used to control or interrupt the spread of bed bugs in terms of their lifecycle, they may become immune to the different types of agents that are utilized to reduce and control and prevent the spread of bed bugs," Burden said. "[…] But there's not really a reason or cause to say this is likely the reason why they've re-emerged."
How to avoid bed bugs when traveling
Bring a flashlight to inspect for bed bugs.
Do not unpack. Put bags on dresser or in the bathroom and inspect room immediately.
Remove bedsheets and mattress pad and inspect edging, seams and other areas.
Inspect headboard and use flashlight to look in space between wall and headboard.,
Inspect furniture near bed and look behind pictures on wall.
If bed bugs are found, have hotel staff relocate you and belongings to another room that's not adjacent to one inspected.
According to United States Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2014/05/29/let-bed-bugs-bite-summer/9707729/
Friday, May 23, 2014
Bed bugs to blame for Econo Lodge Fire
|
| ProChem ProActive - Always hire a professional |
JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- The Jefferson City Fire Department revealed Thursday that a fire at the Jefferson City Econo Lodge started because staff there were trying to exterminate bed bugs with a propane-based heater.
Thursday, a burned mattress and some other debris were all that remained of the room's interior.
Although several rooms suffered damage, the fire was mostly contained to one room since the walls are made of concrete.
However, desk clerk Jason Thomas said using a propane heater to get rid of bed bugs is an industry standard.
"That's standard practice among many of the hotels," Thomas said. "We take any report of bed bugs very seriously. Whether there is a problem or not, we take it very seriously. We shut down the room, we do a thorough search through it."
Thomas said the discovery of bed bugs in one of their rooms was an isolated incident. "We get a report like this maybe once or twice a year at most," Thomas said. "It's very rare for us. But when it does happen, we take it serously because we know how quickly something like that can spread."
Kent Marsh of Aces Pest Solutions said last year, he approached Jefferson City Econo Lodge owner Sam Patel about the problem, but that his services were turned down. "I think he was in the frame of mind that he wanted to do it himself," Marsh said.
"If you're trying to self re-mediate with heat, you could catch yourself on fire, your house, your belongings," Marsh said. "It takes proper equipment, proper training."
Thomas said after the fire, they will likely hire an outside professional to investigate if any bed bugs remain.
According to the Cole County Health Department, they received three reports of bed bugs at Econo Lodge over the past two years, two of which were founded.
Marsh said destroying the bugs is a science. He said the bugs can be found in bed frames and headboards, but also anywhere in a home or an apartment.
"The problem is going to get worse. It's not going away. It's gotten this bad, in the United States we're seeing extreme amount of populations, 500% growth rates," Marsh said.
Marsh said the bugs can multiply into the tens of thousands within 120 days. He said if you see them, call a professional immediately.
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=1044956#.U3ke0yg9pnM
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Passengers detain train over bed bugs
Deccan Chronicle (2014) explained,
Villupuram: Irate passengers of the Mannarkudi-Chennai Mannai Express delayed the train by two hours, protesting against bed bugs, at Villupuram junction on Saturday. The passengers of an AC coach had spent a sleepless night on account of this, they complained to the railway authorities at a few previous stations and pulled the chain when the train reached Villupuram at 2:45 am.
Railway officials offered to carry out cleaning operations, but the passengers said they wanted the coach replaced. They refused to board the train, venting their ire on the railways for poor service.
The authorities pointed out that there were no additional coaches available for immediate replacement and pacified the passengers by replacing the bed rolls in the coach.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140427/nation-current-affairs/article/passengers-detain-train-over-bed-bugs
|
| ProChem ProActive - Bedbugs are where ever people are. |
Villupuram: Irate passengers of the Mannarkudi-Chennai Mannai Express delayed the train by two hours, protesting against bed bugs, at Villupuram junction on Saturday. The passengers of an AC coach had spent a sleepless night on account of this, they complained to the railway authorities at a few previous stations and pulled the chain when the train reached Villupuram at 2:45 am.
Railway officials offered to carry out cleaning operations, but the passengers said they wanted the coach replaced. They refused to board the train, venting their ire on the railways for poor service.
The authorities pointed out that there were no additional coaches available for immediate replacement and pacified the passengers by replacing the bed rolls in the coach.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140427/nation-current-affairs/article/passengers-detain-train-over-bed-bugs
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Bed Bugs Become Growing Problem
|
| Prochem Proactive - bedbugs can be anywhere. |
As people are becoming more mobile, bed bugs are becoming a growing problem across the country, even in North Dakota.
