We’ve previously mentioned the upcoming EPA bed bug summit on April 14-15 and the upcoming Washington DC bed bug summit on March 27.

We now refer you to New York vs. Bed Bugs, where Renee has compiled all the details and links on the EPA National Bed Bug Summit (4/14-4/15) and Stop Bed Bugs DC (3/27); RSVP is strongly recommended for the April event and required for the March event, so please do follow those links for more information on that.

I encourage you to participate in person or virtually (in the case of the EPA Bed Bugs Summit, where teleconferencing / webinar options are said to be in the offing).

Also, on Friday, I received a message from Gale Brewer about the signing of Intro. 57a, the Bed Bug Advisory Board bill, which will take place tomorrow (3/18) and is open to the public:

Dear New Yorker:

Thank you for your advocacy on the creation of a bed bug task force.

Because I share that goal, I introduced Intro 57-2006 which prohibits
the sale of reconditioned mattresses and calls for the formation of a
bed bug task force. On Wednesday, March 11, 2009, the Council
unanimously approved the Int 57-2006 at the full Stated Council meeting.

The bill will be signed into law by the Mayor on Wednesday, March 18,
2009 at 3:30pm in the Blue Room, in City Hall. All bill signings are
public hearings and all members of the public are invited to attend.

There will also be the opportunity to offer short comments.

Sincerely,

Gale A. Brewer

City Council, District 6:
Manhattan

Many of you may wish to attend and show your appreciation; we will all be there in spirit, I am sure.

Two other recent links of note from New York vs. Bed Bugs:

First, Renee examines the fact that the New York City Housing Authority is drastically under-responding to bed bug complaints in public housing in NYC. They just can’t keep up. And you know what that means, right? More bed bugs for everyone.

Also, Renee shares a notable letter from August 2008, in which Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Michael J. Kussman outlines the best practices for dealing with bed bugs in VA facilities.

Prompted by this, Renee asks whether some centralized agency might collect and disseminate such resources, rather than every single agency and institution, large or small — in every city, county, state or nation — having to reinvent the wheel.

Excellent question.

Reinventing the wheel is the name of the game when it comes to disseminating bed bug information, isn’t it? How many universities have their own bed bug fact sheet — some of them quite outdated, making recommendations no longer commonly offered by experts?

What would the humble bed bug fact sheet look like at its very best, compiled by a committee of the most reputable bed bug specialists, with access to the latest research and a keen awareness of how bed bugs act in the field? There are some like this, but in their presence, why do the others still exist?

Why do we so rarely get that information at its best?Similar Posts:

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The New York City Bed Bug Advisory Board bill (Intro. 57a) was passed yesterday!

This fox segment preceding the vote Wednesday was just a sample — there was a lot of press, from Fox and Newsday to the Canarsie Courier.

The New York Press was clearly too traumatized to post an actual bed bug photo, so they posted a picture of the furry faux Bed Bug plush (from Giant Microbes).

Alas, sneaky Simes is way, way uglier than that.

This clip from WNYC about the passing of the bill has Gale Brewer saying, “it’s not the final nail in the coffin of bed bugs in our city, it’s the first nail…”.

Bring it on!

Congratulations to Gale Brewer and the other council members who sponsored and supported Intro. 57a which called for the Bed Bug Advisory Board.

Congratulations also to Renee Corea and my other fellow founders and members of New York vs. Bed Bugs, who worked hard to raise awareness about the importance of the bed bug issue (and the need for a Bed Bug Task Force) among council members, as well as other local officials and elected representatives.

Thanks to all those who testified at the New York City Council Hearing a few weeks back, and of course to everyone who wrote, called, or visited their elected representatives.

We hope the appointments to New York City’s new Bed Bug Advisory Board include some of the best local entomologists who study bed bugs and can speak knowledgeably of the scope and complexities of the bed bug problem, and of the best possible courses of action the city might consider.

