Chicago vs. Bed Bugs

Readers, we recently had the opportunity to talk about our favorite subject (I’m using the word ‘favorite’ very loosely here, for the record) with the professionals at Smithereen Pest Management, a Chicago-based company that specializes in treating bed bug infestations.  We asked them a ton of questions and we got a ton of really good answers in return.  These people know their stuff!

So listen up, Chicagoans.  Here’s what your local experts have to say about bed bug infestations:

On Bed Bugs in General

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: If you could tell the general public one thing about bed bugs, what would it be?

Smithereen: Bed bugs don’t see social status, they see a blood meal. Anybody and everybody is at risk to have bed bugs.

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Would you like to comment on the stigma associated with bed bugs?

Smithereen: This pest is not associated with cleanliness or social status; it occurs where people occur, all people.  Although there is a stigma associated with bed bugs, we must overcome this perception and realize that anybody and everybody can get bed bugs.

On the Spread of Bed Bugs in the City of Chicago (and elsewhere)

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Can you estimate the increase in calls to Smithereen from Chicagoans in need of service for bed bugs?  Can you give us a comparison between the number of these calls in 2007 and in 2008?

Smithereen: Bed bug jobs increased 3 fold between 2007 and 2008.  This number has been on a steep rise for the past few years.

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Author and biologist Bill Schutt recently told MSNBC “Within the next two or three years, bed bugs are going to elbow termites and roaches out of the way to become the No. 1 pest in the United States.”  Do you believe that this statement is valid?

Smithereen: We agree that bed bugs will be one of the biggest pests of our generation because of the complexity and difficulty of elimination.

On Treatment Procedures

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: How long does an inspection for a bed bug infestation by Smithereen technicians typically take? Is this something customers should consider when hiring a pest management company to treat a bed bug infestation?

Smithereen: From 30 minutes to 90 minutes. It depends on how much “stuff” the occupants have. The inspection is integral and is very thorough since a light infestation of bed bugs can be easy to miss. The eggs and nymphs are difficult to see and bed bugs are secretive and hide in difficult to see areas. A pest management company should provide the customer with information and a list of cooperative steps to be taken before the company starts treatment.

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: What happens if Smithereen’s technicians don’t find evidence of a bed bug infestation upon completion of an initial inspection?  I’ve heard landlords and property managers talk about companies that treat “infestations that don’t exist”.  I think this is a common concern among people who are financially responsible for eliminating bed bug infestations– that they’ll pay a lot of money for a problem that might not exist.

Smithereen: If we don’t find any evidence of bed bugs we will not do a treatment. This is a Smithereen policy and is part of our IPM strategy.

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: We believe that integrated pest management (IPM) plans are the best approach to controlling bed bug infestations.  What tools, besides pesticide application, does Smithereen use to treat bed bug infestations?

Smithereen: IPM is integral to any pest issue, bed bugs included.  We rely on variety traditional methods as well as vacuuming, steam cleaning, thorough dust application, as well as customer cooperation.  We use this battery of tactics to aide in the successful elimination of bed bugs from a unit and we are constantly looking for better methods and protocols.  Since bed bugs are increasingly difficult to control, having as many weapons against them is the course of action that all customers should keep in mind when deciding on a pest management company.  Combating bed bugs takes cooperation, patience, and time.

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Do bed bug infestations typically require more than one treatment?  Does Smithereen automatically return for a follow-up treatment after the initial treatment?

Smithereen: In almost all cases, it will take more than one treatment.  Bed bugs are adapted to be elusive and so it is almost impossible to get them all in the first round. Smithereen automatically does a follow-up inspection with treatment if activity seen. The problem is with the eggs, these can be attached to manner of surfaces and hatch out five days after the original treatment.  If no further activity is recorded Smithereen will not schedule any further treatment.

On “Cloverleafing”

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Smithereen’s Service Agreement For the Treatment of Bed Bugs mentions “cloverleafing”.  What is cloverleafing and why is it important for controlling bed bug infestations in multi-unit dwellings?

Smithereen: Cloverleafing is a process by which we inspect all units that come into contact with the infested unit: above, below, side to side, and kitty corner.  This is invaluable since bed bugs have the ability to move between apartments, we want to be sure we catch all potential infestations early.

On Customer Cooperation

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Smithereen’s Service Agreement for the Treatment of Bed Bugs mentions customer obligations, and includes four pages of instructions for customers to follow in order to prepare for bed bug treatment.  Why is customer participation so important for controlling bed bug infestations?

Smithereen: Customer participation and cooperation are vital in the elimination of bed bugs.  Bed bugs are found not only in the bed but can be in a variety of places within a living space.  Since we cannot treat every possession, we ask our customers to wash, dry, and bag many of their personal belongings before we arrive.

On the Cost of Controlling Bed Bug Infestations

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: Can you tell us why bed bug infestations are so expensive to control?  Why does a thorough, comprehensive treatment plan for bed bug infestations cost so much more than treatment for other pests, like roaches or ants?

Smithereen: The price comes with the time and thoroughness required for the process, as well as the expertise necessary.  This is not an easy problem to solve and most likely will take multiple visits.  It is also important to remember that this is not a sanitation or structural related pest, this is a parasite that occurs where humans occur.