Bed bugs are considered one of the most difficult pests to control because of their quick breeding capabilities and tendency to hide in small, dark places, like headboards and baseboards, electrical outlets and box springs.
Often, people don't even know they have bed bugs until they develop bite marks on their body while sleeping, which could take up to 14 days.
But, there are different treatments available to get rid of the bed bugs.
"The whole home is heated. A crew comes in and they heat up the whole house and they drive the air with the fans and everything to sort of make a giant convection oven inside your house,” says Brian Francis of Plunkett’s Pest Control.
There are also chemical treatments that can be done by professionals. Bed bugs aren't considered to be dangerous, but if people have a bad reaction they should seek medical attention.
http://www.kfyrtv.com/story/25313219/bed-bugs-become-growing-problem
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Recurring bed bug infestations displace Holder residents
 |
| ProChem Proactive - One of the places bedbugs love to hide. |
Bed bugs continue to be a problem in Holder Hall and Forbes College. Following two reports of bed bugs last September, at least four reports were confirmed this March.
The students have been temporarily moved to graduate housing, a move different from last year, when four students were moved to single rooms in 1915 hall, in Butler College.
Only the infestation in Holder Hall was disclosed to students. Residents in Rockefeller and Mathey Colleges received emails informing them of the situation.
“It makes sense for you to avoid visiting Holder Hall until further notice,” an email sent to Mathey students on Tuesday by Mathey College Office administrator Patricia Byrne read.
Students in Forbes College did not receive any email, according to students consulted.
University Spokesperson Martin Mbugua explained that cases of bed bugs were reported in Holder Hall on March 22, March 25 and March 31. The University also confirmed another report in Forbes College on April 10, Mbugua said.
Mbugua noted that all of the affected Holder Hall rooms have been chemically treated, and that monitoring of the affected adjacent rooms is ongoing. The affected room in Forbes will be treated this week, he added.
However, according to an email sent to Rocky residents by Housing and Real Estate Services manager Kenneth Paulaski, at least the Rocky rooms will actually commence treatment on Wednesday morning. It remains unclear if Paulaski and Mbugua were referring to the same cases, or whether more cases have been reported recently.
“Any time there is an email, I’m assuming there is a separate room being treated,” Rohan Bhargava ’14, a Rocky residential college adviser, said, adding that he was unsure whether the Tuesday email signified that additional students would be moved out.
Jacob Sackett-Sanders ’16, one of the affected students, has been living in Stanworth Apartments graduate housing for about two weeks.
“It’s fine; it’s not that far of a walk,” Sackett-Sanders said.
Sackett-Sanders said a friend in a different room told him he had bed bugs in his room soon after returning from spring break, but he wasn’t acting on the problem. He said he immediately reported the issue to his RCA, who passed it along to the Rocky College Office.
“They got him out of his room the next day,” Sackett-Sanders said. “They came and set traps in our rooms.”
Seven students and three rooms were affected in Holder by the latest outbreak, Sackett-Sanders noted, adding that he moved into Stanworth about a week after the first student did, because the traps in his room revealed the presence of bed bugs. Four students including Sackett-Sanders moved into Stanworth, whereas three went to other locations, Sackett-Sanders told the ‘Prince’.
Sackett-Sanders said no bed bugs were visible in his quad, but they were visible in his friend’s room.
The response of the Rocky administration to the problem has been prompt, according to Sackett-Sanders.
“Hats off to the Rocky administration. They’ve been the best part of this whole thing,” Sackett-Sanders said, adding that members of the Rocky administration met with the affected students on Monday and gave them different options for housing, including remaining in Stanworth and moving back into their treated rooms in Holder.
Sackett-Sanders said he chose to remain in Stanworth for the remainder of the academic year.
Thomas Kloehn ’17, a Holder resident, said he was aware of the presence of bed bugs in some rooms in Holder, but said the problem was contained to a few rooms.
“It really hasn’t been [a problem] in my part of the building,” Kloehn said.
David Kolet-Mandrikov ’17, another Holder resident, said he only became aware of the presence of bed bugs on Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency website suggests that the best way to identify a possible bed bug infestation is by looking for physical signs, like spotted bedding and the presence of larvae and eggs on bedding.
