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Bed Bug Infested Furniture Becomes a Costly Issue for City Officials in Richmond, KY.Richmond, KY city officials have struggled to dispose of bed bug infested furniture that has been discarded along the roadside and Jeffrey White offers several options they should pursue Wednesday March 16 2011 @ 12:16 PM Source:BedBug CentralAs bed bugs continue to establish populations throughout the country, Richmond, KY city officials are searching for the best cost effective solutions to handling bed bug infested furniture that has been discarded by the roadside.
In the process of finding a cheaper way to
.jpg) handle unwanted furniture placed on city streets, they city ran into a bigger issue with the trashed furniture, bed bugs. The city had recently been focusing on the issue of managing unwanted furniture in a cost efficient way. However, now city officials are left with the daunting task of not only ridding the furniture, but also managing the bed bug infestations.After an individual close to the situation came across a piece of furniture infested with bed bugs, the city refrained from sending anyone to the infestation site. A Richmond city manager was quoted saying:
“I have not and do not intend to send anyone down there to pick it (refuse) up when it has bed bugs,” --- excerpts @richmondregister.com
However, city commissioners have been meeting to find a solution to keep the infestations from affecting neighbors. Some of the options the commissioners are looking into include, spraying the furniture with pesticides, charging homeowners a pick up fee, and consulting with the Department of Agriculture.
While the city’s main goal is to quickly resolve the issue without causing any harm, there are several concerns that need to be addressed in order to properly handle the situation.
According to Jeffrey White, research entomologist for BedBug Central, a critical but common mistake is refusal to acknowledge the and not act proactively in removing the infested furniture.
“People refusing to engage in proactive efforts to restrict the spread of bed bugs is a worrying and unacceptable trend,” said White. “While it may take to time to develop an actionable plan, refusing to do anything is simply not a viable or responsible option.”
White acknowledges that there are several cost-effective strategies the city can pursue such as: providing Tyvec suits for its sanitation workers or wrapping the furniture in plastic before discarding it. He also suggested the city reference the procedures of other locations dealing with bed bugs including New York and Ocean City, MD where government officials implemented laws. Homeowners in these areas have to wrap any unwanted furniture in plastic before placing it outside for trash.
Currently pesticide use is one of the most popular choices for pest treatments. While using chemical pesticides may be the most cost effective way, there are many requirements and considerations that come along with its usage, regarding who’s applying the pesticides.
The widespread application of pesticides on public streets could also result in chemical run off or improper handling and transporting of the chemicals. White also said that pesticides aren’t guaranteed to have an effect on the furniture.
“Just spraying pesticides on the furniture may not kill all the bed bugs, and it may not reach the bed bugs living inside the furniture,” said White.
White considers one of the best actions the city can take besides treating the furniture is educating the public. Educating citizens on bed bugs would not only increase awareness, but it will benefit the city in future cases of bed bugs.
White said educating the public would enable people to recognize bed bugs and report the issue so that early action can be taken. It would also help citizens to comprehend how to avoid bed bugs.
“It’s not just about addressing the furniture, it’s about a public education program,” said White.
Written by: Ashley Reid, Public Relations Intern
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