Dear friends, we share the following announcement from Council Member Gale Brewer, and we do so not without some feeling. So, our discussion of our thoughts and hopes for the advisory board will come later. For now, some modest celebrating is in order. Enjoy.
Dear New Yorker:
Thank you for your advocacy on the creation of a bed bug task force. Because I share that goal, I introduced Intro 57-2006 which prohibits the sale of reconditioned mattresses and calls for the formation of a bed bug task force.
On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the Council Committees on Health, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation held a public hearing on Introductions 57-2006, 872-2008 and 873-2008. Entomologists, exterminators, health care professionals, advocates and members of the public offered testimony for 5 hours in Council Chambers. Representatives from the following NYC Departments: Health and Mental Hygiene, Housing Preservation and Development, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation all testified in support of the creation of a Bed Bug task force.
I am pleased to announce that the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs is scheduled to vote on Intro 57A-2006, which creates a Bed Bug Advisory Board, on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 10am in the Committee Room of City Hall. The text of the final bill is below. The measure is expected to pass and it will then be voted on the same day by the full Council at the Stated Council Meeting, which is scheduled to start at 1pm in the Council Chambers. All members of the public are invited to attend, although there will be no opportunity to offer testimony during either meeting.
After the Council approves the bill (which it is fully expected to do!), the Mayor has 30 days to sign it into law. We will share the bill signing information with you as soon as it available as you are all invited to attend.
We still have a long way to go in addressing bed bugs in our City, but thank you for your tireless efforts in getting us to this important milestone.
Sincerely,
Gale A. Brewer
City Council, District 6: Manhattan
Int. No. 57-A
By Council Members Brewer, The Speaker (Council Member Quinn), Foster, Gentile, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Mark-Viverito, Martinez, Mendez, Nelson, Palma, Sanders Jr., Weprin, White Jr., Koppell, Liu, Recchia Jr., Sears, Vallone Jr., Garodnick, Jackson, Avella, Arroyo, Dickens, Mealy and Lappin
..Title
A Local Law in relation to the creation of a Bed Bug Advisory Board.
..Body
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. Sometimes referred to as “red coats,” “chinches,” or “mahogany flats,” bed bugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, are blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals. Bed bugs are wingless and spread from infested to non-infested areas through the transportation of clothing, luggage, furniture and bedding. In the early stages of infestation, bed bugs are found mainly in the tufts, seems and folds of the mattress and bed covers. However, they later spread to cracks and crevices in the bedsteads.
According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH”), bed bugs often seek refuge in bedding during the day and feed on occupants at night. Bed bugs feed primarily on humans by piercing the skin as people sleep. Although bed bugs are not generally considered human disease carriers, they inject a fluid to assist in drawing blood, which causes a welt that becomes irritated, inflamed and uncomfortable. After feeding, bed bugs crawl back into hiding, where they may remain for 80 to 140 days before returning to feed.
Bed bug infestations diminished substantially after the development and use of modern insecticides, such as DDT. However, pest management professionals have noticed a marked increase in bed-bug related complaints since 1995. Experts believe this may be related to the increased number of people traveling and returning from abroad with these insects hiding in their suitcases and clothing.
According to the DOHMH, the use of appropriate pesticides and the thorough cleaning of all bedding with water at extremely high temperature may help reduce the chance of infestation. However, even with professional extermination, a bed bug problem may be impossible to eliminate. If even one adult female bed bug survives, the area may quickly become infested again as the adult female lays one to five eggs every day and each egg takes only 17 to 28 days to hatch.
The Council finds that the Cimex lectularius population is ubiquitous and affects the quality of life of residents throughout the City. Based on this finding, the Council determines that it is necessary to create an advisory board to study this issue further and draft concrete recommendations for the most effective methods for treating and preventing bed bug infestations in New York City.
§2. Bed Bug Advisory Board. a. There shall be an advisory board to study health concerns associated with cimex lectularius, commonly referred to as the bed bug, and to make specific recommendations to the mayor and council for the prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations throughout the city.
b. Such advisory board shall consist of ten members as follows:
i. Three members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that at least one such member shall be from the pest management industry and shall have experience in bed bug control and/or extermination and at least one member shall have advanced specialized training in and knowledge of entomology;
ii. Two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the council, provided that at least one such member shall have a background in community health;
iii. The commissioners of the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of consumer affairs, the department of sanitation, the department of information technology and telecommunications, and the department of housing and preservation, or the designees of such commissioners, shall serve ex officio.
iv. At its first meeting, the advisory board shall select a chairperson from among its members by majority vote of the advisory board.
c. Each member, other than members serving in an ex officio capacity, shall serve for a term of 9 months, to commence after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Any vacancies in the membership of the advisory board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A person filling such vacancy shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of the succeeded member.
d. No member of the advisory board shall be removed from office except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official.
e. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation and shall meet as necessary.
f. The advisory board shall issue a report to the mayor and council no later than nine months after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Such report shall include specific recommendations on the following topics:
i. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in private dwellings;
ii. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in public accommodations and institutions, including, but not limited to, schools, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, jails and residential shelters;
iii. Tracking and reporting of bed bug infestations;
iv. Disposal of bed bug infested items;
v. Bed bug training and/or education for urban pest management professionals;
vi. Bed bug training and/or education for city workers;
vii. The development and most effective distribution of public education and resource materials on bed bug prevention and treatment, including, but not limited to, information on the rights and responsibilities of landlords, tenants and homeowners.
g. The advisory board shall terminate upon the publication of the report.
