“Berrien County forming bedbug task force” |
| Berrien County forming bedbug task force Posted: 12 Feb 2011 07:10 AM PST February 12. 2011 6:59AM  Text Alerts: Get Local breaking news sent to your phone. Sign up here. Tribune Staff Writer ST. JOSEPH — The old saying "don't let the bedbugs bite" has renewed meaning in communities across the country. Locally, Berrien County Health Officer Mike Mortimore said this week the county is forming a task force to deal with bedbug infestation. The group will consist of housing inspectors from the various townships, as well as hotel managers and school officials. Although roughly the size of an apple seed, the pests have been wreaking havoc on homes, he said.
Mortimore said the task force will deal with a number of the questions the public may have regarding bedbugs, which are about 4 millimeters long and visible to the naked eye. What are bedbugs? How do you know you have them? If you have them, how do you get rid of them? And how do you pay for it? Those are just a few of the concerns Mortimore said he believes the county will be better able to answer as the weeks go by. Although he didn't go into specific locations, Mortimore said the health department has been fielding calls from the "north to south part of the county." When the calls come in, the county firsts asks for an address and checks to see if there are clusters forming in certain areas. The county already is distributing a manual about bedbugs, but urged people to call the health department if they are experiencing problems. "We feel we're on the front edge of the issue," he said. "They're not going away in the near future. You'll see more and more of it." At this time, Mortimore said, there is nothing in place to help with the cost, although that could change. He said a rough estimate to fix a bedbug infestation is about $1 per square foot. If you rent or lease a home, call your landlord immediately, he said. In some instances, the bedbugs are isolated to one area or room; in others they have infested the entire house. The bedbugs are often brought into the home through clothing, bags or furniture. Hotels and athletic clubs are common places where they are contracted. According to the Michigan Bed Bug Working Group, the bugs are active at night and can usually be seen along the seams of mattresses. They can feed on human blood, causing irritating, itchy bite reactions and anxiety. One of the best ways to detect if you may have them is if you have three or four bites grouped together on your legs, back or arms. If you have them in your home, it is suggested — after calling the proper authorities — that you remove clutter that could provide hiding places for the bugs, and wash all bedding in hot water. After you vacuum, dispose of the vacuum bag outside. The Berrien County Health Department can be contacted at 269-926-7121 or www.bchdmi.org. Staff writer Tom Moor: This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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