May 21, 2019
A family in Washington Park said they’ve been fighting a severe bed bug infestation for two and a half months and the landlord has not fixed the problem, despite a city ordinance stating they have to.
Bedbug Prevention and Protection
Current information on bedbug protection and safety strategies.
Bed bugs found AGAIN – third time at Waterbury school
May 14, 2019 Courtney Zieller Olivia Lank
WATERBURY, CT (WFSB) – It’s now the third time in two months bed bugs have been found inside a Waterbury high school.
Parents have been reaching out to Channel 3 saying they’re frustrated and don’t understand why the school hasn’t been closed and cleaned thoroughly.
Parents are saying they want answers, with two parents telling Channel 3 this has happened at least four times now.
They claim the school hasn’t told them much and it’s their child who is telling them bed bugs were found yet again.
Cell phone video from an eyewitness shows a bed bug crawling on a student’s backpack in class on Tuesday.
“They are just everywhere. It started on the 4th floor and now they’re on the first. So, something has to be done,” said Nitza Rodriguez, a parent.
Bedbugs have been found at Career Academy in Waterbury once again.
This is now the third time Channel 3 was told it has happened, but parents say it has been more than that.
“They never let us know anything. They never sent any messages home, no letters home, the kids were telling their parents this is the fourth, fifth time and they’re still not sending anything home or making us aware. It’s not a good situation,” Rodriguez said.
Channel 3 was at the school last Thursday when an eyewitness sent pictures of bed bugs.
You can see they were found inside a textbook in a 10th grade math class.
It also happened in the beginning of April.
“Everyone is fearing we are going to get them and it’s happening every other day, and no one is talking about it,” said Aja Washington, a student.
Channel 3 to the Waterbury Public School’s Superintendent’s Office on Tuesday afternoon, but was told the person who handles media requests wasn’t in the office.
In past incidences, school officials have said the health department is involved and the areas have been cleaned.
They also say there’s no harm to students, staff or visitors, and want to reiterate bed bugs are likely being carried in from the outside.
“They need to close the school one to two days and just clean it and do it the proper way and so our kids can get the proper education instead of worrying about bed bugs,” Rodriguez said.
If your child goes to the school and you want to take some precautions at home, take items out of backpacks outside and shake the items.
You can also put clothing in the dryer and the heat will kill bed bugs.
Channel 3 also reached out to the health department, but they haven’t returned our calls.
Bed Bug Infestation Sweeping Metro Denver
FOX31 – July 18, 2017, by Keagan Harsh
DENVER — Tourists are coming to Colorado in droves this summer, and it’s not just visitors of the two-legged kind. Our state is seeing an infestation of bed bugs.
Christina Thomas experienced it first hand. Thomas was visiting an Extended Stay America in Colorado Springs and says she woke up to find bed bugs all over her pillow.
“I woke up and three inches from my face I see a spot, and I look at it and say ‘no way, is that a bed bug?'” she said.
Christina isn’t the only person dealing with bed bugs in Colorado.
Jacob Marsh is one of several Denver exterminators absolutely overwhelmed with bed bug calls.
“It’s infestation levels over the whole city pretty much,” he said. “Right now we’re working 6 or 7 days a week,” said Marsh.
He says this is the worst time of year for bed bugs. However, Colorado’s infestation actually began several years ago. He estimates more than 3,500 homes are treated for bed bugs in the Denver area every year.
It’s a problem Marsh attributes to both the state’s growing population and Colorado’s popularity as a tourist destination.
“Denver is usually ranked 4th to 6th worst in the nation. We get a lot of good things when things are booming like it is, but unfortunately when people are coming in and traveling you also get a lot of unwanted visitors,” he said.
If you’re staying at a hotel there are things you can do to try and keep the bugs away.
First, store your luggage away from the bed on luggage racks or even in the bathroom.
Also, check the sheets, mattress, and bed frame for signs of the bugs.
One of the biggest misconceptions about bed bugs is that they’re too small to see. Most are actually about the size of an apple seed, and similar in appearance.
As for Christine Thomas, she isn’t taking any chances. She checked out of the hotel and left.
