Bed Bug Blog

COLUMBUS — Ohio wants the federal government to allow an industrial insecticide to be used in homes to fight bedbugs, tiny bloodsucking insects that continue to be a problem here and in other states.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is seeking an emergency exemption that would allow the use of Propoxur, which is used in commercial buildings, on crops and in flea and tick collars for pets, said Matt Beal, the agency’s assistant chief.

“We are in dire straits, and we need help,” he said.

The request was filed Oct. 23 with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Propoxur, which can cause nausea and vomiting if swallowed, was removed from home use in the 1990s. Walmart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, asked its suppliers in 2006 to phase out products made with Propoxur.

But Propoxur may be worth revisiting because bedbugs are becoming resistant to many products used today, said Richard Pollack, a public health entomologist at Harvard University.

“If used wisely and against the right kind of pest, then I think it will probably offer far more benefit than risk,” he said.

A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for the EPA in Washington, D.C.

Locally, Cole Manor’s 152 apartments, which are run by the Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority, were treated for bedbugs in August.

Bedbugs are nocturnal insects about the size of an apple seed. Though the bugs are not known to carry any diseases, their bites leave behind itchy red bumps.

The creatures have become a growing problem in recent years, most notably in dormitories on college campuses, including Ohio State University and the University of Florida.

Health officials in Franklin County, which includes Columbus, say they have collected reports of hundreds of infestations in the past year.

About 70 percent of hotels in the county have had bedbug infestations, said Paul Wenning, special projects coordinator with the Franklin County Board of Health.

Bedbugs are generally controlled by washing sheets, thoroughly cleaning infested rooms and use a powerful vacuum to remove bed bugs from cracks and crevices. In some cases, exterminators use pesticides.

Author: Springfield News-Sun Associated Press

posted by There are no bugs on me...  # 3:14 PM