RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Bob’s Discount Furniture Gets Bitten by Bedbug Ruling

Bob’s Discount Furniture could be on the hook for allegedly selling a bedbug-infested bedroom set.

A customer brought suit against the retailer after an exterminator found bedbugs harboring in the frame of the customer’s daughter’s bed.

A federal judge ruled in favor of Bob’s, but the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a remand, finding that the judge had erred by preventing the exterminator from testifying as an expert witness.

“This opinion evidence, coupled with evidence that the defendant had no written policy regarding the prevention of bedbugs and that it used the same trucks for both delivering new furniture and retrieving used furniture, is sufficient to support a conclusion that the defendant delivered bedbugs along with the bedroom set,” Judge Bruce M. Selya wrote for the 1st Circuit.

The 21-page decision is Downey, et al. v. Bob’s Discount Furniture Holdings, Inc., Lawyers Weekly No. 01-010-11.

SOURCE = The Docket (Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly)

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Waldorf Astoria is Haven for Bedbugs! Md. Tourist Third to Sue Famed Hotel for Bloodsucker 'Attack'

A Maryland woman is suing the Waldorf Astoria for $10 million because, she says, she awoke at the fancy hotel and found bedbugs all over her body.

Svetlana Tendler is the third tourist since last year to sue the famed Park Ave. hotel over a nasty encounter with the tiny bloodsuckers.

"I felt like I was eaten alive by bedbugs, which have attacked my body," she said.

Tendler, her husband, Jacob, and their two kids stayed at the hotel in August 2007, the suit says.

One morning, she awoke to a nasty bedbug attack.

Photographs released by her lawyer, Anna Carley, show bites on Tendler's arms and legs.

"The defendants did nothing to assist plaintiff, Svetlana Tendler, in treatment of ... bed bites or fumigation of [her] luggage," says the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Tendler, of Owings Mill, Md., initially filed a summons against the hotel in August.

She filed a new, detailed complaint this week.

A Michigan woman who says bedbugs attacked her during a family vacation sued the hotel in November.

The hotel also was sued in October by a woman whose 6-year-old daughter said she was victimized by bedbugs during a visit last February.

Hilton Worldwide, which owns the Waldorf Astoria, declined to comment.

Source = NY Daily News

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Thanks again to the University Kentucky and their great research on bedbugs! Here you can see the most common bedbug hiding spots. After 30 days the bedbugs branch off and wander. This wandering happens even more after 60-90 days. This means that they will get into voids and other areas. It is absolutely vital to have an inspection early on in the infestation. The longer you wait the worse the problem gets.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Click on Image to Enlarge

There are things that we see in our industry that are pest impressive to down right jaw dropping disgusting. This fits both those tags!

Here is the story...

40 unit commercial apartment building. Report of bedbugs in two units on two floors. I get there and find both units were positive for bedbugs, just minor activity. After questioning the two tenants plus the superintendent there was nothing conclusive as to why they had bedbugs. Best to inspect abutting units to see if there is anything else going on. I asked to get into unit “3-A” to which the superintendent responded “Joe has lived there for 15yrs and has never once complained about pests or anything.”

I replied, “Exactly the reason why I need to get in there.” The second “Joe” opened the door we found the epicenter of the bedbug problem. There was not ONE SQUARE INCH of the apartment that did not have bedbugs!!! This was a problem that was at least 3yrs old if not longer.

The picture you see is his comforter with tons of live bedbug, eggs, cast skins, fecal matter, etc. YEARS WORTH! Needless to say he was causing bedbugs in adjoining units, even more proof that pests don’t know property lines! This was a perfect example of your neighbors pest issue becoming yours. EHS brought in our K-9 bedbug detection team to sweep all 40 units. What started as two units with bedbugs became six units with confirmed bedbugs. No worries, EHS eliminated the bedbugs.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Thanks to the University of Kentucky & their fantastic department of entomology we get amazing technical data like this. What you see is a 1st stage bedbug (nymph) actually feeding. Notice how small and opaque it is? That quickly changes as it takes its blood meal and becomes that mahogany red color. In the 1st Nymphal stage they are small enough to fit through a zipper!

It takes bedbugs anywhere from 3-15 minutes to feed or until full. This video was sped up so the feeding effect can be seen from start to finish in a short period of time.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA