Comments on: letter from Bedbugger reader Adam Voiland

By: bedbugfinder

bedbugfinder — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:36:25 +0000

As a Second Generation Pest Control Professional in Florida for 19 years, I have seen the Bed Bug problems become more and more prevalent. We see many cases from all backgrounds. We have had cases where a relative came to visit from a less developed country than ours. We have had cases where there is no logical reason for them to be there. We have had cases where it is an up scaled Apartment, not so up scaled, and right down to the economically challenged. But my first ever case was in a very expensive house. White carpets and gold fixtures and quite well to do. In my opinion we need to work on our domestic problem, “Our Problem”. The Bed Bug problem belongs to all of us. We are now more than ever a community of the World. Many of the World’s problems become our problems regardless of who is to blame. I have spent many years researching and watching these creatures as well as feeding them myself to keep them alive as to further my research. I realized early on that these Bugs were a force to be reckoned with. My wife and children are very understanding of my profession and having live Bed Bugs in our home on purpose seems crazy to many people. But without those of us who are willing to do the research we would learn at a much slower pace. I take so much time with customers who have these insects, because it is a traumatic ordeal. We use a K-9 for detection and have used most of the treatment methods available with success. Years of first hand treatment and research has helped me determine that It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, or what your financial position may be, we are all in this together. I have had customers who had a bad infestation, but could not pay for the treatment. The logical solution for me….Treat and don’t Charge. Why should they have to suffer? Some of our own Parents and Grandparents live in Apartments and are on fixed incomes, Should they be to blame for not calling a Pest Control Company knowing that they can’t afford it?… I treat many homes for Free. I don’t blame them because Social Security doesn’t pay them enough to Buy food and prescriptions and exist without bugs. Of course I have to make a judgment call, If they keep a clean clutter-free house and have done their part within reason to try to eliminate the problem on their own. Then I will take it from there. I find that pointing the finger doesn’t make me feel as good as having sympathy and giving some back to the community.
Both Theories on where they came from have some validity, but who gets the reward if either is proven? The reward will go to the person that finds a way to reduce the bed bug population to that of the 1950’s. If we put forth the effort to find the cure that we put forth to try to make our opinions right, we might just be on the correct path. Helping a fellow brother or his family is what we all should be about. Maybe I am one of the few who feel this way and am willing to back it up. I Find Bedbugs and treat for them even if some can’t pay. The blessings of these people do more for me than finding out what group is to blame. I also donate my K-9 detection Services to the Fire Houses in my area. With all of the Foreclosures and loss of employment in Florida, the Municipalities have little money in the budget for these type of services, So I donate them. Our Fire and Paramedics enter into every type of house when on a call, and there have been documented cases of fire houses being closed down due to bed bugs. Offering my services only seemed like the right thing to do. By the way, there are many ethnicities in our Fire Houses, I would be honored for any of these men or women to save my life no matter who they are or where they come from.

By: IveBeenBugged

IveBeenBugged — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:38:35 +0000

Interesting replys and logical responses on both sides but I am still of the belief that the return of the bed bug has little to do with immigrants bringing them from elsewhere in the world.

One of the reasons why an immingrant apartment building may have more infestations may be something as simple as the fact that they are more likely to be sociable with each other (thus allowing the bug to more easliy hitchhike to other units) while the middle and upper class people tend to stick to themselves. Many of us rarely even know the neighbors much less invite them over or visit them.

We here in the U.S. have supposedly eradicated or controlled not only pests but certain non native plants animals (both are a big problem in florida) and diseases only to have them return but now much more resistant to previous treatments.

Is it so hard to imagine a bug doing the same thing?

By: hopelessnomo

hopelessnomo — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:34:48 +0000

Bugologist-

Where do they come from? I’ll tell you where I think they come from. And then I’ll leave because, as an immigrant, I can’t go where you want to take this. I reject, categorically, what you are attempting to do and will not be a part of it.

Ready?

Bedbugs come from primary infestations that are poorly controlled and allowed to grow and subsequently generate secondary infestations.

That’s it. That’s the problem. (And the solution, of course. Isn’t that nifty?)

Immigrants and poverty and poor housing conditions and, worst of all, individual or cultural “tolerance” for bugs are dead-ends. Of course, they are not political dead-ends. But you know that already.

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:37:15 +0000

Douglas,
Thanks for pointing out the article which will be discussed in another post. However, please keep the discussion on topic! As is, the remainder of your comment appears to be an advertisement for your methods, and as such is not really relevant here nor appropriate. You are welcome to contact me (nobugs at bedbugger.com) if you want to find out about advertising on the site.

By: Bugologist

Bugologist — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:05:37 +0000

I don’t think we can drop the “where did they come from discussion” because it’s an important aspect to consider. The way you solve problems is to get to the source of the problem. Putting out spot fires in peoples dwellings is all fine and dandy but they had to come from a source and trying to address the sources (because there are definitely sources that are more significant than others) is how you drastically improve the problem.

