Source:  The Toronto Star

It’s nice to see Manny Osborne-Paradis hasn’t let it get to him, this whole business of being the first man out of the starting gate for Canada at the home-game Olympics.

He might or might not win Canada’s first medal of these Olympic Games when the real racing begins Saturday with the men’s downhill (2:45 p.m. ET), weather permitting, but if he doesn’t it won’t be because the pressure got to him. Because nothing seems to get to him except, maybe, those damned bedbugs.

There was Osborne-Paradis on Thursday, after squeezing in another training run on a shortened version of the Dave Murray Course, laughing and joking with reporters again, this time about the bedbugs that have nested in the private local condos where the Canadian skiers are staying. No one is giving out the top-secret location, naturally, except perhaps to a fumigator.

Earlier this week, he woke up with the itch and was scratching away even as he stood at the start gate for a training run. So he has washed the sheets and taken precautions and perhaps wondering why he got the lucky bed and teammate Robbie Dixon, sleeping five feet away, escaped the critters. He thought it wise to add, in case others were listening, “I have a girlfriend. I want to make it clear I’m not going around sleeping in any other rooms.”

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Bed Bug Resource: As predicted bed bugs would be an issue at the Olympics, to what extent we still do not know.  If Sydney was any indication of what is to come for Vancouver then the pest control companies in the Lower Mainland are going to be busy.  The question is, will hotels and purveyors of accommodation be proactive or reactive to the situation?  Should they choose the later the spread of bed bugs is imminent.

Tags: Olympics, Vancouver

The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene has released a PDF brochure entitled; Preventing and Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Safely.

You can download it by clicking here (2MB PDF).

Tags: NYC Health

Bed Bug Symposium

Bed bug infestations are on the rise and increasingly showing up in virtually any concentrated public area, including hotels, homes, apartments, shelters, and public transportation—to name a few. In response to this public health threat, CPMA and the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations have put together the Bed Bug Symposium, Friday, March 5. This one-day meeting is geared toward anyone working in the hotel/motel industry, campus facility maintenance, hospitals, nursing homes, furniture rental companies, federal and provincial governments, etc. From identifying bed bugs to public affairs issues and the legal ramifications, we have gathered internationally recognized experts on the bed bug issue to provide management tips, both preventative and corrective, to help you make informed decisions and stay out of the newspaper – and the courtroom.

The Bed Bug Symposium is taking place in conjunction with Pest Management Canada, but is a separate program. It is not necessary to register for the full convention to attend the Bed Bug Symposium. However, if you are registered as a full attendee, you can attend the Bed Bug Symposium without paying an additional fee. Please refer to the registration form for the registration rates or visit www.pestworldcanada.net for online registration.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Keynote Presentation:

The Reality of Bed Bugs

Dr. Dini Miller, Virginia Polytechnic

Institute State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Bed bugs are back and in recent years, property managers and the hospitality industry went from never having seen a bed bug to now being a common occurrence. Keynote speaker, Dini Miller, will discuss reasons for resurgence, current status of infestations, legal and psychological effects, public health aspects, and the role of the pest management professional. Identification, inspection and prevention tips will be provided, along with suggestions for dealing with incidents and staying out of the media.

10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Industry Challenges
Representatives from the Canadian Pest Management Association (CPMA) and the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA)

Bed bugs are one of the most challenging pests to control and they cannot be viewed as just another bug – the control strategy is a process rather than just a single task. This session will cover specific issues related to bed bug management, including the legal, regulatory and public health consequences of a bed bug infestation. At the conclusion of this session, you will be provided with guidance on how to select an experienced pest professional.

2 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Developing an Action Plan

Sean Rollo

There is an overwhelming need for a bed bug action plan, yet there is no national formula available. Sean will walk you through inspection techniques, what to do when an incident arises, communicating with customers, develop and implement an action plan, ongoing monitoring and prevention, and resources available. This session will give you the guidance you need to maximize your efficiency while minimizing your time spent on research.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Ask the Experts

Panel discussion with representatives from the Canadian Pest Management Association, the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations and other pest management professionals

Our panel of experts is available to answer your questions in a forum designed for an open discussion. Want your question to be anonymous? No problem. Throughout the day, you will have the option of discretely submitting written questions. Of course, there will be opportunity for those who wish to ask questions directly. This is where you will be able to get tips from the experts and have them expand on the day’s educational program, as well as share your specific story.

Tags: CPMA, Dini Miller, Ottawa, Sean Rollo, symposium

Source:  Winnipeg Free Press

The City of Winnipeg is warning the public it may use chemicals to control “structural pests” such as bedbugs and cockroaches in public places this year.Under the terms of the city’s environmental licence, Winnipeg’s insect control branch must issue a public notice before it applies pesticides to public places.

So earlier this week, the city issued a notice it may use the insecticides bendiocarb, cypermethrin, permethrin and hydramethylnon to kill bugs if the insect control branch discovers any in city-owned properties.

The city issues the same warning every January, regardless of whether there are any actual infestations, said city entomologist Taz Stuart.

“I don’t want to cause panic,” said Stuart, who calls the warning a routine notice that would pave the way for any spraying or baiting of bedbugs, roaches, silverfish, ants, termites or wasps. “All of these fun little things full under the category of structural pest control.”

Ants may be the most common “structural pest” in Winnipeg. Several species expand their colonies every June and make brief forays into buildings, Stuart said.

Wasps are also commonly found in city buildings, while the other pests are less common. The city had a termite infestation in at least one location in the mid-1990s, Stuart said.

There have been no reports of bedbugs in city properties, he said, despite the increasing frequency of bedbug infestations around the world.

