Posted by Fred Speer on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 01:05 PM
Inspectors Say Bed Bug Infestations Bad In Downtown, University Heights, El Cajon Areas
source:10news.com
SAN DIEGO -- Pest inspectors said no place is exempt from bed bugs, but for some San Diego neighborhoods, bed bugs are especially problematic.
In a University Heights apartment, inspectors were able to find multiple live bed bugs. Inspector Eric Payson said the pests are more widespread than people realize.
"It's a huge problem," he said. "Experts are doing bed bug work full-time every day all day long."
Bed bug hot spots include the downtown area, University Heights and El Cajon.
El Cajon resident Corrine Boan and her neighbors said they've all had bed bugs in their apartments.
"It was irritating because you got bit up," said Boan.
"They are painful; I was scratching myself until I bled," El Cajon resident Melissa Reader told 10News.
Bed bug hot spots include the downtown area, University Heights and El Cajon.
El Cajon resident Corrine Boan and her neighbors said they've all had bed bugs in their apartments.
"It was irritating because you got bit up," said Boan.
"They are painful; I was scratching myself until I bled," El Cajon resident Melissa Reader told 10News.
Click here to read the entire article at 10news.com
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Posted by Fred Speer on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 @ 03:39 PM
By far my personal favorite for the day was Victoria Finckle's lecture. Victoria is a true entomologist with focused studies on Bed Bugs. Victoria's topics included:
Bed Bug Biology
Mating and reproduction
Feeding habits
Signs and symptoms
Variations of bites
Infestations
Controlling Bed Bugs
K9 scent detection
Conventional Bed Bug Treatment
Mechanical Control - Vacuuming
Steam Treatment
Mattress and Box spring encasement
Discarding infested items
We publish and republish alot on Bed Bugs so this was a treat! It would be very beneficial if others took this topic a little more serious. Some older posts I have made focus on what to look for when traveling, its worth a look.
As a personal note:
I thought I was the biggest insect geek, I have met my match! great lecture, kept me itching the entire time!
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Posted by Fred Speer on Wed, Dec 02, 2009 @ 10:41 AM
By Devon
STAMFORD -- To fight an ongoing pest problem, St. Luke's LifeWorks turned to a 3-year-old expert last week.
The organization, which provides housing and education to those in need, hired Ellie, a beagle, and her handler through Bliss Exterminators to determine which offices and residences in the Franklin Street headquarters have been besieged by bed bugs.
After discovering bugs in the first-floor city health clinic earlier this month, St. Luke's was forced to halt clothing donations until protocols could be put into place to prevent the spread or reintroduction of the bloodsucking parasites, which reappeared in many communities in the past few years.
"Our priority is our people," said Johnnie Malloy, St. Luke's chief learning officer. "We're hoping to resume the clothing donation soon, but for now, people should consider other places, like Person to Person, the Salvation Army and Goodwill."
Click here to read the entire article
Bliss Exterminators uses Ellie, a 3-year-old beagle, to search for bed bugs Friday in a playroom at St. Luke's LifeWorks in Stamford. (Kathleen O'Rourke/Staff photo)
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Posted by Fred Speer on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 @ 10:48 AM
As you all know we have been posting articles about bed bug infestations as well as having a guest blogger write and article on bed bugs. until now we have not reported on infestations real close to home. The Contra Costa Times has been folllowing this story, please take the time to read as well as visiting their site!
By Katherine Tam
Contra Costa Times Posted: 10/13/2009 03:46:05 PM PDT Updated: 10/13/2009 03:46:05 PM PDT
The giant 55-foot-tall tent that has enveloped a Richmond public-housing high-rise during a three-day fumigation to kill bedbugs came down Monday.
Crews will air out the six-story, 150-unit Hacienda apartment building at 13th and Barrett avenues, use meters to ensure no more gases remain, inspect the units and clean up before tenants return Thursday, said Matt Fisher of Oakland-based Omega Termite and Pest Control.
Residents began noticing itchy bites on their bodies in March and begged the city Housing Authority to fix the problem. Officials sprayed some individual units in May, but the bedbugs persisted.
At residents' urging, the city agreed to tent and fumigate the building. Officials emptied the building late last week, moving tenants into local hotels or asking them to stay with relatives.
Crews with the pest control company dropped a giant tent over the Hacienda and fumigated it to purge it of bedbugs and their eggs. Fumigations also kill other pests, such as roaches and fleas, Fisher said. In addition, the company will wrap every mattress in special bug-proof encasements to stop bedbugs from penetrating beds in case the pests are reintroduced into the building, such as through furniture that is unknowingly infested.
On Monday morning, curious tenants drove by the building and slowed down to gaze at the yellow-and-black tent. They were pleased the city was fumigating the building, they said, and they hope the bedbugs are gone for good when they come home.
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Posted by Fred Speer on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 @ 03:23 PM
Bedbugs Close Building at John Jay College
By Joel Stonington AND Jennifer 8. Lee
Updated, 4:05 p.m. | John Jay College of Criminal Justice is shutting down one of its buildings because of bedbugs. The college hopes to reopen the building, at 445 West 59th Street, by Tuesday
morning after it is treated by an extermination service. Meanwhile, all the classes in the building, North Hall, are being postponed and rescheduled. On Thursday afternoon, a worker used a bullhorn to inform groups of students approaching the building that classes were canceled. Other classes will continue as scheduled.
Associated Press Cimex lectularius, the common bedbug, was found in a building at John Jay College.
"The college is taking it seriously and moving as quickly as possible to treat the building," said Jim Grossman, a spokesman for John Jay. John Jay is calling it a bedbug "condition." Mr. Grossman said, "Infestation is when you can see them swarming."
At an information session held Thursday afternoon, college officials said that rashes among staff members were first reported in mid-August and grew in numbers as time went on. Most staff affected with skin rashes were from the financial aid and registrar's office. A deep cleaning was ordered on September 14 and one bedbug was found. Soon after a second bedbug was caught. The college brought in an inspection team with bug-sniffing dogs on Tuesday that confirmed the bedbug problem on the first floor of North Hall.
The crowd of about 200 faculty, staff and students let out a gasp when school officials showed a map of affected areas. Bedbugs were found in roughly half of the rooms on the second floor, and the inspection has not been completed on the third or fourth floors of North Hall, though evidence was found on the third floor. Officials said that other buildings would also be inspected.
The president of the college, Jeremy Travis, said no bites had been reported, only skin rashes, a forensic psychology student said she and a co-worker both were bitten during the last two weeks. Deirdra Assey, 24, of Brooklyn, said both she and the co-worker checked their homes and spoke with landlords about bedbugs but said they eventually concluded the bites were happening during the day.
As soon as I figured out that campus had been infected it all made sense," Ms. Assey, a second year master's degree student, said. "I had no idea they could be infecting offices."
Indeed, despite the "bed" descriptor, bedbugs can in fact survive in many locations, such as buses, trains and movie theaters. Last year they were reported at Fox offices.
Bedbugs, once nearly eradicated, have spread all across New York City, in part because of the decline in use of DDT. In March, the city set up a bed bug advisory board.
Meanwhile, students expressed glee at the interruption in classes, giving them a break. Rudy Pamphile, 18, a freshman, walked past the yellow tape blocking the entrance to the building laughing and joking with a friend, saying, "No test today!"
Though Mr. Pamphile said he had stayed up until midnight the night before studying, he was not unhappy to be relieved of the burden, adding he would probably just hang out with friends until his next class.
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