New York vs Bed Bugs » Action Plans – Other Cities

Government of Ontario bed bug website

Renee Corea — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:40:46 +0000

The provincial government of Ontario bed bug website that was announced as part of the new funding push to fight bed bugs in the province is now live: bedbugsinfo.ca. See The Star, our brief note and do take a look at The Star again today on the criticism by some stakeholders of the Ontario funding action as too limited.

About the website, I like the easy navigation, links to more developed Toronto Public Health resources, to local public health units, the tenant information sheet and, above all, the speedy début. By contrast, the “identify” section needs some work, or maybe a lot of work, and photographs.

This seems like such swift action. I am impressed. It should not be hard, or not too hard, to set up an educational website. But, as we know, what looks simple and straightforward is not really, or everyone would have done it already. On the NYC situation what needs to be said? I hope we’ll have a bed bug portal here, eventually, and I hope it measures up?

Ontario provincial government to fund bed bug education and assistance programs

Renee Corea — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:49:33 +0000

The Star is reporting that the Province of Ontario will fund educational and assistance programs for the province with 5 million dollars. Local public health units will be able to apply for funds and the province will fund a public education campaign.

The article mentions the work of Member of the Provincial Parliament Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence). MPP Colle has been working with various stakeholders on the bed bug issues for several months. He called a bed bug summit in September — read the recommendations here: Recommendations and Strategies: Arising from the Bed Bug Summit at Queen’s Park, held on September 29, 2010. [The policy and recommendations literature is growing every day, isn't it? You can see more here.]

Congratulations, Ontario.

You may recall that in the 2009 report from the Toronto Medical Officer of Health [PDF here], there was a clear statement about the long-term unsustainable burden on Toronto Public Health resources:

TPH work in addressing the bed bug problem in Toronto is presently funded through reallocation of resources from other mandated programs. This is not sustainable in the long term.

[...]

The TPH Bed Bug Unit in 2009 has been supported by three Public Health Inspectors and two Public Health Nurses who have been re-assigned to this work from the Health Hazard and the Vulnerable Adults programs. These resources will continue to support the Bed Bug Project in 2010 and the estimated cost of continuing this project is $500,000 gross and $125,000 net which will be absorbed within TPH 2010 Operating Budget.

Toronto is one of the most experienced cities in North America in this great bed bug fight. There is so much to learn from the Canadians (Vancouver and Toronto). They have described the problem and issues with extraordinary understanding and compassion, and in the creation and support of social enterprise bed bug services, they have innovated solutions that work. Previously here we have wishfully looked at Toronto Public Health’s bed bug website, talked to one of the architects of the city’s bed bug response plan, and reviewed the bed bug contract specifications made public by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and much more. See all previous Toronto posts here.

Ohio Bed Bug Workgroup report released

Renee Corea — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:44:41 +0000

The group’s Final Report and Recommendations to the Governor and Ohio General Assembly was released today. See The Columbus Dispatch and WLWT Cincinnati for news coverage and to download the report.

I have to sit down to grapple with it, but already noticing the very interesting letter that Governor Strickland wrote to the EPA Administrator just before leaving office, budgetary estimates, and other interesting things, probably the most satisfying of which: the very long list of work group members.

If there is such a thing as national leadership from the public sector on the bed bug issues, it lives in Ohio.

By the way, I’m reminded that a few months ago there was a provocative take on the propoxur issue from Jonathan H. Adler, an environmental and constitutional law professor at Case Western. If you missed it, check it out.

UPDATE: Here’s another report-related story from the excellent Dispatch on Ohio’s home-care fund expenditures for bed bug services for seniors (350K in the last year).

COBBTF’s third annual summit: presentations

Renee Corea — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:58:03 +0000

The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force held its third annual bed bug summit on October 20.

The presentations from the meeting are now available. They include:

Insecticide Properties and Applications (Gerry Wegner)
Extermination Methodology (Dale Hodgson)
Moving and Bed Bugs (Lyndsey Rullman)
Preparing for Bed Bug Treatment (Gerry Wegner)
Heat Treatment Preparation (Dale Hodgson)
Best Practices – Apartments (Josh Martin)
Best Practices – Firestations (Tammy Sheaks)
COBBTF Summit III (Susan Jones)
Prevention 101
COBBTF Accomplishments

From the COBBTF Accomplishments presentation, notice the simple and entirely achievable objectives:

COBBTF members have established these objectives for our group:

- To reduce the number of homes, public buildings, and commercial buildings that could become infested with bed bugs.

- Create and convey a consistent message to the residents of Greater Columbus about bed bug prevention and treatment.

The Columbus Dispatch, which has been consistently clued-in and excellent in their coverage of the bed bug issues, ran this story about the summit that highlights what people are worried about and their hope to be able to figure things out, to help the people they serve. See also the recent Columbus Dispatch online bedbug chat with Susan Jones. Good on the Dispatch and, as always, extraordinary work from the all-volunteer COBBTF.