I know I still owe you some notes from two weeks ago. Alas, they’re dated now, but I still intend to share some snippets. I’ve been busy and had some back trouble of late, so it’s had to go on the back burner. Stay tuned!Similar Posts:

• New York Mayor Bloomberg signs Bed Bug Advisory Board legislation
• New York City bed bug numbers, Bedbugger-style
• Atlantic City public housing: 1/3 of 800 units in four buildings infested with bed bugs
• New York Daily News: NYC bed bug complaints up 34% in one year
• Bed bugs bite in Richmond, California public housing development

I just received the following message below from Gale Brewer, updating us on the status of the Bed Bug Task Force bill, Intro. 57.

Another section of the same bill — the part which bans the sale of reconditioned mattresses — is not being voted on concurrently. Since support for the Bed Bug Task Force was unanimous and strong at the 2/24 New York City Council Hearing on three bed bug bills, but support for the section of the same bill banning reconditioned mattresses was not unanimous, the consideration of 57-A (the Bed Bug Task Force Advisory Board) independently of the reconditioned mattress legislation is good news, in my opinion, since it surely makes it easier for this part of the Bill to get through, quickly.

And we do need this New York City Bed Bug Task Force Advisory Board to get to work, quickly.

We actually need a Bed Bug Task Force; hopefully the Advisory Board will advise: action!

[Emphasis in bold, below, is mine.]

Dear New Yorker:

Thank you for your advocacy on the creation of a bed bug task force. Because I share that goal, I introduced Intro 57-2006 which prohibits the sale of reconditioned mattresses and calls for the formation of a bed bug task force.

On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the Council Committees on Health, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation held a public hearing on Introductions 57-2006, 872-2008 and 873-2008. Entomologists, exterminators, health care professionals, advocates and members of the public offered testimony for 5 hours in Council Chambers. Representatives from the following NYC Departments: Health and Mental Hygiene, Housing Preservation and Development, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation all testified in support of the creation of a Bed Bug task force.

I am pleased to announce that the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs is scheduled to vote on Intro 57A-2006, which creates a Bed Bug Advisory Board, on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 10am in the Committee Room of City Hall. The text of the final bill is below. The measure is expected to pass and it will then be voted on the same day by the full Council at the Stated Council Meeting, which is scheduled to start at 1pm in the Council Chambers. All members of the public are invited to attend, although there will be no opportunity to offer testimony during either meeting.

After the Council approves the bill (which it is fully expected to do!), the Mayor has 30 days to sign it into law. We will share the bill signing information with you as soon as it available as you are all invited to attend.

We still have a long way to go in addressing bed bugs in our City, but thank you for your tireless efforts in getting us to this important milestone.

Sincerely,
Gale A. Brewer
City Council, District 6: Manhattan

Int. No. 57-A

By Council Members Brewer, The Speaker (Council Member Quinn), Foster, Gentile, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Mark-Viverito, Martinez, Mendez, Nelson, Palma, Sanders Jr., Weprin, White Jr., Koppell, Liu, Recchia Jr., Sears, Vallone Jr., Garodnick, Jackson, Avella, Arroyo, Dickens, Mealy and Lappin

A Local Law in relation to the creation of a Bed Bug Advisory Board.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. Sometimes referred to as “red coats,” “chinches,” or “mahogany flats,” bed bugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, are blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals. Bed bugs are wingless and spread from infested to non-infested areas through the transportation of clothing, luggage, furniture and bedding. In the early stages of infestation, bed bugs are found mainly in the tufts, seems and folds of the mattress and bed covers. However, they later spread to cracks and crevices in the bedsteads.

According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH”), bed bugs often seek refuge in bedding during the day and feed on occupants at night. Bed bugs feed primarily on humans by piercing the skin as people sleep. Although bed bugs are not generally considered human disease carriers, they inject a fluid to assist in drawing blood, which causes a welt that becomes irritated, inflamed and uncomfortable. After feeding, bed bugs crawl back into hiding, where they may remain for 80 to 140 days before returning to feed.

Bed bug infestations diminished substantially after the development and use of modern insecticides, such as DDT. However, pest management professionals have noticed a marked increase in bed-bug related complaints since 1995. Experts believe this may be related to the increased number of people traveling and returning from abroad with these insects hiding in their suitcases and clothing.