Listen to why ‘Don’t let the bed bugs bite’ is easier said than done
James Williams, head of furniture donations at the Impossible Dream thrift store, shows how he inspects mattresses for bedbugs. Photo Brit Hanson for North Country Public Radio
March 21, 2016 | by Julie Botero | WRVO Public Media
Bedbugs, those creepy crawly pests that embed themselves into mattresses and furniture, are a problem in big cities across the country. The bugs have managed to find their way to smaller cities in the North Country.
Watertown is now dealing with the pests and the stigma that comes with them.
Back in September, a friend told me she was dealing with a serious bed bug issue. Her name is Kris Rusho and I gave her a call a few weeks ago to get the whole story.
“I happened to wake up early one morning — about 5:30 in the morning — and I looked down and I saw a bug on my arm and I smashed it with my hand and my hand came away with blood. My first thought was it was tick, but I started doing some research and found out those were bedbugs,” Rusho said. “I went to my car and cried.”
“I think what I’ve learned from this is that bedbugs can be in the nicest of houses,” she said.
BedBugs Destroyed My Life – “Don’t Bring Them Home!”
March 19, 2016 | by Maryam Shah | Toronto Sun
She may be the unluckiest renter in Toronto.
Kathleen says bedbugs have forced her to move 11 times in the past six years.
The 45-year-old doesn’t even want her last name used because she says she’s already lost one job over the tiny critters.
“I was a normal person, I had a job and a nice apartment and this has completely broken my life,” she said.
She claims she first picked them up in 2010 after volunteering at a community centre in Regent Park.
That marked the beginning of a “downward spiral.”
Kathleen says she lost her job because she “made the mistake” of coming clean with her employers.
“I literally walked away with nothing but my health card in some cases, just trying to completely rid myself of them, only to end up in other buildings that were also infested,” she explained.
Now she lives outside of Toronto and wants all three levels of government — and the scientific community — to recognize bedbugs are a “national crisis.”
That’s why she spent Friday with placards outside City Hall, demanding more action in the battle against bedbugs.
“I went through all the proper protocol,” Kathleen said. “This isn’t a landlord and tenant issue anymore.”
She even had a friend — a private landlord from St. Catharines — dress up like a brown bedbug called Badness the Bedbug, which attracted curious looks from passersby.
The city’s website says if a landlord refuses to help with bedbugs, the tenant can contact a legal clinic, the landlord and tenant board, or Toronto Public Health.
#SayNoToPesticides!
Woman Hospitalized Amid Bed Bug Investigation in Texas
A woman was hospitalized after a medical emergency turned into a health and safety inspection in her Central Lubbock home Thursday.
Lubbock Fire Rescue responded to the home at the 4900 block of 38th Street early Thursday afternoon. Crews discovered a bed bug infestation in the woman’s bedroom, and contacted Code Enforcement.
City workers arrived to inspect the home, and it was revealed that there was trash around the house, unsanitary conditions, and un-permitted work, according to Stuart Walker, Director of Code Administration with the City of Lubbock.
“[There was] rubbish in the yard, things like that that the fire department wanted to make us aware of. So we went out and addressed those issues, and we’ll follow up on that case in the future and make sure that everything gets corrected,” Walker said.
He said his department generally does not respond to bed bug calls, but due to the condition of the home, the City deemed the home “uninhabitable.”
“We call codes for a number of different type of calls,” said LFR Division Chief Steve Holland.
“It’s a public and safety issue,” he added. “Codes needed to come and look and see if there was anything big enough for public health and safety [violations].”
Adult Protective Services was also notified of the situation, and a relative of the woman who rents the home, said a representative came to the home to evaluate the woman’s living conditions.
That family member said the woman was removed from the residence by law enforcement and taken to a local hospital for evaluation after refusing to leave the property. Her medical condition was not publicly known as of Thursday evening.
Walker recommended contacting a local pest control company with concerns about bugs.
“If you’ve got an infestation in your house, contact a private pest control operator, find out what the best solution is. If you’ve got issues with your house, you’re more than welcome to give us a call. There are some programs in the community and programs with the city that if you qualify, you may get some assistance as far as making repairs,” Walker said.
