I just called to reserve a spot for the March 12 seminar, and the woman I spoke with said the information is going to be the same in every one of these seminars. I just wanted to mention that to those of us who were considering attending more than one. In the meantime, who should we call to encourage the presenters to do better? Should we start a petition?

My concern with decluttering and cleaning before getting the place inspected by a professional is that people “clean away” signs of bed bugs.

Do you know if they unambiguously advised tenants to notify their landlords of an infestation? Or did they tell them to clean first? And did they address the issue of who is responsible at all?

Having people delay in any way before notifying the landlord is bad. That’s when people go to the hardware store and buy bombs to try first.

Thursday, Feb. 28
2511 Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
Corner of 134th St.
RSVP 212 863-8830

Let’s hope the material evolves before then. The next one is Tuesday the 5th in Astoria.

Lou says:

I attended the seminar last night.

About 2 weeks (Nov 16th) ago the seminar was announced and that morning I was in my office when our communications department called and said that Ch. 2 wanted to do an interview about bed bugs in reference to the upcoming seminars. I hadn’t heard anything about any seminars until that minute. All of you may have seen the Ch.2 news report: there was more to it, but it’s always watered down, but at least the importance of nymphs was reported. I drove to the Eastern branch meetings of NPMA after the interview.

That Friday I spoke with HPD and offered to help out but was told that I couldn’t present anything because I’m not in HPD. Anyway, we met last Friday and I spoke to them about bed bugs, showed a powerpoint presentation, short movies, and emphasized what is usually left out of bed bug presentations: the importance of the 5 nymphal instars, the first of these being so small and normally overlooked. At least nymphs made it into the presentations.

The presentation probably had already been prepared, but I was never given a preview. I think it’s one that’s been used before at other smaller meetings. they’re used to smaller meetings that normally take place in a classroom. Yes, Elise spoke and Calle translated simultaneously into Spanish. They are both instructors at HPD. Anyway, it’s a start by educating people. And Crawledon basically summed it up in previous posts on the seminar.

The reporter from Ch.4, btw, wasn’t interested in facts, either, although I did speak with her after it was all over while she was finishing up an interview with a woman. (I didn’t introduce myself). I don’t think she attended the presentation, only spoke to people and waiting outside. She had some adults taped onto paper or pictures of them on paper and wondered if I had an apple seed because you know that’s about how big bed bugs are and she needed it for comparison…. Some vendors took their opportunity to give out info after the meeting, but I expected that.

I might get to Queens next week.

Remember when we talked about the Cincinnati closed-door meeting and the coroner?

In other areas as well. Consider what Stephen Doggett and his team have accomplished.

Someone has to lead.

There’s no money, hopelessnomo, because it is not considered a serious problem. Though I think its taken more seriously than a year ago, it is still not considered a big deal.

Perhaps if the local officials could see the connection between infested hotels and businesses, and infested homes–if they understood that as long as peoples’ homes are infested, our businesses will be too (and vice versa)–perhaps they will realize the economic impact of bed bugs on local business and tourism in particular.

Or they could read the Business Week article.

I know I am preaching to the converted.
I think you’re right that we should point the city to what other cities are doing.
But I also think they’re being ostriches with their heads in the sand.