According to the DOHMH, the use of appropriate pesticides and the thorough cleaning of all bedding with water at extremely high temperature may help reduce the chance of infestation. However, even with professional extermination, a bed bug problem may be impossible to eliminate. If even one adult female bed bug survives, the area may quickly become infested again as the adult female lays one to five eggs every day and each egg takes only 17 to 28 days to hatch.

The Council finds that the Cimex lectularius population is ubiquitous and affects the quality of life of residents throughout the City. Based on this finding, the Council determines that it is necessary to create an advisory board to study this issue further and draft concrete recommendations for the most effective methods for treating and preventing bed bug infestations in New York City .

§2. Bed Bug Advisory Board. a. There shall be an advisory board to study health concerns associated with cimex lectularius, commonly referred to as the bed bug, and to make specific recommendations to the mayor and council for the prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations throughout the city.

b. Such advisory board shall consist of ten members as follows:

i. Three members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that at least one such member shall be from the pest management industry and shall have experience in bed bug control and/or extermination and at least one member shall have advanced specialized training in and knowledge of entomology;

ii. Two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the council, provided that at least one such member shall have a background in community health;

iii. The commissioners of the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of consumer affairs, the department of sanitation, the department of information technology and telecommunications, and the department of housing and preservation, or the designees of such commissioners, shall serve ex officio.

iv. At its first meeting, the advisory board shall select a chairperson from among its members by majority vote of the advisory board.

c. Each member, other than members serving in an ex officio capacity, shall serve for a term of 9 months, to commence after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Any vacancies in the membership of the advisory board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A person filling such vacancy shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of the succeeded member.

d. No member of the advisory board shall be removed from office except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official.

e. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation and shall meet as necessary.

f. The advisory board shall issue a report to the mayor and council no later than nine months after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Such report shall include specific recommendations on the following topics:

i. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in private dwellings;

ii. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in public accommodations and institutions, including, but not limited to, schools, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, jails and residential shelters;

iii. Tracking and reporting of bed bug infestations;

iv. Disposal of bed bug infested items;

v. Bed bug training and/or education for urban pest management professionals;

vi. Bed bug training and/or education for city workers;

vii. The development and most effective distribution of public education and resource materials on bed bug prevention and treatment, including, but not limited to, information on the rights and responsibilities of landlords, tenants and homeowners.

g. The advisory board shall terminate upon the publication of the report.

§3. This local law shall take effect immediately.

Similar Posts:

• New York Mayor Bloomberg signs Bed Bug Advisory Board legislation
• Allegheny County Health Department is tracking increase of bed bugs in Pittsburgh
• Bed bugs bite in Edmonton sleep disorder clinic
• Horrific story from Ottawa: bed bug sufferer overdoses
• Johnson City’s John Sevier Apartments tenants get new mattresses

We are getting more press on bed bugs this week, presumably due to the excellent City Council Hearing held on three bed bug bills on Tuesday. I personally don’t feel I am seeing enough coverage of the event itself.

The Daily News weighed in today with “Boro with the most bedbug calls: B’klyn 42% jump in complaints to 311.”

Newsday is working the same AMNY story I posted about Tuesday.

And the New York Times has what is mostly a standard-issue article about a bed bug dog team. No offense to Bedbug Finders in Connecticut, but the Times should be dealing with the bills covered in the Hearing and the related issues in more depth, this week.

When the last hearing on Intro. 57 happened in 2006, there were news stories on NY1 and another channel, including interviews with people who testified, people who had had bed bugs, as well as Council Member Gale Brewer.

Even though Brewer held a press conference Tuesday before the Hearing, I have not personally seen any footage in the television news. Have you?

(Stay tuned for more from me on the hearing.)
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The press is starting to appear about the hearing yesterday.

Frank Lombardi in the Daily News said,

Prodded by rising complaints and pressure from some elected officials, activists and the media, the Bloomberg administration gave limited support Tuesday to launching a war on bedbugs.

Testifying at a City Council hearing, representatives of the health, housing and sanitation departments announced their support for Council legislation to establish a task force to study the city’s widening bedbug problem and recommend remedies.

