"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

Woman Claims She Was Attacked by Bed Bugs on Flight from L.A.

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LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Bed bugs are apparently not just found on beds anymore. Some have managed to infiltrate airplanes -- or so one passenger claims.

A woman says she was attacked by bed bugs last month while aboard a British Airways flight from L.A. to Bangalore.

28-year-old Zane Selkirk says she first noticed the bed bugs on her airline-provided blanket and her finger about three hours into the first leg of her flight, which was from L.A. to London's Heathrow Airport.

She claims she went to the airplane bathroom, and found bite marks on her back and several bugs hanging onto her shirt.

Zelkirk says she told flight attendants, who moved her and her seatmates from premium economy to business class.

Zelkirk posted pictures of her bitten body online on Tuesday.

On her site, she writes, "I left my 10-hour flight to find my body covered with 90 bug bites."

She also posted the text of a letter she wrote to British Airways about its customer service.

Zelkirk says she spoke to airline representatives when she arrived in Bangalore, but was told that nobody had the authority to help customers.

She writes, "Not only was the experience itself absolutely disgusting, but your staff (nearly without exception) were revolting to me personally throughout the ordeal."

Zelkirk says she isn't seeking any compensation, adding, "I did want to share my personal story with you, as well as other airline customers, in hopes that your airline would review and evolve their standards for aircraft cleanliness."

An airline spokeswoman said they sent Zelkirk a written apology, and that British Airways is conducting a thorough investigation.
 

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Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/06/01/bed-bug-infestations-on-the-rise-in-delaware-county/

Bed Bug Infestations On The Rise In Delaware County
June 1, 2011 5:36 PM

UPTON, Pa (CBS) — Constance Bennett and her neighbor Rosalyn DeMiranda of Upland, Delaware County have been trying to get rid of a bedbug infestation for a year now.

The insects have been pretty annoying, but this spring both women say the problem is a lot worse and they are not alone.

“I burn all over and all of my grandchildren have been bitten.”�� DeMiranda laments.

She’s even taken her issue to the office of public health. Officials contacted her landlord and together they have been working to end the infestation.

Bennett owns the home she lives in, but says the cost of eradicating the bedbugs is cutting into money she should be using to pay her bills.

The two women are dealing with a problem many will be tackling this season.

Officials are warning, as the weather warms up bedbugs will be making a comeback. Missy Henriksen of the National Pest Management Association warns ”�� bedbugs are hitchhikers”�� and as we travel during the summer holiday season we run the risk of picking up the tiny blood suckers and transporting then back home with us.

Henriksen feels education is the key. She says learning to identify the insects may help you spot a small infestation before it gets out of control.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...3-philadelphia-police-stations/#comment-96331

Bed Bugs Infest 3 Philadelphia Police Stations
July 11, 2011 11:39 PM

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Bed bugs — CBS News reports that a recent survey found the creepy crawlers all over the map from coast to coast.

Here in Philadelphia, the latest invasion was reported where Philly’s finest report to work at Harbison and Levick streets. The building houses the Philadelphia Police Department’s 2nd and 15th Districts along with the Northeast Detective Division.

“You’re talking about in excess of 500 officers and detectives combined that could be exposed to that,” Roosevelt Poplar said.

Poplar is the Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police. Poplar went on to explain that he’s concerned knowing the number of people in danger of being exposed is even greater.

“If a prisoner is transported to the PDU, which is the Police Detention Unit that’s down on 8th and Race Streets, if the prisoner is infested, there’s a chance of that prisoner transporting bed bugs downtown so now you’re talking about a 1,000 people in that building. So this is a major concern, you can’t take it lightly,” Poplar said.

Poplar says he was first notified of the infestation on Saturday that’s when he visited the building and took pictures of roaches and pests that were dead and some still crawling.

Poplar learned then the department had brought in an exterminator on Thursday then again on Saturday. What worries Poplar is the fact that only a part of the building — deemed infested — was treated.

“So the one side was treated, apparently the other side was left untreated. In essence, it wasn’t treated properly,” Poplar said.

Watch the video…




So union leaders drafted a notice and posted it inside the building of each police district, informing every officer of the problem and asking any affected officer to document the incident.

