Bedbug Task Force begins meeting

After being eradicated from the United States decades ago, bedbugs have made a comeback and are now a problem in Washington County. Environmental Health Director Jennine Wolf has been talking about bedbugs for four years. The bedbugs have now become prevalent enough that others are talking about bedbugs.

Wolf and Washington Mayor Sandra Johnson have started a Bedbug Task Force to come up with ways to deal with bedbugs. The task force met for the first time in December and it will meet again at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Nicola Stoufer Room at the Washington Public Library.

The members of the task force include local and county government officials, school officials, the hospital, the casino, governmental housing managers, public health officials, mental health officials, etc.

One of the first steps Wolf said is to educate the public. She tells a story about Ivan and his wife. She said that Ivan first encountered bedbugs when the bugs were found in first-floor apartments in his apartment complex. He and his wife lived on the third floor. Wolf said the landlord tried to fumigate the first-floor apartments. The fumigation didn't work, but it did force bedbugs to move to the second floor, and within two weeks to the third-floor apartments.

Wolf said some of Ivan's neighbors moved out of the complex, and they took bedbugs with them. Ivan and his wife eventually ended up with bedbugs. Ivan began experiencing psychological distress while trying to cope with the problem. He and his wife decided to go to a motel for a couple of nights before their apartment was to be treated, thus spreading the bedbugs.

The bedbugs weren't exterminated for another two months. In that time, Ivan spent $100 per night for three nights in a motel; $1,000 on dry cleaning; $1,200 to wash the bedding and pillows; the loss of a new mattress at $700; a new liner for a new mattress, $50; the loss of $2,000 worth of furniture; and the loss of the $1,200 security deposit when Ivan decided to break his lease and move elsewhere.

"This is what is happening in Washington County today, " Wolf said.

Bedbugs aren't considered a public health risk because the bugs do not transmit any diseases.

County schools are dealing with students who come to school with bedbugs. People are showing up in the emergency room with bedbug bites. Bedbugs can be found in nursing homes, motels, and private homes. Public health workers who go from home to home to work with clients are affected.

Wolf said people try to use treatments that don't work, sometimes putting their own safety at risk.

"Some people use propane space heaters, electric space heaters to try to beat it themselves, and then they blow their house up," Wolf said. "Spraying the furniture or property with alcohol, denatured alcohol, kerosene, lighter fluid, paint thinner ? they're vapors and they blow their houses up."

Wolf said bug bombs have no effect on bedbugs.

"This is information we're going to have to get out to the public," Wolf said. "That's our first priority ? is getting the public educated, getting some kind of resources for the public, working with each other to give each other resources as what we can do and what works. Last, we're going to have to find some kind of funding."

After the December meeting, information about bedbugs was distributed to schools and in public places.

More plans may come out of next week's meeting.