Comments on: “A continuous and sustained effort”: Q&A with Dr. Stephen W. Hwang

By: An evening of bed bugs, cont’d — New York vs Bed Bugs

An evening of bed bugs, cont’d — New York vs Bed Bugs — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:06:33 +0000

[...] meeting was, “this is so depressing.” Yes, it is in so many ways. But please remember what Dr. Stephen Hwang told us recently, because we truly can afford neither complacency nor [...]

By: Australian medical entomologists on what GPs should know — New York vs Bed Bugs

Australian medical entomologists on what GPs should know — New York vs Bed Bugs — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:26:18 +0000

[...] There is mention of the Canadian bed bug anemia report (see our interview with one of the authors here) and a brief discussion of bite sensitivity with reference to Reinhardt et al. 2009 (we discussed [...]

By: Case Study Finds Severe Anemia Caused by Bed Bugs « Bed Bug Central CMS

Case Study Finds Severe Anemia Caused by Bed Bugs « Bed Bug Central CMS — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:55:23 +0000

[...] and highlights the health effects of bed bugs on vulnerable populations. To read the interview click here. View the technical findings of the case study, Severe Anemia From Bed Bugs, by Dr. Stephen [...]

By: Renee Corea

Renee Corea — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:46:44 +0000

Hi Rich,

Not transmitting disease is the particular genius of the bed bug. But, seriously, I’m not sure that I want to see untrained people have access to potent pesticides. I know what people do with the stuff that is available now. But I think I understand your perspective.

By: Rich Kozlovich

Rich Kozlovich — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:37:13 +0000

It disturbs me when I see professionals saying that “we need to prepare ourselves for a continuous and sustained effort to improve the control of bed bugs, rather than expecting to “defeat” or eliminate them. “

I feel that this kind of thinking is completely wrong. Our goal absolutely should be to defeat them…period; and it is absolutely doable. All that is needed is chemistry that works. That was the answer in 1946 and it is the same answer today. However, that chemistry must be allowed to be placed in the hands of the general population.

There is an effort under way to allow some products back under something called Section 18; and at the same time they want to make them restricted use pesticides.

There has been a great deal of talk about how DDT and Malathion defeated bedbugs in America, and it is true! However it wasn’t done be pest control professionals. We had a major role to play, but it was accomplished so effectively because the average homeowner could purchase these inexpensive, effective products and do it themselves. That is what makes it work….everyone spraying and everyone killing them in their own homes, even if they couldn’t afford for a professional to do it for them they could still take care of their families needs. If everyone can’t be a part of this control program then the re-infestation rate will continue forever and “we need to prepare ourselves for a continuous and sustained effort to improve the control of bed bugs, rather than expecting to “defeat” or eliminate them. “

There is one more point that I would like to make. If bedbugs carried and transmitted West Nile Virus, the Black Plague, or hanta virus, or any other infectious disease we wouldn’t be having this discussion….we would have those products in everyone’s hand tomorrow. If we continue down this misanthropic path regarding pesticides that day will come. Just because bedbugs aren’t the vector today, doesn’t mean that something else won’t be a vector of disease in the future.