Poplar explained, “They have enough worries going out on the streets dealing with crime on a daily basis, let alone having to come to the district where they work and worry about bed bugs.”

Captain Frank Bachmayer with the 15th District responded, “I’m very sensitive to that concern. I don’t want to bring them home. I’m sure a lot of my officers feel the same way. So we’re going to do everything we can to ensure that the bed bugs are treated.”

Capt. Bachmayer says the exterminator is scheduled for a return-visit later in the week to make sure the problem’s been fixed permanently.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Philadelphia_Police_Facilities_Grievance_092011

FOP: Bedbugs, Fleas Among Police Facility Problems

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia's police union says some of the department's facilities are in disrepair and holding cells in one precinct have a bedbug infestation.

Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby tells the Philadelphia Daily News the lodge has filed a grievance against the city, seeking repairs.

McNesby says the union had to send an exterminator to some officers' homes because they brought fleas home with them from work. He says he has photos, videos and bills to present to an arbitration panel.

A spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter says the city is aware of the state of the facilities and has earmarked nearly $11 million for repairs and upgrades over the next five years.

The Daily News report says the union wants independent inspections for all police facilities.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

The beaners can eat the bedbugs by putting them in their tacos and the cops can give their bedbugs to the beaners for free feed.

:p
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...ames-philadelphia-most-bed-bug-infested-city/

Start Scratching! Pest Control Company Names Philadelphia Most Bed Bug Infested City
June 12, 2012 8:59 AM
By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Start scratching! Philadelphia has overtaken New York City to be named the most bed-bug infested city.

New York held the top spot for the past two years, but Philadelphia takes the top spot in the annual ranking, put together by pest control company Terminix.

Several cities join Philadelphia with growing bedbug populations, including Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The company warns the problem will likely grow as summer travelers encounter bedbugs in hotels, airports, and public transportation.

Some advice for travelers: check hotel headboards and the folds in mattresses for bedbugs or dark spots.

When you’re in a hotel, hang up all your clothes, never use drawers, never lay anything on the bed and never throw anything on the floor.

And, keep your suitcase on the luggage rack — up off the floor, as far from the bed as possible.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

Bedbugs hitching rides on Detroit buses, say drivers

bedbugs-high-mag-110919-02.jpg

The union representing Detroit's bus drivers has reportedly asked local lawmakers to put pressure on the transit agency to help stop the spread of bedbugs on buses.

The Detroit News reports that roughly 50 Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) drivers have said they've seen bedbugs on buses, and some have been bitten within the past year, according to Henry Gaffney, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26.

After receiving a letter from Gaffney in May, DDOT chief executive Ron Freeland said Thursday he asked a maintenance crew to investigate and sent a letter to the union later that month saying any infested bus would be cleaned.

The amount of bedbugs the crew has found so far in the cleaning process isn't unusual for a service with an average of 100,000 riders each day, Freeland told the newspaper.

"I, personally, am not aware of any widespread problem," he said. "Where we do have problems, we are in fact dealing with it."

Any buses reported to have bedbugs will be cleaned and fumigated, Freeland said. If that doesn't kill them, the maintenance crew can put the vehicle in a paint booth and kill the bugs with heat.

Gaffney, however, said DDOT officials should be taking preventive measures by treating all of the agency's terminals and coaches.

"If this continues to get bad, you can't force anybody to work in those types of conditions," Gaffney told the newspaper. "It's not fair to the citizens either. Somebody's got to care somewhere in this city."
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Bedbugs-Put-Police-Cars-Out-of-Service--161969225.html

Bedbugs Put Police Cars Out of Service
The Bethlehem Police Department had to take four of their vehicles out of service due to a possible bedbug contamination, according to the Morning Call.
By David Chang | Tuesday, Jul 10, 2012 | Updated 3:59 PM

A tiny pest caused a big headache for Bethlehem Police officers. The department had to take four of their vehicles out of service due to a possible bedbug contamination, according to the Morning Call.

The Morning Call reports officers parked the vehicles near a home on the 1000 block of Carlisle Street shortly after midnight on Friday. The police were there to investigate the non-suspicious death of a woman. Police Captain David Kravatz told the Morning Call officers saw bedbugs while inside the woman’s home.