Although it is true that some of the experts and departmental officials who testified rejected some or other of the bills or provisions (more on that in a later post), I am not sure how limited the support was. Among those who testified, support for the Bed Bug Task Force was unanimous, and I suspect this had a profound effect on the City Council Members.

Done properly, and quickly, and peopled with the right individuals, a bed bug task force can really make things happen.

City Room blog (NYTimes.com) quoted Gale Brewer, the City Council Member who has so long been trying to pass legislation on this issue that her City Hall peers call her “The Bed Bug Lady:”

Ms. Brewer is optimistic about the formation of a task force, though there is considerable debate over the specifics, such as the mattress legislation.

“I was glad that all the questions are all out there,” she said in an interview during the hearings. It is a multifaceted problem involving the city’s health department, public housing agencies, the Police Department (since prisons are infested), the Sanitation Department (since it involves disposal of furniture), and Department of Consumer Affairs. “You have to do it as a collaborative effort,” she said.

AMNY covered the event too, and gave a taste of what people with bed bugs go through:

Those who have lived with the pests say it often takes multiple exterminations – and sometimes thousands of dollars – to get rid of them.

“I threw away everything,” said Sirajul Laskar, 42, of Jackson Heights, who added that 22 of the 52 apartments in his building have had bed bugs. “They sprayed three times and still bedbugs.”

Overall, I had a positive impression of the event. The City Council members took the testimony very seriously, and do seem to grasp the importance of the bed bug problem — especially the wonderful Council Member Robert Jackson, who himself lived with bed bugs as a child, and who mentioned having seen bed bugs recently, in New York city, in public places.

It’s nice to have someone on the City Council with this sort of first hand experience and awareness of the problem, though of course we don’t wish bed bugs on anyone.

I also want to say how grateful I am to everyone who testified, especially Renee Corea who represented New York vs. Bed Bugs, and a second of my fellow New York vs. Bed Bugs co-founders who represented herself in testimony, entomologists Lou Sorkin and Jody Gangloff-Kauffmann (both also Advisors to New York vs. Bed Bugs), Rick Cooper and Gil Bloom, and the many citizens who had battled bed bugs themselves and testified about their experiences. The witnesses did a wonderful job of conveying the problems of bed bugs, which are complex indeed.

I am also grateful to everyone who showed up to support the speakers and the cause.

I will be posting more of my impressions and notes later today…

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There’s a new New York Times Editorial on bed bugs today, and of course, we are always glad to see bed bugs mentioned in the media, especially in articles calling for New York City officials to do more about the problem.

The editorial carries no byline, and calls for a bed bug task force.

It also calls for more education and better training for pest control workers (two concerns, incidentally, which are addressed by Intro. 873 currently under consideration by the New York City Council, a bill which adds a bed bug report-and-information hotline to boot; more on that in a moment).

Unfortunately Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has done much on other quality-of-life issues, has not made bed bugs a big deal. We hope Ms. Brewer, other Council members and state lawmakers — and the mayor — will press for better training and more rigorous certification of exterminators, more public education about these pests, tougher standards for used furniture and a task force to figure out how to stay ahead of an army [of bed bugs ] that seems to be growing every year.

Can’t really argue with any of that, since we’ve been making many of the same recommendations around here since 2006.

But I have to say the article seems a bit understated, frankly.

It seems really odd to publish a bed bug editorial calling for the city to take action, right now, and not mention the bed bug bill, Intro. 873, currently being considered in the city council. Brewer was one of the 17 primary sponsors of the bill — but she’s the only city council representative mentioned in the article, where she’s portrayed as being on a one-woman anti-bed bug campaign.

If you want the city to make a change, why not mention Intro. 873, which readers might tell their city council representatives to support? The article does not say a word about its existence.

Or if you don’t like that bill, why not say so, and say why?

We know the media isn’t saying much about Intro. 873, but surely the New York Times editors have heard of it?

Most New Yorkers are likely to have no idea it’s under consideration right now.

Curious, isn’t it?

