BED BUG INFORMATION FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS

BED BUGS!AN OLD PEST MAKES A COMEBACK!

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

*Our thanks to the Jackson Township Fire Department, Grove City, Ohio who created this presentation.

Bed Bugs• What’s being done about Bed

Bugs?• Quick Facts and Myths• Where are They?• Where will They soon Be?• Bed Bug Education• What we can do?

WHAT'S BEING DONE ABOUT BED BUGS?

• USEPA is considering allowing more pesticides to be use to kill bed bugs*

• Several cities in the country have developed “Bed Bug Task Forces” to deal with education and enforcement issues;

• There is pending state legislation for bed bug awareness

BED BUGS – QUICK FACTS:• Bed bugs were controlled, but never completely

eradicated in the USA after WWII through the use of highly toxic pesticides like DDT. However, limited infestations occurred in certain areas of the country

• Many of the pesticides that were effective against bed bugs aren’t available now.

• Bed bugs have developed resistance to many of the pesticides that have been used to kill them

• Increased foreign travel, immigration, and importation of goods has helped to spread bed bugs.

BED BUGS – QUICK FACTS

• Bed Bugs aren’t known to carry disease.• Bed bugs are blood feeders. They can live for a

year after taking a blood meal• Bed bug bites normally occur at night, and the bite

is generally painless.• Most people develop itchy welts after they’ve been

bitten.• Scratching the welts may lead to the development

of dermatitis and secondary infections.• Bed bugs are not killed by cold “freezing them

out” doesn’t work*

BED BUGS – QUICK FACTS

A FEW BED BUG MYTHS

• “Only “dirty people” get bed bugs.”

• “Bed bugs are only found in places like military barracks where people are crowded together”

• “Bed bugs are only a problem for low – income people.”

BED BUG MYTHS DEBUNKED!The greatest obstacle to managing bed bugs is overcoming the myths that are associated with them.

These myths (and others like them) have created a stigma for people who find their homes infested with bed bugs

The bottom line is thisThe bottom line is this: Bed bugs are blood feeders. Regardless of one’s hygiene, financial status, or place of residence, bed bugs can infest your home.

BED BUGS ARE HERE, NOW!

• Bed bug infestations are out of control in Cincinnati.

• Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Marion, Mansfield, Findlay, and many other large and small towns across Ohio are battling bed bugs.

• In Greater Columbus, we’re dealing with infestations in the City of Columbus and every one of the suburbs!

BED BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Bed bugs have been found in:

• Senior Housing;• Nursing homes;• Apartment

buildings;• Hotels;• Schools;

• Private Homes;• Churches;• Movie Theaters;• College Dorms;• Social Service

Agency Offices;

• AND......

FIREHOUSES!

THIS IS THE ENEMY!

PHOTO COURTESY OF OSU EXTENSION

Carpet Infestation

Courtesy of OSU Extension

Furniture Infestation

Courtesy of OSU Extension

KNOW THE ENEMY! Adult bed bugs are visible

to the naked eye They are brown and about

¼ – 3/8” long when full - grown.

In the nymph stages, bed bugs are whitish and smaller, but they are still often visible.

They don't fly, but they are adept crawlers, and they move FAST! –They scatter quickly if they’re disturbed

KNOW THE ENEMY

• Bed bug eggs are glued to the surface they've been laid on, so they're hard to dislodge.

Courtesy of OSU Extension

KNOW THE ENEMY• Females lay from 1-12 eggs per day• Eggs hatch in 6-17 days• Nymphs look for food• Require a blood meal to molt• Developmental stage is 21-120 days,

depending on temperature• Can live for several months without blood• Live for 12-18 months

KNOW THE ENEMY

KNOW THE ENEMY• Fast moving insects• Nocturnal blood feeders• Inject a sharp beak, in the sleeping host• Inject a anticoagulant• Nymphs feed 3 minutes./ adults10-15

minutes.• Then hide to digest blood• Prefer, fabric, wood and paper to hide• Bites are painless

KNOW THE ENEMY

• Bed bugs love to hide in nooks and crannies. Furniture joints, receptacles, baseboards, cracks in the wall, and suitcases are ideal hiding places

KNOW THE ENEMY• Bites may itch, but not always. The welts that

form whitish, but they may become inflamed. The bites often occur in rows

• Bites do not have a red spot in the middle as in flea bites

• Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease, but scratching the welts may lead to skin infections.