The officers took four vehicles out of service until they could be treated for possible bedbug contamination, according to the Morning Call. The vehicles were decontaminated and washed before being placed back on the road on Monday.

Kravatz told the Morning Call the cleanup was a “precautionary measure” and that a few of their vehicles had been taken out of service before due to possible bedbug infestations.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/10/17/officials-york-prison-infested-with-bedbugs/

Officials: York Prison Infested With Bedbugs
October 17, 2012 10:54 AM

YORK, Pa. (AP) — A county prison in central Pennsylvania will furlough some work-release inmates because of a bedbug infestation.

Officials on Tuesday said the York County Prison will furlough about 90 male work-release inmates for three days so exterminators can spray infested areas later this week. The inmates will be allowed to go home or stay with friends or family.

The minimum-security prisoners are usually allowed to leave for employment and sometimes for funerals or other personal events.

The infestation is in trailer-type housing on the prison grounds where work-release inmates stay.

County spokesman Carl Lindquist said prison officials are working with the inmates to determine their plans while the trailers are being treated. If they don’t have a place to stay, they will remain at the prison in a different area.
 
Bedbugs in firehouse have staff sleeping in trucks

Typical conditions in a report describing nigger city Washington, DC...although the description reads like a report from fire departments in Kenya or Zimbabwe would be expected to.

A bedbug infestation at a Northwest Washington fire station left firefighters sleeping in their personal vehicles or in the firetrucks to avoid being bitten by the bugs in their bunkrooms, a report on the conditions at D.C. firehouses found.

The 180-page report by the Office of the Inspector General details a wide swath of problematic conditions at D.C. fire stations across the city, including a lack of working smoke detectors:p, leaking roofs, flooded basements, rodent infestations and inoperable heating or cooling systems. Among the findings, 19 stations had significant rodent problems with one reporting that dead mice had been found in a refrigerator, seven did not have functional heating systems in living quarters, 27 did not have fire extinguishers, and 22 reported that the monitor that displays call information either was not working or was unreliable
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...-have-staff-sleeping-in-trucks/#ixzz2F6KyFJIH
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Penn-State-Bedbugs-207839411.html

"Dirty" Dorms Left Us With Bedbugs: Students
Students visiting PSU come home with bedbug bites
Friday, May 17, 2013 | Updated 11:34 AM EDT

Some of 40 chaperones and students visiting Penn State's main campus say they came home with bedbug bites.

The school says bedbugs were reported in the Curtin Hall dormitory. Three rooms were treated, and all of the residence hall's rooms are being checked.

A university spokeswoman says a pest control service used a heat treatment to get rid of the bugs.

Several Pittsburgh high school students staying in the dorm for the Junior Academy of Science State Meet science competition over the weekend say they came home with bedbug bites.

Parents say the students were sent home with their luggage and clothes wrapped in garbage bags and information on how to prevent the bugs from spreading to their homes.

The students say the rooms were dirty when they arrived.

Connellsville School District superintendent Dr. Dan Lunetic told WPXI-TV that six students from his district suffered "minor bites."
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...-While-Trying-to-Kill-Bed-Bugs-211131491.html

Man Sets Home on Fire While Trying to Kill Bed Bugs
By David Chang | Wednesday, Jun 12, 2013 | Updated 9:02 AM EDT

A homeowner and four firefighters are recovering after investigators say he accidentally set his own house on fire while trying to kill bed bugs.

Police say the unidentified man was using a space heater, hair dryer and a heat gun to kill bed bugs inside his home on Penn Street in Woodbury, New Jersey. Heat guns are often used to strip paint off woodwork. They can reach temperatures, on average, of 1,000 degrees.

While doing this, police say he accidentally set fire to the second floor of his home.

The fire started around noon and firefighters were able to put the flames down soon afte the arrived.

The firefighters were called back to the scene around 5:15 p.m. however after the fire rekindled.