See our previous posts on Intro. 873, and those of New York vs. Bed Bugs — and, it goes without saying, any New Yorkers who agree that New York needs to take action on bed bugs should sign up and make their views known to their political representatives. New York vs. Bed Bugs makes it easy, with links to your City Council reps, and to a sample letter. Similar Posts:

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The annual open house at Council Member Gale Brewer’s district office will be held tonight and tomorrow night.

Gale Brewer (Manhattan 6th District) has been at the forefront of the efforts to introduce meaningful bed bug legislation in the New York City Council for the past three years. We recently had an update on those efforts.

In January of this year, as the city launched its bed bug seminars, Council Member Brewer had this to say to NY1:

“The bottom line is bed bugs must be dealt with. And they are a mental health issue if they are not a physical health issue,” said City Councilwoman Gale Brewer. “New Yorkers really need to know their government is behind them in trying to get rid of bedbugs.”

My own theory for why these efforts have not yet yielded control measures that are appropriate to the high levels of infestation in New York City is that the stigma of bed bugs prevents many New Yorkers from voicing their concerns, asking for help and supporting the legislative proposals.

Or could it be that there aren’t enough bed bugs in New York City!? Is there or isn’t there an epidemic? Will you come to the open house to meet Council Member Brewer and tell her what you think?

Thanks to Crawledon for the open house info!

GALE BREWER’S SPRING OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, May 18, 4-7PM & Monday, May 19, 5:30-8:30 PM

Council Member Gale A. Brewer’s District Office at 563 Columbus Ave. (at 87th St.)

Refreshments

Details via Manhattan Community Board No. 4 news.Similar Posts:

• Bed bugs, chickens and DNA: a Q&A with Dr. James Austin
• The Simpsons namechecks our little friends
• I asked New York’s Mayor Bloomberg what he is going to do about bedbugs
• More rumors of bed bugs at Fox News
• Stamford, Connecticut: 41 cases of bed bugs reported so far this year

I found this press release on Room 8, a NYC politics blog.

Oddly enough, I could not find it on the NY City Council website or on Brewer’s defunct blog.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
COUNCIL MEMBER GALE A. BREWER

CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
TEL: 212-788-6975
FAX: 212-513-7717
www.nyccouncil.info

Brewer Bedbug Battle Continues!

February 28, 2008 – For the last two years I have worked with the Bloomberg Administration to develop a public education program to inform residents about bedbug prevention, identification, and treatment. Since early January 2008, public education seminars, led by the staff from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, have been held in Queens and Manhattan, with a third planned for Brooklyn in March.

At every gathering hundreds upon hundreds of residents have attended; it is standing room-only because New Yorkers are desperate for accurate information about bedbugs. In our outreach to the community, residents are encouraged to contact 311 if they cannot attend one of the initial launch seminars or to request a seminar for their own community. Due to the overwhelming response, HPD has partnered with Operation Hope in West Harlem to host a seminar this evening. Additional seminars for April and May are planned and HPD is also folding bedbug education into the Owner?s Night curriculum.

But we also have a lot more to do. I am currently drafting legislation requiring the City to provide large plastic bags and brightly colored “Caution! This May Contain BedBugs!” stickers to City residents in order to completely encase infested furniture and other household items intended for curb-side pick-up. Both the bags and stickers would be available through 311 and at City agency offices. Piloted by the City of Boston, this service would increase the public?s awareness of bedbugs, as well as help protect sanitation workers who pick up infested furniture. I have also introduced legislation to mandate coordination of city agencies on this topic and to focus on the transportation of new and used mattresses.

Contact: Shula Warren 347-563-1295Similar Posts:

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Dennis Holt of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote in an editorial Friday that he and his wife got a mailing from HPD, Diana Reyna and Gale Brewer, inviting him to one of the city’s bed bug seminars. And, since he has never seen a bed bug, though he has heard talk of them since being a child during World War II, he assumes they can’t be much of an issue. He admires the city for trying to tackle such a minor problem.

It might be considered ridiculous, but I have been pondering this attention being paid by the city on bedbugs … not to giggle at the thought … but to sort of admire that the arcane subject should reach the level of spending city resources.