KNOW THE ENEMY• Bed bugs leave tell-tales signs such as blood

stains near the bite site.

• Dark deposits (fecal spots) occur on sheets, mattresses and & walls

• In severe infestations, a sweet, musty odor from the insects’ scent glands may be present.

KNOW THE ENEMY• Bed bugs are attracted by the carbon dioxide

that we exhale.

• Bed bugs prefer human blood to other mammals and birds, but they will feed on them, also.

BED BUG CONTROL

• Bed bugs are hard to kill. No “over the counter” pesticide is effective.

• “Bug bombs” designed to kill flying insects only scatter bed bugs.

• Treatment requires a licensed pest control operator

• People with bed bugs have to: 1) reduce clutter; 2) encase their mattress and box springs; 3) Store their belongings in tightly closed plastic bags or containers; 4) Vacuum the affected area daily.

MORE ABOUT BED BUG CONTROL

• Eradication of an infestation requires:–Multiple treatments;–The use of several different

pesticides;–Compliance by the occupants;–Disposal of infested furniture

(sometimes.)

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

You never know when you'll be called to a bed – bug infested building.

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

• Always wear disposable shoe covers when on – scene. Take the shoe covers off after you've left the building. Put them in a sealed plastic bag and throw them in the trash.

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

• Some jurisdiction are recommending responders wear full tyvek suits. We do NOT recommend this.

• Bunker gear should not be taken into living quarters. Keep it in the engine bays.

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

– Wear shoe covers whenever you enter a potentially infested place;

– Tuck pant legs into your socks or boots;– If you didn't use shoe covers, inspect shoes

before entering the medic or returning to the firehouse. Store your “bed bug boots "in a sealed plastic bag until they can be placed in a dryer for 15 minutes;

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

– Leave your work clothes at the firehouse. Put the dirty laundry in a sealed bag and leave it there until it has been washed and dried.

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

• At Home:– Be very careful about bringing used

furniture, clothing or bedding into your home. • Seal new or used clothing that you’ve

bought in a plastic bag and wash and dry in a hot dryer for at least 15 minutes;

• If you’ve traveled, don’t take your suitcases in the house. Put the contents in plastic bags until they can be washed and dried.

ARE YOU ITCHING TO AVOID AN INFESTATION?

• Check furniture for bed bugs and eggs. Used upholstered furniture (and some new stuff) has been found to be bed bug infested.

Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bed Bugs Bite!

COBBTF MISSION

• Develop consistent messages about bed bugs for the community;

• Develop educational materials available to everyone in the community;

• Develop consistent enforcement strategies;

• Create a web site to use as the main source of information;

• Tailor information for each at – risk group.

COBBTF STRUCTURE

• Headed by a Steering Committee;

• Established a Media Relations and Community Outreach Committee to oversee the products developed;

• Deliberately non-jurisdictional. No agency or organization controls the Task Force – it exists for the benefit of everyone. Everything that we produce is freely available to all.

THE CENTRAL OHIO BED BUG TASK FORCE (COBBTF)• Formed in November, 2008 as the number of

bed bug complaints received by Columbus Code Enforcement and Franklin County Board of Health began to rise;

• Voluntary organization made up of representatives from schools, fire departments, landlords, tenant rights groups, hotel and lodging, health care, pesticide industry, Franklin County and Columbus Health Departments.

• We're always looking for more people to get involved!

OUR WEBSITE:

centralohiobedbugs.org