Between both blazes, the homeowner and four firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The Gloucester County Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the blaze as accidental, according to Philly.com.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...ll-second-worst-city-for-bedbug-infestations/

Survey Finds Philadelphia Still Second-Worst City For Bedbug Infestations
August 28, 2013 2:06 PM
By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A new survey by Terminix finds that Philadelphia has retained its rank as the second most bedbug-infested city in the United States.

The top 10 most bedbug-infested cities, according to the survey:

1. Cincinnati, Ohio
2. Philadelphia, Pa.
3. Detroit, Mich.
4. New York, NY
5. Columbus, Ohio
6. Los Angeles, Calif.
7. Dallas, Tex.
8. Chicago, Ill.
9. Houston, Tex.
10. Baltimore, Md.

Exterminator Bob Manley, with A&B Pest Control in Bensalem, Pa., says he’s not surprised about Philadelphia’s bedbug ranking.

“I see a lot (of bedbug cases),” he tells KYW Newsradio. “Right now I have between 10 and 15 jobs going at one time. I mean, it’s all over Philadelphia. It’s not just Philly — it’s Bucks County, Montgomery County.”

Killing bedbugs can be successful, Manley says, but it takes work on the part of the homeowner as well as the exterminator.

“They clean their dressers out, they go through all their clothes, they wash and dry everything, they bag everything. And I come in and I rip apart beds, sofas — everything.”

And Manley says bedbugs don’t discriminate. Anyone can get them, from people who go on expensive vacations, to commuters, to college students.

“I think a lot of times they’re being transported by friends visiting friends,” he says. “I’ve done jobs on people that commute by train, by bus. That’s the worst part about the whole thing: trying to figure out how somebody got them.”

And now, with colleges starting up again, he says, you have to be careful in dormitory rooms. He says some college students like to shop at thrift stores, where an item may have come in already infested.

“When you do buy something like that, keep the bag tied tight and throw it in the dryer. High heat in the dryer will kill anything,” Manley advises.

He says bedbugs go through five growth stages. “Between each stage they need a little blood meal, but as they get bigger, they start to leave bigger marks on people.”

He says a bedbug bite may look similar to a mosquito bite.

“Sometimes it’s a reddish mark, and sometimes they irritate people and the individual could start scratching it and make it worse,” Manley says.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Bedbugs-Dont-Like-the-Cold-239450321.html

Bedbugs Don't Like the Cold
By Elana Gordon | Newsworks.org | Thursday, Jan 9, 2014 | Updated 12:20 PM EST

Philadelphia has a growing bedbug problem. While that notoriety may come as no surprise to residents in 2014, newly published research led by Michael Levy, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, may offer some added insight into the scope and scale of the problem.

And it's one that may give residents some temporary reprieve during these bitingly cold winter months.

Levy and colleagues have been tracking bedbugs in Philadelphia since 2008. In warmer months, they go door-to-door, targeting certain neighborhoods to better track the problem and understand how people and communities are (and aren't) addressing these pests.

Levy's team has also assessed complaints reported to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Vector Control Services based on the geographic area and time of year between 2008 and 20012.

Complaints ranged from calls about snails to raccoons, but steadily rising each year were complaints about bedbugs. Of the nearly 500 complaints to the city between September of 2011 and June 2012, 236 pertained to bedbugs. While people may mistake other bugs for bedbugs in filing a complaint, Levy thinks these reports are just the scratching the surface.

"A lot of people have bed bugs and very few people are talking about it," he said. "Everyone kind of thinks they're the only one on the block."

Levy mapped those 236 complaints to counter that notion [see above]. The report noted a "widespread distribution" throughout the city, with a number of small hotspots, mainly in South Philadelphia. Hotspots also surfaced in Northeast and West Philadelphia. Based on this research and anecdotal evidence, Levy said,, bedbugs are permeating private residences, public housing, nursing homes, and yes, even college campuses.

Tis (not) the 'bedbug season'

While bedbugs are appearing all over the city, cold weather may offer a bit of relief. Levy's team found that complaints spiked in the summer and dropped during the winter.

"Everyone was calling in June, July, August, It's really in the summer," he said.

Levy has some theories: bedbugs may reproduce a lot faster and move more quickly around households when it's warmer.

For area bedbug exterminators such as Jeff White, with New Jersey-based BedBug Central, the findings are no surprise. White has noted seasonal fluctuations in his own business for years.