Here, the mayor has launched an enormous undertaking to think about planning for the year 2030 with the staggering prediction that we will have one million more residents. And plans are for planting thousands of trees, reducing pollution, building more schools, getting cars off our streets, being 10 minutes from a playground or a park — an enormous number of things to do. And we have the time to think of bedbugs.

One could say, “Only in New York,” and that’s probably true. One can’t suspect that such a gathering would be held in Olathe, Kan., for example.

This could lead some cynics to complain that with all the “real” problems in New York, why spend time on a rather piddling subject? But most of the “real” problems are understood; it’s the solutions that seem to escape us.

For example, look how long it has taken this city to figure out how to create public toilets in places where crowds gather — a “problem” that hasn’t seemed to perplex other major cities — and we still don’t seem to have hit on a logical answer.

So maybe we should commit resources to something we might be able to master, like the forlorn bedbug, and let the think tanks concentrate on such things as improving commuter ferry service.

Perhaps Olathe, Kansas, is not holding any bed bug seminars, but Mr. Holt might be surprised to find that cities like Cincinnati and Lexington, Kentucky have concerns about bed bugs. Cincinnati is doing far more than New York to deal with the problem. And they’re right to do so. Bed bugs are a lot harder to “master” than Holt thinks.

And, sadly, bed bugs become less arcane every day, here in New York. If more isn’t done–yes, more even than hosting a few seminars on the topic–New York City in 2010, let alone 2030, is going to be a nightmare for many, many more people.

You can read the rest of Holt’s editorial here. And consider sending a letter to the editor, perhaps?Similar Posts:

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Lots of news items are appearing, as the plan we heard of on Tuesday was officially announced yesterday.

NY1’s Cindi Avila quoted Gale Brewer as to the reason New York is taking action:

Last year, the city’s 311 hotline got 7,000 bedbug related calls, almost four times more than just three years earlier. Now the city is taking action, educating the public about the painful problem.

“The bottom line is bed bugs must be dealt with. And they are a mental health issue if they are not a physical health issue,” said City Councilwoman Gale Brewer. “New Yorkers really need to know their government is behind them in trying to get rid of bedbugs.”

We look forward to knowing more about what’s happening in these educational events:

Wednesday the city announced plans to hold three seminars aimed at educating the public about the blood-sucking parasites.

“To ensure they know when they have bedbugs, to ensure they know how to exterminate the bedbugs, and to ensure that they identify if a neighbor may also have bedbugs that could spread into their homes,” said City Councilman Miguel Martinez of the purpose of the meetings.

These three goals are far more difficult than perhaps even Councilman Martinez understands. Bed bugs can be hard to locate. Perhaps the most important thing New Yorkers need to know is that entomologist Michael Potter estimates as many as 50% of people don’t react to bed bug bites. So you can have them and have no idea.

And tipping your mattress over often does not lead to enlightenment, as many bedbuggers have found–it’s not that easy to detect bed bugs.

Meanwhile, AP reporter Deepti Hajela wrote an article that was picked up all over, including Newsday.

Hajela spoke with officials about the reason for the campaign:

“It’s about quality of life,” Luiz Aragon, deputy commissioner in the Department of Housing and Preservation, said. “We know that people are sometimes attempting to deal with this problem but they don’t know how to.”

In my experience, knowledge is crucial, but only part of the battle.

For tenants, getting landlords to treat properly, using licensed Pest Control Operators and treating until a problem is fully gone, is the real struggle.

I am sure many landlords, PCOs, and bedbugged neighbors, would also complain about some tenants not cooperating with preparations, or not reporting the problem, or trying to self-treat.

Meanwhile, most people in co-ops have to figure out how to get their association on board with inspections and treatment.

Education helps with all that, but the city needs knowledge–of who’s infested, and muscle–to force action.

And the city will surely eventually have to help landlords and homeowners who can’t afford proper treatment, and tenants who may need help with preparations for treatment, not only to eliminate bed bugs but to keep the problem from spreading.

You can read Deepti Hajela’s AP story in Newsday here.

You can read Cindi Avila’s NY1 story here. Similar Posts:

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