Lugar Tower, a public housing development in Indianapolis, has a bed bug problem. They’ve spent $60,000 to get rid of the building’s bed bugs, but the bed bugs are still biting.

Indystar.com reports,

. . . for more than two years they have been dealing with a bed-bug infestation so bad that the city housing authority has spent $60,000 — and counting — and enlisted a team of researchers from Purdue University to try to get rid of the pesky critters.

The Indianapolis Housing Authority is on the right track in that it has enlisted an entomologist for advice to help them get rid of bed bugs in Lugar Tower:

Purdue entomologist Tim Gibb, who is among the researchers working with the housing authority, said strides have been made at Lugar by dousing areas with chemical and organic pesticides — infested rooms are sprayed monthly — and also educating residents.

Each new tenant, said Indianapolis Housing Agency chief Bud Myers, needs to learn bed-bug precautions: no bringing in outside furniture or bedding, and telling management as soon as there is a sign of the creatures.

Educating residents and staff is essential to prevent reinfestation and to stop the spread of bed bugs.

I hope the building is performing rigorous inspections of all units attached to those that are known to be infested. Myers estimates that 10-15 of the 225 units are currently infested (though the problem has been going on in the building for two years). If they are not aware of all currently infested units, and so all infested areas are not treated properly, then the problem will not go away and will keep spreading.

Also, monthly sprays of infested units may not be enough. PCOs often tell us that 2-week follow-ups are ideal. Two years is a long time; aggressive treatment of known-to-be-infested units as well as thorough inspections of units where tenants aren’t complaining of bed bugs are crucial in eliminating this problem.

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The Kentucky Post and WCPO (ABC9 in Cincinnati) reported that there was an “Emergency Meeting” held behind closed doors last Friday to discuss the bed bug problem in the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. (Indiana was not mentioned by name in any of the articles, but we can assume it’s the third state in question since it borders Ohio and Kentucky near Cincinnati.)

WCPO noted that the meeting was hosted by Ohio State Representative Dale Mallory and that “state representatives, the Cincinnati Health Department commissioner along with several city councilmembers and county commissioners will try to find solutions” to the bed bug problem. Another source, kypost.com, said the meeting attendees also included Hamilton County (Kentucky) Coroner O’dell Owens. (The Coroner! If the coroner is involved, surely bed bugs must be a health concern? I see from the Hamilton County Coroner’s Organizational Flowchart that Toxicology is the likely interest here. Or perhaps Forensics: bed bugs are criminals–guilty of stealing our blood.)

Owens said, “In 2005 there were five to seven complaints on bed bugs. They’ve already had 19 the month of January. And last year I think they had 180. So this is an issue that is growing to cross neighborhoods. This is not just for poor people. Other people need to understand that bed bugs is not from people being unclean. You can have a home in Indian Hill and have bed bugs.”

There is no mention of whether local bed bug experts were involved, but I truly hope they were.Similar Posts:

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The Batesville Herald Tribune in Indiana reports that even that locality’s health officials are discussing the increase in local bed bug cases:

Bed bug cases “are increasing somewhat throughout the county,” reported Wayne Peace, Emergency Management Agency director, at the Jan. 8 Ripley County Health Department meeting. “I don’t know why there is an increase.”

Public health coordinator Pat Thomas stated after the meeting that Peace has referred people to a licensed pesticide exterminator to get rid of these pests.

Funny how less populous areas are tuned in to even “somewhat” of an increase.  Hmm, an increase, not a “sudden appearance.”  Is Peace saying that Batesville always had bed bugs?

Read the Batesville Herald Tribune piece here.Similar Posts:

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