"We saw it very, very clearly," he said. "A significant two to three times increase in bedbug calls in July and September, which we call our bedbug season."

He did his own survey of major pest-control companies around the country, which reported similar experiences. The reason remains "the million-dollar question," but White said he agrees with Levy's theories.

Neither, however, have yet to figure out how this knowledge might improve bedbug interventions.

"So the question is, when do we want to treat them, when they're all over place or when they're at lower populations?" said Levy.

Problem spurs new city mattress policy

While Philadelphia does not have any one agency actively addressing the bedbug problem (the bugs are not known vectors for transmitting diseases to people), the City Streets Department recently established a new mattress-disposal policy, modeled after New York City's. Philadelphia also has some general bedbug information for residents, and the health department advices those with bedbugs to contact private pest control professionals to handle the situation.

"It's just, after you get so many complaints from state reps, council members, from residents and from employees, there just had to be some kind of decision made," said Donald Carlton, Philadelphia's deputy streets commissioner.

Residents must encase mattress and box springs slated for pickup in a plastic bag, available at major retail stores. If not, starting Feb. 1, they'll face a $50 fine.

"It prevents the spread of the bedbugs to neighbors, it prevents the spread of bedbugs to some of our employees as they discard the mattresses," Carlton said.

Regardless of the time of year, Levy cautioned that bedbugs typically don't quickly or easily travel from one house to another.

"It's probably very rare that they're hanging on a person and then jumping off a person in another house," he said. "It's more long-term movements between houses where people bring their stuff."

Or, if someone were to, say, pick up one of those bedbug-infested mattresses off the street.

Tune in to The Pulse Friday, Jan. 17, to hear more about the latest on bedbug prevention and Levy's research on the bedbug's "evil cousin" in Peru.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...attress-policy-to-curb-bedbugs-254225141.html

Philly Implements New Mattress Policy to Curb Bedbugs
But residents worry about unintended effects.
By Elana Gordon | Newsworks.org | Monday, Apr 7, 2014 | Updated 3:43 PM EDT

mattress_disposal_20140403_1036798295.jpg

A mattress is wrapped in plastic for pick up in South Philadelphia.


Philadelphia may have a bit of a bedbug problem. As Newsworks has previously reported, area entomologists say the six-legged creatures have made a comeback in places like Philadelphia in recent years.

In an effort to keep bedbugs from spreading, this winter Philadelphia changed its policy for how to throw out old mattresses and box springs. The new procedure fully took effect in February.

Some residents worry the effort to curb growing bedbug concerns, may be making the problem worse.

Any mattresses left curbside must now be sealed in protective wraps for pickup. The effort is modeled on a New York City policy, with the aim of protecting neighborhoods and trash collectors from direct contact with potentially infested mattresses.

Vivian Van Story is a North Philadelphia resident who serves on the city's solid waste and recycling council.

"It's not working. It's not working," Van Story said.

Van Story worries people are instead dumping mattresses to avoid purchasing the bags, which cost about $10 at big box stores. Or, she says, people just don't know they're supposed to bag the mattresses. They leave them out, and then they're ignored on trash-day.

"It's all over, if you drive around you will see different mattresses in North Philadelphia that are still curbside," she says.

Andrew Dalzell, with the South of South Street Neighborhood Association, has seen mixed results.

"I think there's an adjustment period," Dalzell said.

Dalzell recalls recently seeing several mattresses and a box spring left out a few doors down from his apartment. "And I came home and they were gone," he said.

But he says there are plenty to contend with: "I have seen on another block just the other day where there were four, five mattresses just sitting there."

Dalzell's group plans to sell bags out of its office, so it's easier for neighbors to get them.

The city's deputy Streets Commissioner Donald Carlton stands by the new policy, but acknowledges it may take a bit of time to take hold.

"Whenever you have a culture change, culture change doesn't come easy."

Carlton says non-bagged mattresses trigger calls to his department's enforcement unit, which immediately follows up. He says the crews inspect and dispose of the mattresses while dressed in special protective gear if they suspect the mattress is infested.

The city started giving out warnings in December and has issued about 150 tickets, for $50, since February.

