Bed Bugs Take Manhattan

Call it a coincidence if you want, but I prefer to think of it as excellent timing.

I mean, here we are on the eve of the registration deadline for the New York Pest Expo: Bed Bug Edition, and there couldn’t have been a better commercial for the city’s bed bug problem than there was last night on NBC. I’m talking, of course, about the television show 30 Rock.

On last night’s episode, Jack (Alec Baldwin) discovers he’s been victim to the rampant invasion of bed bugs. He can’t even sit in on corporate meetings because of his problem and his company car has been taken away. Instead, he’s forced to take the subway, where he admits to the fellow passengers that he’s in desperate need of medication for bed bugs, but everybody chooses to ignore him.

Throughout the episode, Jack experiences the stigma that comes with having bed bugs. Sure, it’s a humorous take on a serious — and realistic — situation. If you missed last night’s episode, you can view it here on NBC’s website.

Clearly, as this sitcom so pointedly illustrates, New York has a bed bug problem. If you’re a PMP who lives and works in and around New York, then you should be attending next week’s New York Pest Expo: Bed Bug Edition.

Sponsored by Bug Off Pest Control Center and Pest Management Professional magazine, the New York Pest Expo: Bed Bug Edition will feature bed bug experts Dr. Mike Potter from the University of Kentucky and Dr. Dini Miller from Virginia Tech.

I promise you, you don’t want to miss this event. As I said before, the registration deadline is tomorrow, so you’d better hurry to sign up if you haven’t already.

In fact, go here and register, then go here and watch 30 Rock.

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Class is in Session

Last week, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) closed the book on another successful PestWorld. I can’t imagine anyone who attended the event — pest management professionals (PMPs), suppliers, distributors and industry consultants — left Las Vegas disappointed.

For those of you who regularly follow my blog, Keeping it Simple, you’re already familiar with some of the great pest management products exhibitors were showcasing at their booths (and, for those of you who don’t follow my blog, what’s the matter with you?)

I spent a lot of time last week in the exhibit hall, running from booth to booth with my camera in tow. There could have been another whole day, and I still probably wouldn’t have been able to see it all.

Each night, back in my room at the beautiful Palazzo Hotel & Casino, I posted my thoughts on the exhibits and uploaded the day’s videos. Sure, there were many PMPs in attendance, but many more could not be in Las Vegas for the NPMA’s premier event. Hopefully, thanks to my daily video blogging — or, vlog — everyone was able to get a glimpse of what they missed (and maybe we’ll see you in Hawaii next year).

One regret I have is that I didn’t post much about the fantastic educational sessions that were just as much a part of NPMA’s PestWorld as the exhibit hall. The folks at the NPMA do such a great job every year of putting together classes that are relative, informative and valuable to PMPs.

If you attended the show and missed the educational sessions, shame on you. If you did attend the educational sessions, I hope you’re able to follow through with what you learned and implement something new at your company.

The depth of the educational sessions offered at NPMA’s PestWorld 2009 really made me think. In the past few months alone, I’ve attended some excellent educational opportunities offered to this industry in Arizona, New York and Kentucky (and, unfortunately, missed out on a good one in Illinois).

As the year comes to a close in less than two months, there’s still an opportunity to learn. Next week, in New York, Bug Off Pest Control Center is hosting its annual New York Pest Expo. This year’s event, which Pest Management Professional (PMP) magazine is proud to help sponsor, has taken on a particular pest as its focus: bed bugs.

If it’s true you can never learn too much, then it’s certainly true you can never learn too much about bed bugs. This emerging pest dominates the conversations in every corner of the pest management industry. Even experienced PMPs seem to be searching for answers when it comes to these pests.

The New York Pest Expo: Bed Bug Edition next week will bring PMP magazine’s bed bug editorial series to life, with featured speakers Dr. Mike Potter from the University of Kentucky and Dr. Dini Miller from Virginia Tech. It’s sure to be the can’t-miss bed bug educational program of the year.

