About that public conversation we are to have about the bed bug problems in our cities…
There was an exchange today in comments that I want to share.
It began testily.
Rich (a PMP in Cincinnati):
Cincinnati’s bed bug conference was a bust. The conference appeared to be an attempt to comoflauge the fact the the local governments have no idea what to do. [...]
Persons with infestations must realize that the majority of mitigating a bed bug infestation rests squarely on their own shoulders: pest control companies may be able to provide effective treatments, but only residents can clean up clutter and launder their personal items.
Me:
We, on the other hand, think that the JBBTF strategic plan is the smartest bed bug policy document we have read.[...]
Pest control providers must realize that residents can assiduously follow instructions and cooperate with treatment for weeks on end, but bed bugs will not actually be eradicated from the premises unless technicians provide knowledgeable and detailed inspections, targeted applications, all-around smart bed bug management, and actually know what they’re doing in the first place.
But then Rich posted another comment:
Strategic plans look wonderful on paper…just like President Bush’s “shock and awe” plan for Iraq. Regrettably, implementing what is on paper and achieving the desired results are sometimes at opposite ends of the scale.
[...]
Regarding your disagreement about the “silver bullet”, you are encouraged to become familiar with how heavy bed bug infestations are allowed to occur. I find that those who are economically able to pay for the service do so. Those who are not, do not. The ones who don’t have the service generally fall into the lower income family bracket, resulting in the spreading of the insect by “transporting” the insect to their place of employment, restaurants, movie theaters, public transportation, public housing, apartment buildings, and so on. The “silver bullet” will be a treatment that is both effective, and affordable, thereby allowing all persons with infestations the means to take care of the problem in the early stage of the infestation.
Infestations can be eradicated more quickly if all of those infested could afford the treatment. Efficiency depends upon how quickly treatments begin, and how cooperative the persons are who have the infestation. Dwellings that are not prepared for treatment, and residents who do not follow protocol, will always be a problem. You have to look at a few dogs sometimes, Renee, to figure out how the dogs’ tails wag.
I am not as pessimistic as I am frustrated. People use to live in roach infested properties until we were delivered the “silver bullets” that resolved the problem. Termites use to bring some people to tears because of the horror stories that abound from homes destroyed by infestations, until we were, again, delivered the “silver bullet”. Bed bugs will eventually have the same outcome, but I do not see that outcome anytime on the near horizon.
We are in agreement regarding your comment about trained technicians. Just like any other industry, there are those who will become profiteers when the market will allow them to do so. The one thing the City of Cincinnati had in their plans which I thought was an excellent idea was requiring PCO’s and technicians to be trained and certified in the proper treatment for bed bugs. However, it does not matter how well trained the provider of service is, if a person cannot afford the service, then the infestations will continue.
We are not in this all together, Renee. There are the haves, and there are the have-nots. Cincinnati’s population consists of many have-nots. The City’s response to the problem was only a well orchastrated response in their effort to save face in the eyes of those watching.
As it stands now, those with the $$ will be those who rid their homes of bed bugs. I personally provide support to have-nots in an effort to help slow down the problem. I offer what I can, and I do so without expectations of any sort of gratification. Condemnation of being a poor businessman has not caused me to loose any sleep, rather it has given me the ability to sleep better by knowing that I have provide some help to those less fortunate.
So, let us keep our fingers crossed that Mike Potter and Rick Cooper come up with that “silver bullet” some time soon. In the mean time, should you discover something yourself, I will trust that you will be inclined to share it with all of us. Kindest regards.
I’m not so sure about this idea that poverty is the ultimate vector. But it’s a question that has to be explored.
But we absolutely can’t wait for a silver bullet. Waiting means living with bed bugs. We say no to that.
In any case, I think we should keep talking.
Maybe I just warmed to Rich because he said he thinks PCO training is an excellent idea. Or maybe because he thinks I’ll somehow be on the press release list for the would-be silver bullet manufacturers.
These pages may be of related interest:
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I warmed to Rich with his second post too.
We get all excited because Cincinnati is doing something, because it has a plan. Because they dare to ask, “How many people here have had bed bugs?” AND tell the world the answer. Wow.
Most local officials in most places don’t even recognize they have a bed bug problem, let alone attempting to do something. But Cincinnati is not doing everything it can do. And it wasn’t even before it neglected to fund continuing bed bug inspections.
It’s not just that –as Rich notes — people who can pay for treatment do, while those who can’t pay have problems that get very bad and spread.
Isn’t Cincinnati’s policy that tenants in private rentals pay for treatment? I could be wrong but I believe it is so.
This is disastrous. Not because landlords should somehow be punished or made to pay. But because it means most won’t get (proper) treatment (in time). I am surprised ONLY 31% of Cincinnati folks with bed bugs self-treated with OTC sprays.
If Cincinnati wants to not have landlords pay to tenants’ treatment, then the government has to help. (Or perhaps non-profits have to step in.) I don’t begrudge the firefighters and police getting help with treatment costs, but I think that the general populace does need it also. And even more.
Money is huge. The $291K for inspections was the tip of the iceberg.