A spokesperson with New York City's sanitation department says their policy has not resulted in dumping.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://nypost.com/2014/05/31/city-bedbug-infestation-numbers-drop-by-over-half/

City bedbug infestation numbers drop by over half
By Tara Palmeri
May 31, 2014 | 2:00am

bedbugs_insect_incest_54615825-e1401515945205.jpg


Manhattan is on its way to cutting the bedbug epidemic by more than a half, city records show.

According to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, there have been 381 violations issued for bedbug infestations at rental buildings since October 2013, compared to 846 violations that were issued during the height of the epidemic during the 2010 fiscal year.

“As opposed to just a few years ago, people are now considerably more vigilant, and there is more and better information available to the general public regarding how to prevent and deal with infestations,” HPD spokesperson Eric Bederman told The Post.

In Manhattan, there were 775 violations in the 2011 fiscal year, 675 violations in the 2012 fiscal year and 520 violations in the 2013 fiscal year. The data reflects verified instances of bedbug infestations in multifamily residential rental buildings.

Lee Browning of Discovery Dogs — whose bedbug detection service exclusively caters to tony clients on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side — said the bedbug mania still exists but he barely finds the creepy crawlers.

“Go back to 2009, and it was not uncommon to get called back again and again,” Browning said. “The hysteria seems to be over.”

Another service, Bell Environmental, has also tackled the annoying critters, with “Roscoe the Bed Bug Dog” leading the charge.

“Roscoe is the chief detective with our Bed Bug K9 Force and the latest tool in our arsenal of bedbug control,” the firm’s Web site boasts.

There were only 16 violations issued at rental buildings on the Upper East Side and 36 violations issued on the Upper West Side since the beginning of the 2014 fiscal year.

“Whatever processes and chemicals they’ve been using have been working,” he said. “It’s a good thing.”

At this point, a big part of his work is helping his clients sleep better at night by assuring them that their beds are bug-free.

Citywide, there have been 2,268 bedbug violations since October 2013. There were 4,808 violations during the 2010 fiscal year.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...s-in-norristown-pa-reopen-after-bedbug-scare/

County Offices in Norristown, Pa. Reopen After Bedbug Scare
September 24, 2014 1:41 PM
By Brad Segall

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — Montgomery County officials say the county offices in Norristown that were shut down earlier this week because of a bedbug scare are now back open and operating normally.

Exterminators were brought in to One Montgomery Plaza, across the street from the courthouse, on Monday and Tuesday after someone spotted a bedbug on a child’s stroller brought in by a family.

Court Care, which provides free, short-term child care for jurors and others who appear in court, was closed for two days. Other areas that were sprayed were Domestic Relations and Office of Children and Youth, in the Human Services complex a mile away.

County spokesman Frank Custer says they’re confident the problem has been taken care of.

“A lot of those areas, unlike a home situation or a hotel room situation, where the bugs can get into mattresses and clothing and things like that, are plastic surfaces and tile floors and things like that,” he notes.

But he says they will continue to monitor those areas closely just in case. And should the situation arise again, he adds, they’ll be prepared to handle it.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...for-hearings-on-bed-bug-infestations-in-city/

Phila. Councilman Calls For Hearings on Bed Bug Infestations in City
October 23, 2014 12:30 PM
By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — They’re not deadly, but they certainly are annoying. They’re bed bugs, and Philadelphia City Council plans a hearing on the insects that lawmakers believe are a growing problem in the city.

First District councilman Mark Squilla says he has anecdotal evidence from his constituents that bed bugs are becoming a more frequent problem, particularly in row homes where they can easily spread from one house to another.

“Neighbors have had bed bugs, and it’s creeping into their properties,” Squilla says, “and those people can’t afford to get the bed bugs exterminated. If you have a person who is on a fixed income, and they found out they have bed bugs, the cost could be thousands of dollars in extermination fees, not counting materials you might have to buy to encase your mattresses and get rid of some of the stuff you have.”

And he notes that getting rid of the bed is not always the answer:

“They’re also in your woodwork, your receptacles, any place that’s warm.”

So, Squilla wants City Council’s Public Health Committee to hold a hearing on bed bug infestations.

