RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Local Man Burns Mattress, Claims Bed Bug Infestation

Health inspectors found no evidence of bed bugs in rooms at the Franklin Motel even after an alleged infestation caused a local man to burn a mattress.

The man, Fred Fehrmann, 48, of Marshalltown, burned the mattress after a coworker called him to the motel for assistance, and he and his wife discovered the mattress was rife with bed bugs.

Tuesday's incident marks the third accusation of bed bugs at the motel, 1108 Iowa Ave. W., since May 31, according to Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Inspectors found no evidence of bed bugs in any of the three inspections.

Still, Laura Fehrmann, Fred's wife, tells a different story.

When she and her husband went over to aid the coworker, she said, she couldn't believe how bad the parasitic infestation was.

"I was so dumbfounded. I was at a loss for words," she said.

Even after her husband got home from burning the mattress, she made him take his clothes off outside their home and leave them in a bucket of oil, she said.

David Werning, a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, said his department treats every complaint as if it were legitimate and requires the owner to show proof that he or she has called in an exterminator, something Franklin Motel owner, James Hostetter, had not done for the two previous complaints.

After the Thursday inspection, Inspections and Appeals required the owner to provide monthly invoices from a pest control agency showing that he is taking the appropriate measures.

"We aren't taking anyone's word for it," Werning said.

Although the inspector found no evidence of bed bugs, Werning acknowledged that the insects are nocturnal and hard to spot during the day.

Fehrmann said she put her husband up to burning the mattress because she was concerned for the welfare of the residents' 2-year-old child.

"The manager didn't care at all," she said. "He said 'you guys brought them in and you need to take care of them.'"

Franklin Motel's manager declined to comment for this story.

An incident report at the Marshalltown Police Department confirms Fehrmann's husband, Fred, started the fire, which, according to the report, could land him a reckless use of fire charge, a simple misdemeanor.

"It's not legal to burn a mattress," said Fire Marshal Deb Lundgren.

The fire was relatively small, Lundgren said, and only took firefighters a few minutes to extinguish.

As of Friday morning, MPD reports do not indicate police have arrested Fred Fehrmann.

Fehrmann said she and her husband will deal with any consequences. In fact, she was the one who called the police and fire departments. Whatever the fallout it will be a far shot better than letting the family sleep on the floor, which is what she said they had been doing for some time.

"People need to know how bad the situation is," Fehrmann said of the numerous complaints about bed bugs at the motel.

The mattress belonged to the owner of the motel, who is in the process of evicting the couple, Werning said.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

This is happening more and more! The company below is linked to the Massachusetts company that did the same exact illegal actions. They broke the law by using a product inconsistent with its labeling. They used an agricultural-exterior product indoors plus not labeled to be used for bedbugs!!! They also used undocumented citizens (illegal aliens) for the labor.

Bottom line is that if you choose a company based soley on the cheapest price you get what you deserve! Bedbugs require expertise and a company with experience + integrity. That plus you should always check their licenses, references, web site, member of local and national pest management associations, etc. YOU GET THAT PLUS SO MUCH MORE WITH EHS….the industry leader in bedbug elimination.

DEP Fines Newark Company $860K for Using Hazardous Chemicals While Spraying for Bedbugs

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has levied a $860,000 fine against Newark-based TVF Pest Control for “misapplication of hazardous pesticides in residences to control bedbugs” during work done in Jersey City and other locations.

The fine comes on the heels of a DEP investigation last summer that found TVF used chemicals not appropriate for indoor use in at least 50 residences and apartments in Hudson, Essex, Hudson and Union counties between January and June 2010.

In addition to the main fine, the DEP is looking to permanently revoke TVF’s pesticide business license and the individual applicator licenses for owner Josimar Ferreira and employee Javier Godoy. The DEP also has charged TVF $10,625 for the cost of the department’s chemical sampling in this matter, and levied a $10,000 penalty against TVF corporate officer Marta Braga for an applicator licensing violation. TVF and the individuals may continue to operate pending the outcome of an administrative hearing, provided a request for a hearing is filed with DEP within 35 days.

“This is an issue of public health and welfare,” DEP commissioner Bob Martin says in a statement. “The DEP is sending a strong and clear message in this case that when companies put residents at risk by intentionally misusing pesticides in dealing with bedbugs they will be dealt with severely.”

The DEP’s investigation, which began after Massachusetts officials told DEP officials that TVF was the subject of a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) probe in that state, found that the company was spraying Malathion and Carbaryl inside homes and apartments, both of which are hazardous chemicals not approved for indoor use.