I have ceased wondering what is in the water in Ohio. Just ordinary people who really care.

Of course, other places seem to be able to do this too. For example.

Why isn’t this possible in NYC?

It’s useless to wonder. It just isn’t.

Better to think in more practical terms, what can be done given the limitations and the environment? What can one (we) actually do? More on that in due course.

Paul Wenning and Gerry Wegner have both graciously endured my questions before: interviews here and here.

Central Ohio Bed Bug Summit on November 10

Renee Corea — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:02:39 +0000

Update: Ohio’s Section 18 exemption filing was announced at the summit.

The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force, the volunteer bed bug task force that is fighting bed bugs in the Greater Columbus area, is holding its second annual bed bug summit on November 10. Second annual! What extraordinary work they are doing.

The agenda includes a refresher course by Dr. Susan Jones; multiple presentations on the specific challenges of bed bug infestations in rental housing, health and social services, schools, the hospitality industry, pest management, regulation, and enforcement; a legislative update; and a moderated panel discussion.

We’re all stakeholders in the great bed bug challenge of our time but if you have an interest in bed bug public policy or work in property management or any of the seriously affected industries and services, I think this is the only place to be on November 10:

Since its inception in November 2008, the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force has done a great deal to educate everyone in Central Ohio about the growing problem that bed bugs pose for our community. Bed bugs have caused significant financial and psychological distress for hundreds of Franklin County residents, and the number of infested buildings grows every day.

Bed bug infestations occur in the City of Columbus, in the suburbs, and in the rural parts of our area. No one is immune from an infestation. Bed bugs have infested hospitals, schools, hotels, apartment buildings, private homes, movie theaters, nursing homes and numerous other places.

We would like to share what we’ve learned, what we’ve accomplished so far, and what challenges remain as we try to reduce the impact of this pest in our community.

The meeting will be held on November 10 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Bromfield Administration Building Auditorium, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Seating is limited. If you plan to attend or have questions about the program, please contact Paul Wenning, Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force Chair, as soon as possible at (614) 462-3928, or by e-mail: pfwennin@franklincountyohio.gov.

The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force, doing great work

Renee Corea — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:40:43 +0000

I hope you are checking the website of the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force every now and then. If you live in a place, like we do, where there’s nothing like it, you can borrow and learn from them.

I just mentioned this document in a comment to someone, a NYC health services worker looking for guidance, and I want to share with the rest of you out there in similar circumstances, the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force’s Guidelines for Reducing the Risk of Transporting Bed Bugs (PDF), a guide for health care and social service workers making home visits.

People travel around in cars in Ohio. No matter, big city social and health care workers can adapt these recommendations.

You can find additional best practice resources on our resources page.

You may want to also check out our May interview with COBBTF Chair Paul Wenning.

Michigan’s bed bug management decision flow chart

Renee Corea — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:02:50 +0000

The Michigan Bed Bug Working Group has published a bed bug management flow chart (PDF)—additional working group materials are available at Michigan’s Emerging Diseases Issues website; see also our previous discussion of some documents that describe the goals and genesis of the working group.

The Michigan flow chart is adapted from the Harvard School of Public Health flow chart.

You will notice upon comparison an important change, as the Michigan document specifically tells landlords to:

Work with resident to form a workable pest management plan that involves prep by resident, treatment by PMP, education and response from landlord

Inspect, caulk crevices around room, inspect neighboring units to identify and contain further infestations

This is great. Multiple unit housing can absolutely be made free of bed bugs, I firmly believe, and need not be declared a lost cause.

However, I propose that we should identify just what is to be done to “contain further infestations.” I am not a pest management professional, but I can play one on TV, and I say that inspecting is not enough. I think you can still be conservative about treating areas that are not currently infested (but we all know might become infested after the first round of treatment in those areas that are infested is completed) by treating structural voids.

In a recent PMP article (link is to the digital magazine edition), Richard Diggs of Alexandria Pest Services, describes their bed bug treatment protocol in some detail; it includes, aside from a battery of other tools and strategies, dusting of wall cavities above baseboards. It’s worth a read. Whenever pest management professionals describe their bed bug work and success rate, I am intrigued by their tone and the implied assessments of what everyone else is doing, and I wonder why we are in the situation we are in, after all. I also always want to ask, yeah, but does this scale? But you can read for yourself.

You can also read about “built-in pest control” in this article, Managing Insecticide Resistance in Urban Insects (PDF, 1996 ICUP) by Michael Rust. I only know about it from reading Boase. Actually, we’ll revisit the Boase article, given recent developments.