Unfortunately, if you haven’t already registered for this event, time is running out. There are still seats available, but you’d better hurry — the registration deadline is Nov. 7.

Please, click here to register for this outstanding event. We truly hope to see you at The Armory in New York next week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post originally appears as my On the Record column on mypmp.net and in the Buzz eNewsletter.

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Fire Ant Frenzy

I read an interesting article last week on the The Virginian-Pilot’s website about fire ants. Seems there are many, many “solutions” to eradicating a fire ant infestation.

Boiling water, grits, gasoline, pesticides — even setting the mounds on fire! — all all methods some homeowners have tried in the past to get rid of these pests.

I won’t recap the entire article for you (you can read it in its entirety by clicking here), but I do want to point out a few interesting tid bits from it.

First, it isn’t until about half-way through the article when a qualified pest expert is quoted. Hamilton Allen, an entomology graduate student at Virginia Tech, notes that growing up, his uncles would pour grits on the mounds or light them on fire. But none of it worked.

Allen is studying the state’s fire-ant problem to help decide which pesticides work best. According to the article, Allen’s goal is to convince the chemical companies to register more of their fire-ant products in the Virginia.

The other thing to note about the article is quite disturbing. It isn’t until the very last two paragraphs that the writer finally quotes someone with the best advice: homeowners should seek professional help.

That tip was offered by Andrea Coron, executive director of the Virginia Pest Management Association.

As I said, that’s the best solution for fire ants out of the many mentioned in the article. It’s a shame the writer didn’t include that earlier in the piece.

Sure, as the final item in the article, it’s a takeaway. But, how many homeowners are going to simply skim the article, missing Coron’s advice, and instead try many of the ineffective — and dangerous — methods listed at the beginning?

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LIVE from the Bed Bug Summit

Good morning, everyone … I’m live at the EPA Bed Bug Summit in Washington DC. The meeting is just about to get underway (on time and everything).

On the agenda this morning are speakers from the EPA, New Mexico Dept. of Agriculture, B ob Rosenberg from the NPMA, a representative for Congressman G.K. Butterfield and the Honorable Joan Quigley from the New Jersey General Assembly.

Let the Summit begin …

First update (9:11 a.m.)

The crowd is quite diverse, with representatives from several different industries. But, as the opening remarks remind us, the bed bug problem has brought us all together to help develop a solution.

Jeff Blair, from Florida State University, is facilitating the Summit. After his welcome, Blair reminded all in attendance that this meeting is being held under the auspices of EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee.

No advertising or solicitation of products or services are allowed at this meeting. The purpose of this morning’s agenda is to learn perspectives, basics, control methods and challenges of bed bugs.

This afternoon, attendees will be broken into small groups to identify significant factors contributing to the bed bug problem, identify and discuss options and solutions and indentify workgroup recommendations.

Second update (9:40 a.m.)

Bed Bug Basics — Why they are a problem now.

That’s the topic for the first discussion of the morning. Speakers included Harold Harlan from the Armed Forces Pest Management Board, Dini Miller from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Bill Brogdon from the CDC.

Harlan noted that pest management strategies have undergone vast changes in the past 30 years. Bed bugs, essentially, disappeared from the Western world but have suddenly reappeared thanks in part to increased travel and trade.

Harlan also outlined some basic biology of bed bugs which, while it may be basic to those of us in the pest management industry, was helpful to those in attendance from other industries. Worth noting is that bed bugs typically detect and avoid many chemicals.

Miller started off with an interesting comment, “We should not be surprised at the bed bug resurgence, we should be amazed that we managed a 50-year reprieve.”

The industry has learned a great deal about bed bugs in just the last three years. Miller noted that many pest management professionals (PMPs) didn’t know which products worked on bed bugs and as a result, bed bugs were ineffectively treated like cockroaches.

Safe to say, that is not the case today. As Miller made clear, great strides have been made by the industry to learn about bed bugs and develop effective means of bed bug elimination.

