Remember last week, when the boardinghouse/SRO hotel above the Tara Station Bar in Harrisburg was found to be infested — apparently by bed bugs — but in the two stories covering the case, WHPTV (CBS Channel 21) reporters refused to say the phrase “bed bugs”, referring instead to “bugs” and “insects?”

This was so, even though the attached videos showed what clearly appeared to be bed bugs crawling on a ceiling (speckled with what appeared to be bed bug fecal stains) and also crawling on a man’s shirt, and even though the same man showed them “bug bites” he had sustained? (Note: if you have an itchy bite mark and a bed bug is crawling on your shirt in broad daylight, entertaining a video crew, it’s probably a pretty safe bet you have bed bug bites.)

(You can see those earlier videos from CBS Channel 21 here and here.)

Well, we kind of figured that story wasn’t over.

Today, WGAL reports that the building was shut down by city code inspectors:

Police and fire companies are looking into possible bed bugs at a Harrisburg hotel. The chief of police said it is not healthy for anyone to stay the night.

Four city code inspectors were inside a small hotel owned by Wali Rentals LLC on Fourth and Chestnut streets Wednesday afternoon after they received a complaint about a bed bug problem.

Officials also closed a restaurant on the first floor of the building as a precaution.

Chief Charles Kellar said the inspectors themselves were infested with the bugs during their investigation. They were sent to Harrisburg Hospital to be decontaminated.

“One had a cuff, and she undid the cuff of her pants, and a lot came out of there. One guy said it looked like the walls were moving,” said Kellar.

(Notice how WGAL is referring to “possible bed bugs.”)

The residents were removed from the building:

Tenants were ushered through a mobile Haz-Mat shower unit to be decontaminated.

They were then taken to a local shelter and given a new set of clothing.

This is the second time we’ve heard of a HAZMAT shower being used to decontaminate residents who were asked to leave a bed bug-infested building. The first was in Jersey City last summer.

When fleeing a building where a code inspector could come out with “a lot of bugs” in a pants cuff, evacuees should be allowed to shower and change to fresh clothing and shoes. Precautions do need to be taken to avoid moving bed bugs to vehicles or to the evacuees’ next location.

But consensus in the comments on the Jersey City post was that a HAZMAT decontamination shower was overkill.

The hotel is getting three “exterminator treatments” (let’s hope that is enough to get rid of bed bugs in the building).

And apparently, the owner Wali Mohmand is still blaming tenants’ hygiene for bed bugs:

“I’m not their maid, they have to clean after themselves,” said Mohmand.

Sounds like CBS 21 News, the city code inspectors, and Mr. Mohmand still have a bit to learn about how bed bugs operate. They can infest any home, clean or dirty, cluttered or empty.

Oh, but wait, I forgot: first, someone in Harrisburg needs to actually verify that the “possible bed bugs” are, in fact, bed bugs.

Is that really so difficult?!?Similar Posts:

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I was highly perplexed to watch this two-day report from CBS 21 News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Yesterday, Ewa Roman reported on a “Bug Infested Building” in a boardinghouse over the Tara Station bar on 4th St. in Harrisburg, near the Pennsylvania State Capital building:

Bugs on the ceilings and walls. Insects are taking over the building above the Tara Station Bar on 4th Street in Harrisburg.

I was very troubled to discover that while the photo accompanying the article and video clearly shows a bed bug, and the video itself shows clear footage of bed bugs crawling on walls, the reporter repeatedly refers only to “bugs” and “bug infestation:”

But one man did show us bug bite marks on his arms and neck. He even had some bugs on his sweatshirt.

What kind of bug might be biting this man? Hmmm.

There are also fairly obvious shots of extensive fecal spotting in the area where bed bugs are crawling on the walls and ceiling. And yet “bugs” are mentioned six times in the text of the article; bed bugs: not once.

Here, you can watch video of the episode from Monday: “Bug Infested Building.” (I did not embed the video because it is set to automatically play, which can be quite annoying for people who land on the website.)