Experts believe that bed bugs declined in the second half of the 20th century due to greater public awareness and more prompt extermination.

Squilla believes the bugs have adapted.

“They’re back. They’re back stronger. And they’re resistant to some of the chemicals and other means that they used to get rid of bed bugs at that time,” he said.

No date set yet for the bed bug hearing.
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/12/03/city-council-puts-bed-bug-problem-under-microscope/

City Council Puts Bed Bug Problem Under Microscope
December 3, 2014 12:06 PM

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There was plenty of squirming in City Council chambers this morning, as lawmakers convened a hearing on the vexing problem of bed bugs — and how hard they are to exterminate in a city of row homes.

“The problem is real, and it’s only getting worse,” said Martin Overline of Aardvark Pest Management.

Overline was one of the exterminators who came before city council bugged by bed bugs. He told of one recluse whose home he visited.

“I saw literally hundreds of bed bugs in his front window,” he said. “That’s just in his window, that’s not even counting what’s in his bedroom. He wouldn’t allow nobody in his house. But unfortunately for the neighbors and the rowhouses next to him, three on each side now have activity in their homes now from bed bugs from this gentleman.”

Bed bugs are wingless insects that feed on human blood and can be found not just in beds and box springs, but even in drawers, couches and electrical outlets. Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, director of Environmental Health Services for the city Health Department, said eradicating bed bugs is no easy task.

“You have to de-clutter, you have to find the source of the bed bugs,” she said, “and wherever possible find somebody to help you with the problem.”

Michelle Niedermeier of the Philadelphia office of the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management program testified that many residents don’t know what to do.

“Residents often seek the cheapest and most readily available materials, including insect foggers, boric acid dust, bleach, detergent, rubbing alcohol and moth balls,” Niedermeier said. “All of these are ineffective in managing bed bugs and many can be harmful or even dangerous.”

And Niedermeier said the social stigma of bed bugs can make the situation worse.

“No one ever wants to admit to having a pest, because there are stigmas, like ‘you’re dirty, you don’t keep a clean house,'” she said. “There are financial stigmas associated with it as well.”

But Niedermeier said cleanliness or finances are not factors in bed bug infestations, and that the insects are simply drawn to human blood.

The committee heard from some victims of bed bugs, including one of their own, First District Councilman Mark Squilla.

“I for one, had bed bugs,” Squilla said. “Now everyone knows. It’ll be the headline tomorrow: ‘Councilman Squilla has bed bugs.'”

Squilla said the problem can become psychological.

“It’s not only the bugs and the bites, but it becomes sometimes a mental issue,” he said. “We’re talking about it right now, and I just started itching.”

Experts said row home neighborhoods are particularly prone, since the bugs can spread easily from one house to another through wall cracks.

“A person can spend a lot of money, and then it eventually comes right back into their home again,” said Squilla.

And Raval-Nelson of the city Health Department said in dealing with bed bug issues among neighbors, the city’s powers are often limited.

“Often times, if it’s a tenant-landlord issue, we can’t necessarily go in there without the owner’s permission,” she said.

Squilla vowed to form a task force to look at how the city can do more. Overline was thankful.

“The problem is real, and its only getting worse,” he said. “So whatever you can do to help us out here would be greatly appreciated.”
 
Re: "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...Second-Campus-In-Bed-Bug-Scare-291875731.html

Community College Closes Second Campus In Bed Bug Scare
Updated at 8:04 PM EST on Friday, Feb 13, 2015

The Community College of Allegheny County has closed down a campus for the second time this month after a student reported having bedbugs at home.

Friday's closure affected the Allegheny Campus on Pittsburgh's North Side. On Feb. 4, the school closed its North Campus in nearby McCandless Township.

Both closures were prompted by student reports of bedbugs at home, not in campus buildings.

But because the parasitic pests feed on blood, they can be carried by humans to other locations.

The school hired a pest control firm to inspect the Allegheny Campus, which the school expected would reopen Saturday.

The bugs don't transmit disease, but can cause itching, and the excessive skin irritation from scratching can sometimes invite infection.

The campus closed out of an "abundance of caution'' and on advice of county health officials.
 
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