Third update (9:46 a.m.)

Miller’s presentation, while informative and interesting, was unfortunately cut short because of the time constraints of the program.

I realize this is a big topic and many in attendance don’t have the kind of information we in the pest management industry have, but I believe it is a disservice to those in attendance to have so many people speaking in such a small time-frame.

Looking forward to hearing what information Rick Cooper of Cooper Pest Solutions, Mike Potter from the University of Kentucky and Greg Baumann from the NPMA can possibly convey in just 10 minutes each.

Why so little time for each speaker? Is it because, when an event is put on by a government agency, everyone needs to have a chance to speak (no matter how small of a chance)?

Fourth update (10 a.m.)

Tom Neltner, from the National Center for Healthy Housing, talked about the physical, mental and economic affects of bed bugs on housing.

He notes that, while research shows that bed bugs do not carry infectious disease, that research is old and bed bug butes can be a site for secondary infections.

Mentally, people want to feel safe and secure at home and bed bugs violate that need. As a result, some people will go out and buy any chemical and misuse it to try and kill those bed bugs.

Who’s at fault? Who pays? Resident vs. Landlord and Resident vs. Resident … this is one of the biggest questions housing officials are dealing with (similar to cockroaches and rodents).

“People who are the least able to afford extermination are at the highest risk for poor health outcomes as a result,” Neltner said. “This is a good time for Federal agencies to take a leadership role on this issue.”

Fifth update (10:08 a.m.)

Interesting … many speakers, short speeches, jam-packed agenda and yet, it seems we’re ahead of schedule. So, Blair has opened the floor up for “clarifying questions” on the topics we just heard.

Question: What is the main reason for the resurgence?

Answer: Most introductions are not documented, so it’s hard to say.

Sixth Update (10:37 a.m.)

Current Control Methods and Challenges — 10 minutes each from Cooper, Potter and Baumann.

Cooper noted that there continues to be a major lack of public awareness of bed bugs. Bed bugs are not in readily detectable locations … headboards should be checked first, he says.

“The longer an infestation goes undetected, the more complex the problem becomes,” Cooper said. “Bed bugs and their eggs could be anywhere and everywhere.”

This is the type of information the general public needs to know. In order for you, PMPs, to be effective in dealing with bed bugs, you need cooperation from your customers. I think his (short) presentation went a long way in educating attendees about the need for public awareness of the problem.

Potter focused his (short) presentation on informing attendees on what the industry is doing, as far as research, to solve the bed bug problem.

He questioned why bed bugs are not considered a public health concern, because they once were. He noted the recent JAMA article, Bed Bugs Are Pesky, But Not Harmful, is a disservice to this very real problem.

Seventh update (10:50 a.m.)

Baumann gave a perspective on bed bugs from your industry, the professional pest management industry (and he’s certainly qualified).

A big challenge in bed bug management is the financial resources, Baumann said.

“Since bed bug work is time consuming, the work might create sticker shock,” he said. “This isn’t just a quick once and done.”

PMPs have the tools, but cannot depend on only one type of technology.

The NPMA, Baumann says, is doing all they can to “spread the word” and help educate the public about bed bugs as well as providing the latest information to the industry.

Baumann reiterated that the NPMA takes a four-pronged approach: Education, research, new products and communications.

Time for a break …

Eighth update (11:25 a.m.)

After a short break (10 minutes, just like all the presentations), the Summit shifted gears and focused on how public health officials view bed bug infestations.

Mike Herring, from the U.S. CDC, noted that they’re trying to educate the public and public health officials on integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.

Educational links to these topics are available on the CDC’s Web site.

Camille Jones, from the Cincinnati Health Department (who’ve seen its share of bed bug infestations lately) said the city received very few bed bug complaints prior to 2007.

Due to a city budget crisis, funding for inspections have been cut and Jones expects the number of infestations to rise in 2009.