§3. This local law shall take effect immediately.
These pages may be of related interest:
hi just thought i would have a bit say in the debate of bed bugs,in the u.k we are a special (franchise) sole purpose to dispose of and clean all bed bugs in mattress,the process begins with an ultra violet light wich highlights all bugs then useing a steam machine the bed is cleaned,after this we then spray the mattress with a fluid which is a combination of steri-x disinfectant and fire retardant ,the purpose of this is duel,when we clean down the mattress we actually taken out the fire retardant whilst killing the bug,however useing our chemical we not only kill the bed bugs but we also fire retard as well [deleted]
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I’ve been wondering how to reply to your comment, Malcolm, and I guess I can only say that it’s not all about mattresses when it comes to bed bugs in our cities, as I hope you know. Also, bed bugs are not mites, as I’m sure you know, but so many seem to not really understand that it’s nearly always worth pointing out.
All that said, used mattresses are a significant problem.
But the kind of mattress sanitization for mattress refurbishing facilities we need is an industrial process, a repeatable and verifiable process. Surface treatments of steam and disinfectant spray are unlikely to be adequate.
As for UVC and bed bugs, I’d really have to see independent research, sorry.
To Renee Corea
hello my name is David, from D&Y VApor Cleaning
I posted a comment on this web site two nights ago (3-17-09) about my experience with bed bugs, as well as some information about our company, I hope you recived it.
Anyway I would like to make a comment today to your posted reply on 3-16-09 .
Firist thing is, from all the information I looked up on how to kill Bed bug with out the use of pesticides I found that UVC light does not kill bed bugs on contact. UVC does eradicate dust mites and kills bacteria what it does to bed bug supposedly is breaks up there DNA so they can no longer reproduce. Again this is supposedly and it does not kill them on contact.
Second, I also know that used mattress are a significant problem in New York City, this was the cause of our bed bug problem in our building. A neighbor got a used mattress and before they knew it, bed bugs were all over the place. Anyway, I think that the mayor’s bed bug advisory board first call of duty should be to advies the mayor that stronger regulation needs to be inforced upon these mattress refurbishing facilities. I don’t even know if anyone is over seeing them. These refurbishing facilites should be held accountable for not decontaminating their mattress before selling them to the public. Bed Bugs are hard enough to get rid of once they are in your home, we don’t need to keep sending them back in through contaminated mattresses.
[deleted]
I read with interest the various comments and experiences with bedbugs.I had a three bedroom infestation due to the fact that I was unwittingly spreading them.A long story short: A friend who is not having the best time in life would often visit so that I could feed him .He convided late fall that he had the dreaded BB and although sympathetic I lightly told him not to bring them here! For a few months I remained in denial thinking I had flea bites from my cat.It wasn’t until my son suggested that my problems could be more than fleas I investigated.The rest is history…
I did call a pest control company but decided to tackle THE BEAST myself.I spent countless hours on the Net looking for weapons to add to my arsenault.Don’t bother with trying to freeze them out.I sent things outside for weeks and the bugs literally came out of hiding and started to unthaw in front of me.That item I did chuck as that was pre-experiment days.I combined a mixture of colloidal soap,a safe powdered disinfectant (relyon or virkon)that has ovide (egg killing )properties,and rubbing alcohol and sprayed on soft surfaces.Around baseboards (which I personally feel is the where they really hide)I added vegetable oil & DE to keep the mixture hydrated.There was a residual coating but I didn’t care.Now trust me this is a lot of work but it was cheap and non poisonous.It worked 100 %.I still have bug phobia and jump at the tiniest speck .If I read again about how bed bugs are an inconvenience I would like to ask that person to experience them and say that.I have never felt so exposed and helpless as I did then.By the way the bites became infected and I was given oitments for STAPH. [deleted]
I’m sick with a fever so I will reply to these posts tomorrow, but will likely have to delete all the portions that are advertisements. I know you guys want to develop your businesses but it’s inappropriate to advertise products or businesses here in the comments. The way to participate is to write a comment and link your business website to your name in the comment form. If you make it a smart and thoughtful comment, add value to the conversation, people may link on your name to visit your website. That is the way to participate in the community.
If the only purpose of your participation is to advertise your business, your comment is spam. You seem well-intentioned folks, so I am advising you of this here rather than deleting without comment.
Finally, please keep in mind what we are trying to accomplish, namely a city-wide bed bug control policy.
Just a note to say that NYC is in the “interview” process for members of the advisory board. The vetting process is somewhat lengthy, background checks and all.
Thanks so much, that is very encouraging.
I hope all the good people will be persuaded to help despite the significant commitment and, well, red tape.