Bite marks on the skin are a “poor indicator of a bed bug infestation,” according to the EPA website.
The email from Byrne advised students to contact Customer Services during business hours or the Department of Public Safety after two hours if they suspect the presence of bed bugs in their rooms, and to avoid clutter and bringing in secondhand items, such as furniture or televisions.
Rocky Dean Oliver Avens deferred comment to the Housing Services; Housing Services, in turn, deferred comment to Mbugua.
Staff writer Chitra Marti contributed reporting.
http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2014/04/recurring-bed-bug-infestations-in-holder-force-students-to-be-displaced/
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Battered woman complains of shelter bed bugs Shelter: woman not kicked out for bed bug complaints
Ksat (2014) explained,
SAN ANTONIO -
A woman escaping domestic violence in Houston complained that she and her three children were subjected to bed bugs at a San Antonio shelter and then asked to leave.
The woman, who KSAT 12 is not identifying due to her situation, displayed bite marks up and down her arm and on her neck. Her 13-year-old daughter has a collection of bites as well and so does her 15-year-old son.
The bites, they said, came from bed bugs at the San Antonio Battered Women's and Children's shelter.
"No one's going to live with bed bugs,” the daughter said. “It's nasty. I can't even go to school because I'm sick and I have these bites all over me."
Her mother said the family escaped an abusive home life and ended up fighting bed bugs.
"It's not fair,” the mother said. “Just because you're homeless doesn't mean that you have to live like that. Just because you're in a situation, children shouldn't have to live like that."
She said the shelter kicked her out after she complained and called Metro Health.
"They had the police come out and escort me off of the campus and they said they were done with me," the mother said.
A report from Metro Health shows inspectors from the agency came out and that the shelter provided a pest control receipt from a recent treatment that said two rooms had already been sprayed.
Metro Health was unable to inspect the rooms because they were sealed by the pest control company.
The woman said she and her kids then spent one night in their car, which is packed with everything from ramen noodles to lots of medication.
Marta Pelaez, the president and CEO of the shelter, said the stories that are being told are false and that the shelter is safe and livable.
Pelaez said she could not say anything about a particular client because of privacy issues. She did say the shelter does not kick people out for complaining and that there has not been a bed bug epidemic.
The mother stands by her story.
"I had to do what I had to do for my children,” the mother said. “That no one should live under those circumstances."
The family is now at another shelter, again hoping to restart their lives.
The woman said she wants to prevent this from happening to other people who go to that shelter.
http://www.ksat.com/news/battered-woman-complains-of-shelter-bed-bugs/25217618
SAN ANTONIO -
A woman escaping domestic violence in Houston complained that she and her three children were subjected to bed bugs at a San Antonio shelter and then asked to leave.
The woman, who KSAT 12 is not identifying due to her situation, displayed bite marks up and down her arm and on her neck. Her 13-year-old daughter has a collection of bites as well and so does her 15-year-old son.
The bites, they said, came from bed bugs at the San Antonio Battered Women's and Children's shelter.
"No one's going to live with bed bugs,” the daughter said. “It's nasty. I can't even go to school because I'm sick and I have these bites all over me."
Her mother said the family escaped an abusive home life and ended up fighting bed bugs.
"It's not fair,” the mother said. “Just because you're homeless doesn't mean that you have to live like that. Just because you're in a situation, children shouldn't have to live like that."
She said the shelter kicked her out after she complained and called Metro Health.
"They had the police come out and escort me off of the campus and they said they were done with me," the mother said.
A report from Metro Health shows inspectors from the agency came out and that the shelter provided a pest control receipt from a recent treatment that said two rooms had already been sprayed.
Metro Health was unable to inspect the rooms because they were sealed by the pest control company.
The woman said she and her kids then spent one night in their car, which is packed with everything from ramen noodles to lots of medication.
Marta Pelaez, the president and CEO of the shelter, said the stories that are being told are false and that the shelter is safe and livable.
Pelaez said she could not say anything about a particular client because of privacy issues. She did say the shelter does not kick people out for complaining and that there has not been a bed bug epidemic.
The mother stands by her story.
"I had to do what I had to do for my children,” the mother said. “That no one should live under those circumstances."
The family is now at another shelter, again hoping to restart their lives.