Educational outreach. This is a topic that has come up again and again today. Educational outreach … the more people are educated about bed bugs and bed bug infestations, the easier it will be to deal with the problem.

What is it called when you have an educational meeting on a topic, where all you talk about is how people need to be educated on that topic? Is that irony?

Think about it … over and over, everyone says that educating the public on bed bugs will help you do your job. So, why aren’t you (the expert) going out there and educating your customers (and future customers)?

A localized public relations campaign isn’t an expensive or difficult thing to start, but it will go a long way in helping your business. OK, I’m a former PR guy, so I’ll get off my soapbox now. Back to the Summit …

Ninth Update (11:39 a.m.)

“Clearly, bed bugs are on the rise,” said Sharon Heath, from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

That’s a bit of an understatement. Yes, New York has seen a huge resurgence of bed bug infestations, like everywhere else.

“IPM is still the best approach to tackling bed bug infestations,” she said.

What is the role of public health agencies? According to Heath, it’s prevention through public education.

Hmm, I’m detecting a theme. I’m not trying to sound like a broken record about, what I view as, the ineffectiveness of limiting each speaker to only 10 minutes, but … If you ask me, one problem with having so many people give presentations in such a short amount of time, is that you’re going to have a lot of repetition.

“Choosing a really good pest management company can be difficult for the public,” Heath said. “Entrance requirements for pest management professionals are set too low, leading to a race to the bottom in costs and services.”

Sarah Norman, from the Baltimore City Health Department, relayed a similar story about the rise in bed bug infestations in Baltimore.

“It’s clearly spreading house to house, neighbor to neighbor,” she said.

Norman suggest that responding to bed bugs needs to be a team effort between tenants, landlords, health departments, PMPs and neighbors. Communication and education is the key.

Public health officials are willing to help you educate the public on the truths and myths of bed bugs. Are you willing to help them educate the public?

Tenth update (11:47 a.m.)

Hey, this Summit is being put on by the EPA, isn’t it? Yes, it is. Time for its portion of the program: Government Response to Bed Bugs.

On the docket is Lois Rossi and Kevin Sweeney from the EPA, Leroy Ferguson from HUD, Steve Dwinell from the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Matt Beal from the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture (yay, Ohio!).

Eleventh update (11:56 a.m.)

Education, training, information … these are the things the EPA can do when it comes to bed bugs, according to Rossi. What else?

“Work with experts and industry to explore options for new pesticide chemistry, surveillance and detection methods and innovated approaches to bed bug control.”

Sweeney talked about insecticides and other tools for bed bug management.

“All new and existing bed bug products must be effective,” he said.

Really?

He also encourages the industry to consider existing agricultural pesticide active ingredients for their potential in bed bug control programs.

The EPA, he says, has worked with a number of other organizations (NPMA among them) on green programs and IPM.

Twelfth update (12:16 p.m.)

Pesticide risk management and consumer fraud protection are two areas of concern for state regulators, Dwinell said.

PMPs are under pressure to solve the problem and, as a result, may experiment with different pesticide applications.

I’m sure that statement can’t be true of our readers … you’re true pest management professionals (PMPs). Sadly, though, there are many PCOs out there on their own, conducting dangerous experiments.

The increase in 25 (b) products — exempt from registration — may be one of the most dangerous threats to public health, Dwinell notes.

Beal joked about what could he possibly say about bed bugs that we haven’t already heard today. You do have to have a good sense of humor if you’re the last speaker before breaking for lunch.

“We don’t know how bad the infestations are,” he said. But, they’re working with PMPs to get a handle on the situation so they can do everything they can to help.

PMP Hall of Famer Norman Goldenberg, from Terminix, just asked the panel to define fumigation. Great “clarifying question,” Norm.

That’s it, time for a real break (not this 10 minute stuff). I’ll start a new thread/blog post for this afternoon’s sessions (which start with breakout sessions at 2 p.m.).

Stay tuned, blog readers, and thanks for reading.

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