Posts Tagged ‘CDC’

CDC issues a Health Alert for Bed Bug pesticides.

“Health Concerns About the Misuse of Pesticides for Bed Bug Control” As a member of PESP I wanted to share this, It  is a must read article on scams and pesticide use for Bed Bugs! Also here is some additional information they have posted in that article.

Important phone numbers and Web sites

If you believe you or a family member has become ill from a pesticide exposure:

Call your local poison control center: 1-800-222-1222, your local hospital emergency room, or the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.  You can also call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Information Line at 1-800-CDC-INFO for information about pesticides.

If you believe your pet has become ill from a pesticide exposure:

Contact your local veterinarian or call the National Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.

I will add one more important item from my list – Before hring anyone check them out: Within the last week I have had an opportunity to bid against someone who quoted a price of $150 for a 3 bedroom house – my price was over $1000. I also believe that they intended to only use pesticides – it is my opinion that this will not work in all circumstances and again I also believe it is important for people to understand about the use of pesticides within homes.

The Battle Wages ON against Bed Bugs…

The EPA, CDC,  USDA and ProBest Pest Management all agree that bed bugs are a public health pest.  Many have experienced the lawsuits, legislation, and desperation that these insects can cause.

Know your enemy.  Several years into their resurgence and bed bugs are showing no signs of retreat.  There is no magic bullet, no quick fix.  But there are effective weapons and IPM strategies that can defeat this pest. Clutter gives these critters the hiding places they need to survive and sanitation is the key to a successful treatment protocol.

This. Means. War.

There are many options available these days to the Pest Management Professional, (such as the Verifi monitoring and detection device) so please don’t panic and consider your options when choosing a professional to handle your Bed Bug issues.

Bed Bugs – Don’t PANIC!

The September 23, 2011 edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), an official publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published a new study (Acute Illness Associated With Insecticides Used to Control Bed Bugs – Seven States, 2003 – 2010) detailing a seven-year study, which examined 111 cases of acute illness associated with insecticides.

This article from the New York Times “Panic Over Bedbugs Can Create More Health Risks Than Their Bites” by ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS and WILLIAM NEUMAN stated “The most common reasons for poisoning were excess use of insecticide, failure to wash or change bedding that had been treated with pesticide, and failure to notify the people living in the home that the pesticides had been applied.”

“If consumers are concerned by the issues raised in the recent study offered by MMWR, the National Pest Management Association http://www.pestworld.org encourages them to consult with a qualified and licensed pest professional, experienced in bed bug control, to discuss these concerns as well as the proactive and preventative measures they can take to minimize their risk for encountering bed bugs. More importantly, by working with a pest professional, consumers can ensure that their bed bug problem is properly identified and treated effectively and efficiently.”

Why bring this up and promote Panic? My intention is to bring awareness to the alarm of Do It Yourself tactics. I realize this is an issue with extreme concern for families, neighbors and businesses. If you encounter a problem please consult a pest management professional and explain the issues, often they will work with you. ProBest Pest Management uses steam and limited amounts of insecticidal dust hidden in the wall voids and crack and crevices.

As always if you do it yourself (I advise against it) – please read and follow all Label and MSDS instructions. Two of these cases involved the over use of foggers (9) and using the insecticide on their skin (not labeled). Please use caution!

Warning – this post may not be suitable for children -Man contracts insect-borne virus and sexually transmits to wife from DigitalJournal.com A biologist on a research project in Senegal was bitten numerous times by mosquitoes and returned home where later it was discovered that his wife had similar symptoms -according to a study published on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The National pesticide Information Center at Oregon state University has launched a new comprehensive website on pesticides and integrated pest management (link here) and here is a Spanish version (link here).

This site is chalk full of great information and resources and it even gives area extension office across the U.S.