The woman said she wants to prevent this from happening to other people who go to that shelter.
http://www.ksat.com/news/battered-woman-complains-of-shelter-bed-bugs/25217618
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Bedbugs shut down Catholic shelter, costs deplete coffers
 |
| ProChem- Heat is the best method to kill bedbugs. |
WATERLOO | A bedbug infestation compromised living spaces for the homeless staying at St. Francis Catholic Worker House this week but the cost to clean it up has drained their coffers.
The nine-bed shelter got its first complaint of bedbug bites from a resident on Monday. An exterminator was called Tuesday and deemed both the men's and women's houses would need to be treated.
Guests will likely be allowed to return Sunday afternoon but the cost to treat the infestation totaled $5,900, spending most of the organization's reserves.
"That took a big chunk out of our bank account," said Ken Hasty, a resident worker said Friday. "We were broke about a year ago but it just seems like we always come out OK."
Both of the guest houses were heat-treated Wednesday through Friday. Three residents were transferred to either hotels or space at St. Vincent de Paul and the Cedar Valley Hospitality House.
Jon McNamee, division manager for environmental health at Black Hawk County Health Department, said bedbugs have become a more common problem over the last few years, but it's hard to put a finger on why.
"Travel has a lot to do with it, or the chemicals being used have changed," he said.
But McNamee said it's not an problem exclusive to those in poverty.
"I think the biggest stigma I try to allay is that it's somehow associates with poor or messy housekeeping or low-quality lodging facilities and it's not," he said. "We're seeing bedbugs can be found in higher-end hotels and motels. It's wherever they are, they are"
He suggests anyone with a bedbug infestation seek professional help. Heat-treatment works the best; no over-the-counter treatment is as effective.
Hasty said the shelter, which also provides community meals, survives on donations. They don't get any government grants.
St. Catholic Worker House is looking for donations to cover the cost of hotel rooms for two more nights and the extermination expense.
Donations can be sent to St. Francis Catholic Worker, PO Box 1533 or dropped off at 321 E. Eighth St., Waterloo.
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bedbugs-shut-down-catholic-shelter-costs-deplete-coffers/article_21af0fe8-0020-50ad-8ad4-a4fefa05354c.html
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Bed Bug Infestation Forces OKC Woman Out Of Pine Ridge Apartments
 |
| ProChem - Heat treatment preferred method |
A bed bug infestation forces an Oklahoma City woman out of her apartment.
Karen Bookout has lived at Pine Ridge Apartments on S.W. 63rd and Santa Fe for nearly a year.
"It's not my fault, you know, I didn't bring these bed bugs in here," Bookout said the bed bugs moved in last month.
Bookout said she complained to management, but they claimed it was her fault.
"She said where did they come from, and I said I don't know you tell me," Bookout recalled.
Soon after the complaint, management issued a pest control notice asking some tenants to bag their belongings for an exterminator.
Bookout said she tried to comply but was never given a date for when her apartment would be sprayed.
An eviction notice came next.
10/2/2012 Related Story: OKC Apartment Complex Charges Residents To Exterminate Bed Bugs
"These letters just made me feel like it's my fault," Bookout believes her new neighbor brought the bugs to the complex.
The manager wouldn't confirm that theory in an interview, but she gave Bookout that explanation while our camera was rolling.
"She brought some in when she got a new bed," said Bookout's manager while standing in the doorway of Bookout's apartment. "We've been trying since last Thursday to correct this."
Bookout feels the opposite and wants to move out. She notified the Oklahoma City County Health Department of the infestation.
"We can only give notice to the management," Troy Skow, Consumer Protection at the OCCH Department, said they send out inspectors and then notify apartments.
He said, ultimately, the management of the apartment must address the issue and work with its tenants.
Bookout said that's not enough for her to stay in her lease. She wants to move out and hopes management will give back her deposit so she can find a new place to stay.
http://www.news9.com/story/24757806/bed-bug-infestation-forces-okc-woman-out-of-pine-ridge-apartments
Friday, February 14, 2014
Bed bug found in Biddeford Middle School
 |
| ProChem ProActive- K9's find where they hide! |
The superintendent says bed bugs can be quite common and there's no need for panic.
"From time to time in the winter, as kids leave clothing or bring clothing into school, it's fairly common," said Superintendent Jeremy Ray. "We like to do our best to inform parents when we find one at school. We know parents are concerned about that and we want to protect everybody."
Ray says one of the best ways to protect your child from bed bugs is to remind them to keep their clothes clean and away from other students' clothes.