“We want pest control companies and individuals to address the bedbug problem in a safe, responsible manner,” Martin says. “They should use only registered pesticides and employing smart, approved housekeeping practices and non-pesticide techniques to control the troubling insects.”

In announcing the fines, the DEP points out that New Jersey residents have the right to obtain notification information from companies to identify chemicals used to control pests in their residences.

“The DEP urges residents to arm themselves with information about pesticides used in their homes,” DEP assistant commissioner for compliance and enforcement Wolf Skacel says in a statement. “Also, we are cautioning that pesticides can only be used in strict accordance with the product label. Persistent bedbug problems sometimes prompt companies or desperate residents to use substances that can create hazardous situations, leading to potential health problems that are far more serious than bedbug bites.”

If TVF has applied liquid spray to control bedbugs in your residence prior to July 2010 and no one has contacted you yet, the DEP wants to hear from you immediately at 609-984-6513 (or 609-984-6914 for Spanish speakers).

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Bug Bombs No Match for Bed Bugs, OSU Research Reports

Over-the-counter "foggers" or "bug bombs" may do little to kill bed bugs if they're already infesting your home, according to new research from scientists at The Ohio State University.

Over-the-counter "foggers" or "bug bombs" may do little to kill bed bugs if they're already infesting your home, according to new research from scientists at The Ohio State University.

The study appears in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology, a peer-reviewed publication of the Entomological Society of America. "There has always been this perception and feedback from the pest-management industry that over-the-counter foggers are not effective against bedbugs and might make matters worse," Susan Jones, an urban entomologist with the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and a household and structural pest specialist with Ohio State University Extension, said in a prepared statement.

"But up until, now there has been no published data regarding the efficacy of foggers against bedbugs."

Here's what the study, in part, concluded, according to the news release: Jones and research associate Joshua Bryant evaluated three different fogger brands obtained from a nationwide retailer, all of which have pyrethroids as their active ingredient. Only one of the foggers is specifically labeled against bedbugs. The other two are labeled for use against flying and crawling pests in homes, but can be used to treat bedbugs in many states, Jones said.

Experiments were conducted in three rooms in a vacant office building on Ohio State's Columbus campus. The researchers used five different bedbug populations collected from homes in Columbus between 2010 and 2011. Additionally, they included the Harlan strain -- which has been laboratory-raised since 1973 and is susceptible to pyrethroids -- as a control.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

When it comes to battling bedbugs in your home, business, condo, school, hospital, apartment complex, etc. there is ONLY one choice and that is EHS!

Environmental Health Services, Inc. is widely known as an industry leader at bedbug elimination.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Bedbugs Take Cheer out of School Trip

A cheerleading squad that checked into the Quality Inn said they found numerous bed bugs and evidence of bed bugs in more than one room. Friday, they drove six hours to the Grand Rapids area for an early Saturday competition and discovered bedbugs in their room.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

The Real Truth About Bed Bugs

Everything you never wanted to hear, but need to know.

Bed bugs are back. Since 2000, bed bug infestations have risen 81 percent, according to The National Pest Management Association. This resurgence has consumers nationwide on high alert, seeking information on the pests and how they can protect themselves.

Gail Getty, a noted entomologist at the University of California Berkley, explains, "Bed bugs and their habits are actually very simple to understand. For the unassuming public, though, differentiating between fact and fiction is becoming ever so difficult with the amount of information available. Understanding the basics is the first line of defense a consumer has against the unwelcomed critters, which can take a toll both financially and emotionally on a victim."

Confirmed Facts:

Bed bugs can be found on bedside alarm clocks.

• True: bed bugs have been known to fester in alarm clocks and other appliances and within dark crevices like coffee makers.

Bed bugs like to hitch rides.

• True: bed bugs can very easily be transferred in suitcases and on clothing, putting travelers at extra-high risk; Bedbugs do have primitive wings, but they cannot fly.

Some people are not affected by bed bugs bites.

• True: Some people do not have a physical reaction to bed bug bites and may be unaware that bed bugs are in their home until they actually see them, but everyone is at risk for having infestations as bed bugs do not discriminate based on socio-economic class.

Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding.

• True: Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding. That is why it is imperative to encase mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® bed bug collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology. Bedding encasements effectively trap bugs that are in and on your mattress and box spring and cut them off from their food source indefinitely.