And maybe I should clarify that here I am speaking as a Bedbugger and not representing New York vs. Bed Bugs views in the above comments, since these comments have not come out of our policies. I am speaking (ranting), right now, as myself.
Thanks, Nobugs. We’ll write something about exactly why the strategic plan is the smartest bed bug policy document ever written. As for the inspection program cancellation and the vermin classification, these issues are very complex and we did notice that almost fully a third of the budget request was for prosecutions. And that’s something that we need to think about and talk about more. But this is good, to have this conversation.
Thanks, Renee. I guess my point is not that the $291K was being used well (and I need to look at this more closely), but that you can’t fight bed bugs without funding.
This is what the strategic plan says about the murky legal situation (this is why they needed that vermin classification/enforcement tool in the first place):
In Hamilton County, however, they didn’t have that problem:
and this was to be the Joint Task Force’s path to citing violations after inspections:
So, a very complex situation. Which is why the work of the task force is so important. They evaluated all these problems. This document is smart. But, indeed, resources are needed to accomplish these tasks.
We should all hope that the task force will continue its work, its investigations into the appropriate legislation and enforcement tools and, most of all, that it can continue its education efforts.
Thanks for that, Renee!
I agree 100% that the task force should continue its work, educational campaign, and investigations.
Absolutely, never doubted that (as I think Rich is doing). I just know they also need money.
I can’t believe I missed this conversation while it was happening! I suppose that the only thing I have to add is that we are, in fact, all in this together, whether we’re poor or rich, whether we can afford treatment or whether we are forced to live with bed bug infestations because we cannot afford treatment. We’re all living on this planet together, and we will continue to spread bed bugs to and from each other, until… Well, until our legislators say it’s time to help us, I guess.
Eventually, the people who can afford treatment will get tired of paying for treatment, and they will demand an end to the drain on their resources. This will only be accomplished when the people who cannot afford treatment– the people who continue to endure and therefore spread bed bug infestations– eradicate their infestations. This will take cooperation from local governments, property managers, and pest management professionals alike, of course. But it will happen. Eventually.
In my attempt to read up on landlord vs. tenant responsibilities in managing bed bugs, I am mostly overwhelmed by the quantity of comments and information out there. What I have found, though, is that there is no clearcut answer and no government agency that is willing to help.
My roommates and I recently discovered a bed bug infestation in our rented single-family home. Our landlord immediately went on the defensive and said that it was a “new” infestation and therefore we as tenants were financially responsible for the $2400 bill. Red flags. As we did some investigative work, we found out that the house has a long-standing history of bed bug infestations. The previous tenants (forced to pay for the extermination themselves) had treatments done on two separate occasions and without success they just decided to move out and move on.
We also found out that just days before we moved into the premises, an exterminator confirmed bed bug activity in the house. Our landlord, unsurprisingly, took the cheapest route possible and only paid to treat 3 bedrooms of our 5 bedroom house. They of course never disclosed this information to us, otherwise we would have NEVER moved in in the first place.
We consulted with a local attorney who told us to get a health inspector from the city to come out and write a report. We called the Cincinnati Health Department and they told us since it was a single-family dwelling there is nothing they can do.
Now we’re at a standstill. No one is currently living at the property, but all our bug-ridden furniture and belongings remain. We don’t feel its our responsibility to pay for the treatment(s) but we also don’t want to move our furniture out and further spread the problem. Since it was our landlord’s negligence and deception that has got us to this point, are we wrong to think we should have some sort of legal rights?
Hi BedBugsInCincy-
I am not a lawyer and cannot advise you.
The warranty of habitability is implied in every lease and may be codified in your state as it is in New York. I guess I can think of some questions: What does your lawyer say about the city’s refusal to inspect? Would an inspection by a pest management company / bed bug dog company suffice in lieu of a city inspection? Can you consult another lawyer who has experience and can actually advise you on how to proceed? Have you discussed with your lawyer the warranty of habitability, its applicability to your situation, and the remedies, right to sue for damages, it affords? Are you prepared to go to court? Is negotiation with the owner of the property possible? These are the questions I would be pursuing. I’m sorry that I cannot be of more help.
As far as the furniture goes, whenever you do sort this out, you should investigate Vikane fumigation, in a vault/chamber or in a tented truck, or thermal remediation, because conventional pesticide treatment of furniture is tricky, especially tricky in the absence of a host, and will require a lot of time just to see if it’s working.
Good luck. What a terrible mess.
Also, you should also consider calling your elected representative(s). They may be able or willing to act as an intermediary for you in this situation and, in any case, should be aware that these situations are cropping up.
NOT IN THE GOOD OLE CITY OF SHITCINATI!!!!!!!!! Rich hit it right on the head.I read the article by Mr.Hessel and laughed until I almost pissed on myself.I have the same problems as the college kids above.The Hamilton county Board of Health is a joke and will sell you a pile of steamy political shit everytime.By the way anyone know the rate of a steaming pile of Cincinnati political shit is going for these days?Read my post under the article where nyc vs bedbugs talked to Mr.Hessel and call the number and act like a citizen here and watch all that BS Mr.Hessel sold to you guys drop in value very very quickly.RICH FOR MAYOR!!!!!!You got my vote.SHITZANATI,Ohio what a joke!!! JOHN D.