"It's important to hang up jackets and book bags in lockers and not leave everything piled together," said Ray.
Atlantic Pest Solutions says bed bugs are one of the most common pests they deal with. If you spot one, they say you should clean your clothes and linens right away.
"Clean clothes you don't even need to wash," said Ralph Blumenthal of Atlantic Pest Solutions. "Just run it through the dryer. Go through a regular cycle, the hottest cycle possible except for dedicates so they're not ruined. Otherwise, a wash and dry in a regular cycle should eliminate the problem."
The school says the possibility of an outbreak is unlikely.
http://www.wgme.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/bed-bug-found-biddeford-middle-school-20935.shtml#.Uva31vu5Tpg
Monday, January 27, 2014
Lawsuit: Bedbugs in suburban hotel force woman to cut dreadlocks
 |
| ProChem ProActive - Bedbugs hide in the most unlikely places. |
An assistant tennis coach at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Donna Brumfield, and her group checked into the Palatine Holiday Inn Express in October 2012 for a tennis meet.
She ended up meeting bedbugs, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. Before the ensuing ordeal ended, Brumfield was forced to chop off her cherished, waist-length dreadlocks she had grown for 13 years, the lawsuit alleges. “If you know how long it takes to grow dreadlocks, you understand the trauma of losing my hair,” says Brumfield, of the south suburbs, who is in her 50’s.
“Harder to explain is the trauma that affects travel for me now. I travel a lot for my work, and every time I have to stay at a hotel I just get filled with anxiety,” she said.
In the Chicago area — named first in bedbug infestations for the second year in a row — Brumfield’s lawsuit is exemplary of growing litigation over the creepy critters that have become a nuisance nationally, according to legal and bedbug-eradication experts.
The majority of the suits are between hotels and guests, or tenants and landlords. Populations of Cimex lectularius, a bloodsucking parasite, had dropped off during the mid-20th century, but have seen an alarming resurgence across the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency.
While not known to transmit disease, the red welts left by the nocturnal bugs’ feeding — typically in a straight-line pattern of bites — can cause unbearable itching and swelling, as well as more serious allergic reactions.
It was on the second day of her stay at the Palatine hotel that a manager informed Brumfield an inspection of her room was needed because bed bugs were discovered in an adjacent room, the suit states.
She watched as exterminators confirmed the bugs in her headboard, before her relocation to another room, but by then tell-tale welts had appeared, the suit says.
“At the time she went to the urgent care facility, the red bumps extended from her hands and arms to her shoulders and neck,” according to the personal injury suit, which seeks damages of over $50,000, based on negligence. “The physician was also concerned that the bed bugs might have gotten into Plaintiff’s hair, which she wore in a long, dreadlock style.” A week later she was forced to cut her locks, the suit says.
The general manager of the hotel at 1550 E. Dundee Rd. did not return calls Thursday.
Media relations at the Atlanta regional headquarters of InterContinental Hotels Group, the chain’s owner, also did not respond to requests for comment.
“We’ve attempted to work with the hotel,” says Brumfield’s lawyer, Betty Tsamis of Tsamis Law, P.C., which in November settled for an undisclosed amount an August 2012 case against Marriott International Inc. and its former Lisle Marriott Conference Center on behalf of two women and their children bitten during a nine-day stay.
“We made what we think is a reasonable settlement offer. They were not serious about resolving the case at this stage, leaving us no choice but to file suit,” Tsamis says.
One of the first, significant hotel bedbug cases nationally was an Illinois case involving a brother and sister bitten during a November 2000 stay at a Motel 6 on East Ontario Street — Mathias vs. Accor Economy Lodging, Inc. After they sued, it was found the motel knew about the infestation but was renting rooms anyway. A Cook County jury awarded the siblings $372,000 in punitive, and $10,000 in compensatory damages. The chain’s appeal was dismissed in 2003 when a federal appeals court upheld the award.
Just last year, a New York woman sued a Holiday Inn Express in Laurinburg, N.C. for $7 million in damages for bites suffered during a two-night stay in October 2012.
“It’s a horrible thing that shouldn’t have to happen to anybody,” says Brumfield. “I’ve traveled to foreign countries and never had anything like this happen. Here at a nice hotel in the northwest suburbs? That was the most shocking thing for me.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/25139583-418/lawsuit-woman-forced-to-cut-dreadlocks-after-bedbugs-found-in-suburban-hotel-room.html
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)