And then, Tuesday, the same news station apparently caught up with Walley Mowi, the landlord, to ask why tenants were living under these conditions. He claims that tenants are responsible for the infestation because they have messy and cluttered rooms; in fact, bed bugs are not bred of clutter, or attracted to old food, vomit, or dirt.

Any one person could have brought them into the building, and they could even have walked over from an adjoining building. The hotel offices and the pub downstairs should be carefully inspected as they could also be affected.

Remarkably, once more, the reporter (this time Ben Russell) again makes no mention of bed bugs. Just “bugs” (which are mentioned seven times).

You can watch Tuesday’s update “Bug Infested Building: ‘It’s not my fault’” here. As with the previous story, this reel contains bed bug footage, mention of bug bites, and this time, of dried blood stains on a pillow.

I am dismayed that these reporters are either unaware that bed bugs exist, or are avoiding mentioning them for some bizarre reason. I do not think this is responsible journalism.

Just yesterday I reported how health officials in both Abilene, Texas and Davenport, Iowa believed their cities currently had no bed bug problems, because they were receiving no reports of them. My response: if you live there, tell the health department you have bed bugs.

The people of Harrisburg need to know about bed bugs and how prevalent they are. The bed bugs in this boardinghouse have (according to the news report) been a problem for over a year. And this is not the only incidence of bed bugs in Harrisburg.

If we do not all admit bed bugs are a problem, where we all live, then we will not take action to halt their spread.

If you pretend bed bugs are not there, they will not go away. Similar Posts:

• Video of bed bugs including nymphs walking and feeding on humans
• More on bed bugs in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: again with the HAZMAT showers?!?
• North Carolina shelter with bed bugs: outlook grim
• Woman says she suffered bed bug bites at Bally’s in Atlantic City
• New York City Housing Authority: “bed bugs = emergency” + “wait a month” do not compute

Some public housing authorities don’t seem to be tackling bed bugs as aggressively as they should.

Many public housing agencies (like other landlords) only treat units as residents report them infested, neglecting to inspect adjacent attached units. It’s not surprising that many infestations continue a year or more after the initial treatment.

Other public housing agencies leave bed bug inspections to apparently inexperienced building managers rather than enlisting experienced professionals, and some lack basic education about the pests, blaming tenants for the presence of bed bugs, and erroneously linking infestations to cleanliness of tenants’ homes.

Yesterday The Patriot-News reported that the Harrisburg (PA) Housing Authority seems to be reacting more aggressively than many public housing authorities:

The Harrisburg Housing Authority is dealing with regular bed bug uprisings. Before 2006, the problem was nonexistent, said LeRoy Robinson, an assistant to the authority’s executive director. The most intense problems have been at Morrison Towers, a 12-story high-rise for seniors on Chestnut Street.

Authority officials received a complaint from a resident about two months ago. The authority had the unit sprayed. But after another 10 or so complaints of bedbugs, they decided to spray the entire building.

To prevent a comeback, they now spray parts of the building twice a month, Robinson said. Treating all 12 floors costs $12,000. “It’s an expensive proposition, but you have to do it,” Robinson said.

It took two months and ten complaints before they treated the whole building. Perhaps they could have responded more swiftly, but this is more aggressive than many of the cases cited above.

Of course, one spraying, even of the whole building, is unlikely to suffice. Traditional treatments don’t kill bed bug eggs, which will hatch in 10-14 days after treatment. Any units with bed bugs need to be retreated at 10-14 day intervals until all bed bugs are gone and there are no further bites. And since many do not react to bed bug bites, whether bed bugs are gone can be hard to assess.

Regular follow-up inspections and treatments are vital, since tenants may be continually exposed to the same bed bugs originally brought in. Staff and tenants need education about how to prevent such reinfestations.

Public Housing Authorities would do well to consider the aggressive approach being taken by Toronto Community Housing, in refurbishing public housing units (sealing cracks is just one focus), setting treatment standards and response times for pest control vendors, and developing enterprise initiatives that hire and train residents to work as expert bed bug pest control technicians.

As voters and taxpaying citizens, we should all take an interest in the way our local public housing authorities respond to complaints of bed bugs, and pressure public officials to improve these responses.Similar Posts:

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