All but eradicated from public places in developed countries by the mid-20th Century, bedbugs have re-emerged as a public nuisance of near-epidemic proportions because of a combination of factors that includes increased international travel and the more discriminate use of pesticides.

Bedbugs have infested Winnipeg care homes, university dorms and apartment buildings. In other cities, they’ve been found in subway systems, luxury hotel rooms and corporate boardrooms — their presence is not necessarily connected to hygiene.

If you suspect bedbugs have come into contact with you but your home is not infested, there’s an easy way to stop the insects from propagating without having to dispose of any clothes, Stuart said.

“Throw them in the dryer. The heat will kill all stages of the bedbug life cycle, including the eggs,” Stuart said. “Put them in dry and they won’t shrink.”

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Tags: Winnipeg

Wan-Tien Tsai of Rutgers University in New Brunswick presented a Do It Yourself (DIY) bed bug monitor at the Entomological Society of America meeting last week.

Jeff White of Bed Bug TV shows us how the monitor is made.

It seems bed bugs have followed me to my favourite video game; Lord of the Rings Online.

Here are some screenshots of the quest to rid bed bugs from the bed of one of the characters in the game.

Tags: LOTRO

PCT Magazine is hosting a FREE bed bug webinar with Dini Miller on Thursday January 7th, 2010 at 2pm (EST). You will need to register in order to participate (again this is free).

Here is the info from the PCT Article:

Pest management professionals, property managers, facility managers and others throughout the country will join bed bug researcher Dr. Dini Miller, associate professor at Virginia Tech University, for a free interactive Webinar entitled “A Whole-House Approach to Bed Bug Treatments.” Hosted by the PCT Media Group and sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).The Webinar is a unique opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with a comprehensive and efficacious treatment strategy. They will learn more about the need to communicate effectively with residents, which Miller describes as one of the major bed bug treatment challenges she’s observed. Topics to be covered include:

• Fumigation and heat treatments for successful bed bug management.
• Communicating with customers.
• Inspecting for bed bugs.
• How to treat hard-to-reach locations.
• Conducting container fumigations using fumigation chambers for treating household items.
• Breaking the language barrier (including tips for working with Spanish-speaking clientele).
• Case studies: Reviewing successful comprehensive bed bug treatments.
• Looking ahead: the future of comprehensive bed bug control.

CLICK HERE to register.

PCT Media Group is hosting a series of one-hour Webinars – live multimedia events designed to assist its readers in building their businesses. A broad range of industry experts will be featured in these monthly learning sessions.

Tags: Dini Miller, PCT

We are extremely excited to announce that Richard Cooper will be appearing on the Dr. Oz Show along side Dini Miller, Ph.D. as bed bug experts on Friday Nov. 20^th!

You can check out a preview of the segment here: http://www.doctoroz.com/. Just click the “Friday” tab on the right-hand side of the screen. We will send out a link to the full video when it becomes available.

Previously, Dr. Oz was a featured health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for over five seasons, spanning 55 episodes. He is also Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University and directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

As always, thank you for visiting our site and be sure to check out the episode on Friday Nov. 20^th. Show times in your area can be found on the Dr. Oz homepage: http://www.doctoroz.com/.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone developed an iPhone/iTouch app involving bed bugs …

Bed Bug Identifier by Nuvenco LLC

Available via iTunes in the App Store under the Travel section.

Tags: iPhone, iTouch

Source:  cbc.ca

Toronto is experiencing a dramatic spike in the number of bed bug infestations, according to a new report.

The report, funded in part by the city and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term care, found that over an eight-month period in 2008, Toronto Public Health received 1,500 reports of bed bug infestations.

For all of 2003, in comparison, the city’s public health department received 46 such complaints.

The report says a rise in infestations isn’t unique to Toronto — Ontario towns like Ottawa, Owen Sound and London have also been hit. Meanwhile, New York City and even some cities in Australia have reported similar spikes in the past five years.

More than 100 people —including social workers, MPs and landlords — crammed into a conference room at City Hall on Monday to discuss the report’s findings with its authors.

Wide variety affected

Sean Meagher, one of the authors, blamed the increase of infestations on a lack of awareness of how to deal with bed bugs. He said the problem affects a wide variety of dwellings, from university student dormitories to swanky hotels and low-cost rental housing.

Those who have had to deal with infestations have been hit hard, he said.

“People suffering from bed bugs frequently experience shame, fear, isolation and insomnia,” he said.

“Many face serious economic consequences, including loss of income and loss of work. The cost of eradications can run into the thousands of dollars and the replacement of infested household items are also expensive.”

Meagher said the bugs are notoriously durable.

“Bedbugs can live, breed, hatch and carry out their entire lives while still being exposed to … pesticide used for bed bugs. Bed bugs have even shown resistance to DDT.”

‘Psychologically terrorized’

Toronto resident Fionna Blair is one of the unlucky ones to be hit by an infestation.

Two years ago she started getting mysterious bites. She soon found the culprits — bed bugs in her sofa.

“They hide very well and only come out at night,” she said.

It took lots of money, time and energy spent cleaning, fumigating and even caulking the space between walls and baseboards before Blair got rid of the bed bugs. But even now, she can’t be sure they’re all gone.

“They can stay dormant for a year and a half, so they leave you psychologically terrorized … Perhaps you don’t have them, but perhaps they’re just hibernating until they come out again,” she said.

The problem could get out of hand unless the government steps in to co-ordinate the response to the infestation, said Meagher.

“It will impact all parts of our city. And the failure to act will result in wider infestations and more costly responses. Consistent use of best protocols can and will work, but co-ordination and education are needed to make that possible,” he said.

The problem can only be meaningfully solved, he said, through “extensive public education to ensure early identification and the participation of governments, landlords, medical professionals, institutions, as well as residents.”

Tags: Toronto