Insect foggers provide very little control of bed bugs and may even cause the bed bug population to disperse, making control more difficult.

• True: Insect foggers do not effectively control bed bugs. Most insect foggers contain a flammable propellant and some have been associated with accidental fires. The best way to control bed bug problems is to contact a pest professional, who will help with vacuuming, and steaming, laundering belongings, sealing areas and gaps where bed bugs can hide and encasing mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology.

Bed bugs reproduce at alarming rates.

• True: Depending on conditions, bed bugs can produce three or four generations in one year; a female can produce one to five eggs a day, which are as big as a pinhead and can hardly be seen.

Myths Debunked:

Bed bugs spread deadly diseases.

• Wrong: Bed bugs do not transmit disease. Bed bug bites, however, can cause allergic reaction in some people similar to a mosquito bite. Frequent scratching of the bite marks or picking the scabs can cause infections. And people with severe and/or repeated infestations can feel anxious, worried or ashamed.

Chemicals/pesticides will kill all bed bug stages.

• Wrong: It is difficult to kill all bed bugs with only a pesticide application. Successful treatment depends on an Integrated Pest Management approach to bed bug control which involves, vacuuming, and steaming, laundering belongings, sealing areas and gaps where bed bugs can hide, homeowner, tenant, manager education and encasing mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology. Do not use home remedies such as kerosene.

I can get rid of bed bugs by leaving my house empty for a few weeks.

• Wrong: Adult bed bugs can live as long as twelve months without a meal, so a long vacation won't provide you with relief. The only way to deal with the problem is to treat it directly and monitor results over the long haul.

Bed bugs feed off of dirt and other grime.

• Wrong: Bed bugs feed on the blood of human beings and other animals such as dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice.

Bed bugs are mostly found in beds OR found in shelters; only poor people or dirty people get them.

• Wrong: They're found close to where they feed. Typically they're found in a bed mattress, box spring, bed frames and around the bed. They're also found in electric outlets, switches and behind pictures. Bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, dormitories, apartments, condos, private homes, and even in public places, such as retail stores, movie theaters, businesses and offices. Anyone can get bed bugs.

Bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye.

• Wrong: The adult is about the size of an apple seed. The eggs and baby or nymph is about 1 mm long, almost entirely white and difficult to see with the naked eye. The nymph turns red as it feeds and fills with blood, making them easier to see.

Bed bugs come out only at night.

• Wrong: It's true that they are more active at night and in the early morning, but bed bugs sense the heat and carbon dioxide given off by humans and therefore may come out at any time of day.

Bed bug bites are easily felt.

• Wrong: You do not feel a bed bug biting because they inject their saliva first which contains an anesthetic, numbing chemical and an anti-clotting agent so your blood flows freely.

Walking into a room that has bed bugs means you will get bed bugs.

• Wrong: They spend 90% of their time hiding and are usually active at night. Bed bugs avoid light and do not like to be disturbed. So you will not necessarily walk away with bed bugs just by being in a room that has them.

If you have bed bugs you need to throw away infested clothing and furniture.

• Wrong: Clothing can be laundered to get rid of bed bugs. In most cases furniture can be treated and should only be discarded if there are no acceptable treatments that can rid them of bed bugs.

It's too cold where I live for bed bugs!

• Wrong: Even in the coldest climates bed bugs can still thrive. For starters, most bed bug infestations are located indoors. Bed bugs only need to be transported for short periods of time on clothing or luggage to find a new home to infest.

Sleeping in a metal bed will protect you from bed bugs.

• Wrong: Having a metal bed will not protect you from bed bugs. In some scenarios a metal bed may actually make it harder to detect a bed bug infestation because the hollow tubing of a metal bed is a great place for bed bugs to hide. The best way to prevent and control bed bug problems in beds is to encase mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors.

You can't get bed bugs from your neighbor.

• Wrong: Bed bug migration from one home or apartment to another is actually more common than most people think. In apartments or shared housing such as condos, the risk of migration is even higher. Bed bugs can travel through tiny cracks in the wall, through connected vents or spaces, or in the seams of floor boards or the edges of carpet. They have even been shown to travel out a front door, down the hall and into a neighboring apartment.

Bed bug bites all look the same.

• Wrong: They can be small and red or bigger like welts. Some people don't react at all to a bed bug bite. It is almost impossible to diagnose a bed bug problem solely on the presence of bites on a human host.

SOURCE: PRNewswire

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

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