By: Douglas Stern

Douglas Stern — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:44:42 +0000

The Wall Street Journal just published information about bed bug treatments and the seriousness of the bed bug threat. Here is a link to the article online: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120596873874750153.html?mod=pj_main_hs_coll

The article mentions several new treatments being used by firms including ourselves. Clearly there is a huge rise in the incidence of bed bugs. At Stern Environmental Group, we are finding excellent success with a CO2 freezing spray. Not only is the kill rate excellent when properly applied, but there are no poisons used in sensitive sleeping areas.

By: lieutenantdan

lieutenantdan — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:49:01 +0000

Yes, I am sorry that I used the word erradicated because it is so definite.
The word immigrant provokes fear in some and compassion in others and illegal immigrant is a whole nother ball game. I like the word settler for immigrant.
Although some information suggests that bed bugs were never erradicated in North America it seems to me that there were not many around. I have lived my entire life in New York City which because of population size and congestion always experiences much of what the world can dish out. I have traveled North American extensively and in all my years I have not heard any reference to bed bugs until the last ten years. I do believe that people can bring them with them in travels from less fortunate places on this planet so if a person decides to settle to North America from a less fortunate place than I do believe that bed bugs can and will come with them. Some say the outbreak of West Nile was linked to travel. A mosquito in someones luggage or in packing or that hitched a ride on a plane or carried by a migrating bird that originated from a west nile troubled country may have started the whole thing. Who knows but it can make sense.
Just let me say that I do not have a thing against people who have a dream to settle in the U.S. and follow that dream.

By: bugbasher

bugbasher — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:24:06 +0000

I’m in agreement that the bb problem has NOTHING to to with race AND everything to do with money.Who’s the poorest in the country? People who come from more disadvantaged countries,looking for a better life.We need to reach out in the disadvantaged communities,not ostricize them.I don’t think immigrants caused this epidemic,that’s just silly.The problem is their here and everywhere else ,too.Can we get past the “where they came from” and start to focus on eradication?Something,some unknown factor ,has caused them to spiral out of control everywhere.I personally,would love to know what that unknown is,fact is we may not know for a lomg time.Global warming? Pollution? Every time a certain species starts to die or proliferate it’s saying something about the state of the ecosystem on this planet and we REALLY need to know what this means to have any chance to correct it.When frogs or any other wildlife starts to die or proliferate,scientist start looking for reasons as we are dependant on the other life on the planet.People like to think that they are masters of the universe,but we are merely a part of it.I hope scientists are looking for answers,not only to curb the epidemic but also to find out what’s gone wrong in the ecosystem.

By: James Buggles

James Buggles — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:43:57 +0000

Let me translate Adam Voiland’s essay for you:

“I don’t trust my readers so I withhold information from them because in the words of that great character played by Jack Nicholson, they can’t handle the truth.”

So typical of the elite media in their ivory tower. I’ve got news for Mr. Voiland. Most of the best reporters in the world don’t go into journalism because the pay sucks. That’s how we end up with people like Mr. Voiland reporting news.

A good reporter would have put the PCO comments about immigrants in the article and let the readers decide for themselves what, if anything, it means.

Now, if Mr. Voiland was writing a column, that would be a different story. But he wasn’t. He was supposedly reporting news. That said, you have to give him credit for coming clean here.

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:36:51 +0000

LtDan,
When I first started reading about bed bugs, I heard that they had been eradicated once DDT was introduced. Indeed, many of my earlier articles reference this claim which is commonly made by experts on bed bugs. (This is a blog, and though I try to correct “errors” or other comments I’ve made which later do not appear to be correct, it is not possible to re-check everything regularly.)

However, there is evidence that while bed bugs were not common during the period of the 1950s to the late 1990s, in North America (and indeed, it appears, Western Europe and Australia and other places), they nevertheless were never entirely eradicated here.

Hopelessnomo did an excellent post rounding up sources stating that bed bugs existed in the UK throughout the 1970s and 1980s (and while infestations were not as prevalent as today, by far, they did occur regularly). In one of the comments on that post, she points us to multiple sources stating they were also found in the US during the 1980s and 1990s at least.

For example, here’s the NYTimes talking about bed bugs in 1986, the Alabama Cooperative Extension on how people probably suffered bed bug bites in the US for decades before the media started talking about them, the NYTimes again on bed bugs in a Chinatown flophouse in 1989, this NYTimes article mentioning bed bugs as possibility in co-op storage units in NYC in 1989, this one from the Chicago Sun-Times on bed bugs in a Chicago retirement hotel in 1990, and this article about a woman suing an Annapolis hotel for bed bugs in 1989! (I found all those sources via Hopelessnomo’s helpful comment cited above.)
Lou Sorkin has also mentioned being shown bed bug samples for identification during those decades.

Many have the idea that bed bugs “came back” to the States approx. 1999, but it appears to be a resurgence of an already existing pest, rather than a sudden return of a pest that had been eradicated.

I can’t cite sources to cover the 1950s-1970s (which is harder to find, in part because items from the period aren’t as googleable), so it would be interesting to see if similar evidence is out there.