So, in my considered TV PMP view, because there is no reported resistance to dusts, and because we are in a very deep hole, I submit that inspecting is not enough and you have to treat potential harborage sites and dispersion routes as well. The most conservative thing you can do is dust.

We can’t avoid multi unit housing as some would have us do. I think the bed bugs can be dispatched even in multi unit housing.

Beating Bedbugs guides from Greater London Pest Liaison Group

Renee Corea — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:17:39 +0000

The Greater London Pest Liaison Group’s Beating Bedbugs best practice guides are finally out and you may download them on the group’s new website.

Not since the days of stalking the Cincinnati Board of Health meeting minutes for news of the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Strategic Plan have I waited for any bed bug documents with such impatience, continually checking various websites. And now I can’t devote proper time to discussing them! (Apologies, I hope we can return to this subject and review it in greater depth soon, or better yet, you tell us what you find interesting.) I entreat you, then, to read these documents; they reward the attention.

There are five guides, all PDFs: Information for Residents, Information for Landlords, Information for Healthcare Professionals, Preparing your home for bedbug treatment, and Inspection and treatment guide.

We first noted them here and learned that they were presented at Pestex this year, where the adoption rationale as well as the use of relevant laws for treatment access were explained. Once again, the ever useful Pest showed us where to find what we were looking for.

If you are interested in this subject, the difficult subject of bed bug policy development, you might see in these guides one clear path. There are many different ways of achieving our hoped-for result. One way, the city government way, seems closed to us for now, but why can’t we do this here, exactly? Our system is different, no local authorities here providing pest control services, but the elucidation of what needs to be done, what existing laws can be used to advantage, and, more important, an obvious consensus from within the practicing professionals, an agreement on direction and purpose if not methods. Why can’t we have this here?

If you care to look at our interview with Clive Boase, you will see his discussion of the 1936 Public Health Act and the principles of bed bug treatment and eradication borne out in these documents.

Notice for example, in the Guidance on Inspection and Treatment (PDF):

Confirmation that bedbugs have actually been eradicated from the treated premises, is critical. A surviving and redeveloping infestation will disperse and infest other properties, undoing the work already carried out.

Ha, indeed.

The NH Bedbugs project

Renee Corea — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:47:36 +0000

Nobugs has a nice post taking note of the remarkable news from New Hampshire of a new organization that will begin its work by taking on the eradication of bed bugs from a Manchester building as a community project.

My comment got lost in the spam filter but it was about this New Hampshire Public Radio story a year ago about bed bugs in a Manchester building, not identified in the story but managed by the same management company as the Langdon Mill Apartments, the building in the present community eradication effort. They spent $15,000 then on a protocol of emptying the contents of the apartments and fumigating them (perhaps it was not true fumigation but conventional treatment). The infestations persisted.

I hope the cycle of loss and bed bugs for these families, and for this building, will now end.

Congratulations to the organizations and volunteers of NH Bedbugs for an awesome undertaking.

Michigan’s Bed Bug Workgroup

Renee Corea — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:02:31 +0000

I found these background notes (PDF) on the website of the Property Management Association of West Michigan (PMAM); they describe the efforts of a workgroup on bed bugs brought together by the Michigan Department of Community Health. The first meeting was in January:

The work group consisted of members from the Michigan Department of Health, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University, Michigan Environmental Health Association, Michigan Pest Control Association, Wayne County Health Department, and the PMAM, representing the property management industry. Everyone felt that there is little information out there from within Michigan and that this work group could possibly take the lead in providing information to Michigan residents concerning this growing problem. Eric Foster, with MDCH, let the initial workgroup meeting and hosted the meeting also. The meeting lasted four hours and resulted in four subcommittees being formed. Gary Offenbacher represented PMAM and the housing industry for the initial meeting.

Four subcommittees were formed to work on issues surrounding the bed bug itself, treatment guidelines, laws and regulations and education/training and communication. The identified issues included quality of life, anxiety, difficulty in controlling infestations, public education, enforcement, tracking complaints, etc. This list of areas of focus and tasks should be familiar to all of us by now.

The second meeting’s update from March 23 (PDF) evinces what to me looks like substantial progress, notably a website (and it’s great to see the NYS IPM Program/Cornell guidelines being so useful).

The workgroup is apparently developing a Bed Bug Manual that would be a

comprehensive manual to cover all aspects of prevention and control of bed bugs. The assumption is that the “Bed Bug Manual” would be in a binder form and also available in CD format and be published on the Web. There is no exact timeframe for having this project completed, but a start was to get existing information on the web, which has been accomplished.

This is what is puzzling about our bed bug “epidemic.” There are so few resources and yet everyone is forced to develop guidance entirely from the ground up? This is where federal agencies can lend a hand.

Will our city be able to muster this kind of cooperation? Here. What will our efforts look like… when and if they get off the ground.