The phone number for the City of Lubbock is (806) 775-3000. The city also facilitates the 2-1-1 phone service to put residents in touch with social service agencies.
#SayNOtoPESTICIDES!
Brit-itch Airways: Plane flies on despite bosses knowing it was infested with bloodsucking bed bugs
Bug brother…BA jet was infested with BedBugs but airline bosses kept it flying and in service! Passengers were bitten by infectious BED BUGS on BA flight.
February 25, 2016 | by Stephen Moyes | The Sun
A BRITISH Airways jet infested with bed bugs was allowed to keep flying as there was no time to disinfect it, staff claim.
Cabin crew logged the issue because passengers were bitten but bosses decided to keep the aircraft in service.
Staff hit out after the critters were spotted on a Boeing 747 from the US to Heathrow last week.
Coming to a seat near you…aisle or window?
One passenger was nipped at 30,000ft and others saw the bugs and their eggs.
The problem was so serious that row 47 in the economy section was closed. But BA workers claim engineers did not have time to kill the creatures between flights.
The plane took off again and crew again had to deal with the bugs. Days later another “severe” infestation was reported as the jet flew from Cape Town to London.Last night it was claimed bugs were also seen on other flights by the 747 — now fully fumigated.
One passenger said: “This turns my stomach.”
A BA spokesman said: “Reports of bed bugs on board are extremely rare. Nevertheless, we continually monitor our aircraft.”
Blood suckers
BED bugs are small blood-sucking insects that live in cracks and crevices in and around beds or chairs.
Attracted by body heat and carbon dioxide, they bite exposed skin and feed on blood. Adult bed bugs look like lentils, oval, flat and up to 5mm long.
An infestation from one female can rise to 5,000 bed bugs in six months.
Mark Krafft last year took pics of bites he said he suffered on BA, below.
A BA spokesman said: “Whenever any report of bed bugs is received, we launch a thorough investigation and, if appropriate, remove the aircraft from service and use specialist teams to treat it.
“The presence of bed bugs is an issue faced occasionally by hotels and airlines all over the world.
“British Airways operates more than 280,000 flights every year, and reports of bed bugs on board are extremely rare.
“Nevertheless, we are vigilant about the issue and continually monitor our aircraft.”
#SayNOtoPESTICIDES!
Misled About BedBugs? Ask Real Estate
Michael Kolomatsky/The New York Times
The New York Times | by Ronda Kaysen | November 21, 2014
Q. My wife and I recently signed a one-year lease for an apartment. It included a rider stating that all apartments in our building had been bedbug-free for at least one year before our move-in date. After we moved in, we learned from the superintendent that an apartment in our building had been infested by bedbugs and treated a few weeks before our move-in date. Needless to say, we were disturbed by this news — and want to know our rights. As we understand it, the landlord is responsible for the costs of fumigating. Who is responsible for other expenses, like replacing mattresses and furniture? Since we were misled (and have the signed rider as proof), can we demand remuneration for any repairs or replacement costs we might be forced to incur?
Astoria, Queens
A. There are two plausible explanations for what happened here, neither of them good. Either your landlord was woefully ill-informed about the state of the building or he lied. In either case, I would be concerned about how effectively the infested apartment was treated for bedbugs, which are notoriously hardy creatures.
“If this is a landlord who is willing to lie on a disclosure form,” said David Hershey-Webb, a lawyer who represents tenants, “then the tenants may not have a lot of faith in the landlord to adequately address the bedbug problem.”
The New York City administrative code requires landlords to disclose whether or not an apartment has been treated for bedbugs in the last year. The measure does not include any penalties for violating the law. However, if you do get bedbugs and incur damage to your personal property, you could take the landlord to small claims court and use that erroneous disclosure form as evidence of negligence. Under normal circumstances, a landlord is required to treat the infestation and a tenant is responsible for cleaning personal belongings, Mr. Hershey-Webb said.
But before we wander too far down the road of future infestations, determine your risk. If the affected apartment is adjacent to yours or in the same line, you have good reason for concern. But if several floors and walls separate you from that apartment, your risk is considerably lower.
