Baltimore has launched a comprehensive bed bug control strategy:
- the Bed Bug Response Plan (PDF)
- the press release (PDF)
- and the bed bug web page at Baltimore City Health Department. (You’ll notice here something interesting: EPA apparently has a bed bug fact sheet in English and Spanish. But why isn’t EPA’s fact sheet available at EPA’s website?)
The plan was developed in consultation with EPA, the National Center for Healthy Housing and the NYC Department of Health. (This is interesting but, honestly, I’m not sure what it means. You don’t need me to remind you again, and yet I’m doing it, that we have no bed bug strategy of our own.)
These are the actions Baltimore is taking:
- performing bed bug inspections—and offering residents a “healthy homes assessment”
- Baltimore City Health Department Healthy Homes Division staff received training on identification, safety, visual inspection and control
- developing English- and Spanish-language educational materials, a mass media education campaign via EPA’s Hispanic Outreach Initiative, and a Spanish-language community outreach program where community health workers (“promotores”) are trained to educate Baltimore’s Latino community—this community education effort includes IPM, lead and asthma
- training Baltimore City public housing maintenance and management staff and, apparently, impressing upon them “the need to immediately respond to bed bug complaints”
Congratulations, Baltimore.
These pages may be of related interest:
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Thanks for sharing this news.
Good question re: the EPA fact sheets…
I have some issues about the information on the bed bug page, but then I usually do, and they’re minor. I am REALLY glad Baltimore is taking action.
I live in N.E. Baltimore City and I need help with bedbugs. I am planning to move within the next 2 months. I am gonna have to leave everything but a few pieces of clothing. Is there any financial help available?
Lillian, you should contact the Baltimore Health Department for help; ask them to connect you with appropriate resources: http://www.baltimorehealth.org/contact.html
Please consider that if you have your belongings professionally fumigated, this may be less expensive than having to buy everything from scratch. Good luck to you.