“If it’s an immediately adjacent unit or if it’s in that line, it could have an effect,” said Gil Bloom, the president of Standard Pest Management and an entomologist. “Outside of that, it normally does not make a difference.”
Once you have assessed your risk, decide whether you want to stay in the apartment. Ultimately, you might want to consider packing up your belongings and moving out before the bugs move in. You “have the option to try to rescind the lease on the basis of fraud,” Mr. Hershey-Webb said. Consult with a lawyer to see if you can get out of the lease. Otherwise, you may find yourself battling a bedbug infestation with a dishonest landlord.
Providence & UCLA Team Up to Prevent deadly Chagas disease – the leading cause of heart failure worldwide.
Deadly Chagas disease is transmitted by the kissing bug, aka ‘love bug’ – cousin to the bedbug.
February is American Heart Month and a good time to spotlight one of the leading causes of heart failure worldwide – and one that is preventable through simple screenings.
Chagas disease, caused by the chagas bugs found in Central America and some areas of the U.S., can lie dormant in victims for decades, then manifest itself with devastating consequences.For the past eight years, Providence Health & Services has teamed with the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar to screen for chagas.
UCLA cardiologist Sheba Meymandi, M.D., program director, believes all migrants from Central America, from infants to age 60, should be screened for the disease, which is curable in its early stages.
“Complications of chagas are horrific,” Meymandi said. “We have a lot of patients who need heart transplants. But if you catch them before complications, you either cure them or slow the progression.”
Eight years ago, Providence adopted the prevention program as a community outreach project, providing volunteers who screen patients.
Last month, Providence contributed $20,000 to the program for outreach in the community as part of its ongoing financial support.
A recent screening coordinated by Providence volunteers resulted in blood samples from 100 people.
The disease is caused by the chagas bug, which bites humans then defecates. Scratching the bite can result in the feces entering the bloodstream, causing a disease victims unknowingly carry for decades. The sooner one discovers the disease, the better the chance of cure, or medication to prevent its escalation.
The parasite exists in our country, but living conditions and the likelihood the species behaves differently result in fewer cases of chagas disease.
This article is a news release provided by Providence Health & Services.
BedBugs reported in some of NYC’s swankiest hotels. They were always there; and it’s getting worse. More important to follow as BedBugs transmit deadly Chagas disease.
Bedbugs have been reported in some of the city’s swankiest hotels with a list that includes the Waldorf Astoria the Millennium Hilton and the New York Marriott Marquis.
According to the Bedbug Registry, a nationwide database of bedbug reports and complaints, bedbug sightings in New York hotels have jumped more than 44 percent between 2014 and 2015.
Google Maps Street View
The Millenium Hilton at 55 Church Street in New York New York.
The data focused on establishments that are members of the Hotel Association of New York City.
Of the 272 association members, 65 percent, or 176 members, have had a guest file at least one complaint about bedbugs at the property.
Michelle Bennett/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Image
Taxi cabs outside Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Eighteen hotels had a combined 363 complaints, representing 42 percent of all bedbug complaints.
“I stayed in room 2306 for one night,” a Millennium Hilton guest wrote in a complaint to the hotel in 2014. “I found blood on my sheets and a live bug on my bed. I ended up with 60 plus bites.”
At the Times Square Doubletree guest said a stay there last year left hundreds of bite marks on the face, neck arms and hands.
“Extreme case of bed bug attacked on my entire upper body,” the guest wrote.” Went home to Florida a day early and ended up in my local emergency room.”
Warga, Craig/New York Daily News
Last month, a California couple posted a YouTube video about their $400-a-night Central Park hotel room nightmare. The couple found dozens of bedbugs beneath their mattress at the Astor on the Park Hotel.
Lisa Linden, a spokeswoman for the hotel association, said hotels in New York are addressing the issue.
“Bedbugs are a global issue that extend beyond hotels,” Linden said.
”Every member of the Hotel Association of NYC that we are aware of has an active anti-bedbug program in place. If a problem arises, it is dealt with immediately and effectively.”
Scientists who recently studied the bloodsucking creatures in the city’s subway system discovered a genetic diversity among bedbugs depending upon the neighborhood where they were found.
They said the discovery could lead to better insecticides.
Bed Bug Blog Report 