On Saving Money in the Long Run

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: We’ve asserted (many times) that landlords and/or property managers could save themselves a lot of money by contracting with a pest management company that specializes in treating bed bug infestations as soon as a bed bug infestation is reported to them.  Do you agree?

Smithereen: The key to stopping the problem from grabbing hold of any building is to correctly respond to the first outbreak.  Quick competent action will stop the insect from spreading.  It would be wise to hire a company that is experienced in dealing with bed bugs infestations.

On Public Education and Policy

Chicago vs. Bed Bugs: A new bed bug bill was recently introduced by New York’s City Council.  The bill, if passed, would require the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to establish a training program for pest control technicians who treat bed bug infestations.  Do you think the City of Chicago as a whole would benefit from a similar program?

Smithereen: What we think is most beneficial is to have companies that perform bed bug jobs to be the best trained and experienced for the job. We believe any industry training should come predominantly from within the pest control industry, since they have the most practical experience in dealing with the problem. Health Department officials can play a vital part in training the general public how to recognize signs of bed bug infestation and how to correctly respond once the problem has been diagnosed.

And there you have it, folks.  Good information from a pest management company that’s known for getting the job done, and getting it done right.

We thank the experts at Smithereen Pest Management, especially Sara Kantarovich, for their graciousness, their willingness to help us disseminate good information to the public, and for answering every last one of our many, many, many questions.  We really appreciate it!

Believe it or not, Cincinnati’s clearly winning.

Nobugs over at Bedbugger absolutely nailed it today, folks. I saw this article from WLTW.com out of Cincinnati this morning and planned to write about it today, but Nobugs beat me to it, and I’m glad she did. I couldn’t have said it better myself, that’s for sure.

Here’s what the article said:

Dr. Camille Jones, assistant health commissioner for the Cincinnati Health Department, said the city’s bed bugs have gained fame not because its problem is worse than other cities, but because local officials have more aggressively tackled the problem.

“We’re trying to get ahead of it, and we’re also the only city that has baseline data on about the prevalence of the problem,” Jones said.

And here’s what Nobugs had to say about it:

In other words, cities like New York and Chicago look like they have less of a bed bug problem than Cincinnati, because they have not even attempted to come up with statistics on the scope of the problem.

Yep, she nailed it. It’s absolutely mind-boggling to me that Chicago, a self-proclaimed world-class city, apparently has no method of recording or tracking reports of bed bug infestations. Heck, if my experience with 311 was any indication, the City of Chicago has no procedure for handling calls about bed bug infestations at all.

But Cincinnati, Ohio does? How is that possible?

I can hear the argument now, and it goes something like this: “Well, obviously, the City of Chicago doesn’t have as much of a problem with bed bug infestations as Cincinnati does, so why would it implement procedures to record and track reports of bed bug infestations?”.

My response to this argument is along the same lines as Nobugs’:

If the City of Chicago isn’t keeping track of reports of bed bug infestations, how in the world does it know how many reports have been made? Or attempted? How is the City of Chicago measuring the scope of the problem?

I’d love to hear the answer to these questions, I really would. Because in the last nine weeks, I have discovered reports of bed bug infestations in Lakeview, Boystown, Ravenswood, Hyde Park, Rogers Park, and the West Loop. Imagine how many bed bug infestations I haven’t discovered!

If you think I’m nuts (and I would understand if you did, I really would), try visiting The Bed Bug Registry and plugging in some random Chicago street addresses. Try something in the Loop, for example, and see what you find. Make sure you scroll down the page to see the reports of infestations near the address you searched. I just entered the most famous Loop address I could think of (the one on South Wacker Drive) and found SEVEN addresses with reports of bed bug infestations within the surrounding 2.87 kilometers.

Remember, most people don’t know that The Bed Bug Registry even exists, so the reported addresses represent a very, very, very small percentage of infested Chicago residences. Imagine what the real numbers must look like!

So what will it take to convince the City of Chicago to start recording and tracking reports of bed bug infestations? Well, I don’t know for sure, but here’s what it took in Cincinnati:

Few complaints of bed bug infestations were received by the Cincinnati Health Department in 2006, but a large number of complaints were lodged in 2007… and from January 1 through May 15 2008, an additional 320 complaints were lodged. The majority of complaints to the Cincinnati Health Department came from occupants of multi-unit apartment complexes.

Community organizations report that they have been dealing with bed bug problems for at least 2-3 years. The Talbert House (a community-wide nonprofit network of social services) began dealing with bed bugs in April 2005. The cost to Talbert House of specialty pest control, general cleaning, furniture replacement, and carpet cleaning has totaled more than $55,900 to date. The Urban Appalachian Council also has been dealing with bed bug infestations in donated furniture over the past 3-5 years. It is clear that bed bugs are a growing problem in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.

A series of Town Hall meetings in Cincinnati, were sponsored by Ohio State Representative Dale Mallory in August 2007, and October 2007, with representation from city, county, and state elected officials and public health professions. A joint meeting of city, county, and state officials was held on January 18, 2008. As a result of that meeting, the Joint Health Department Bed Bug Task Force was formed with representatives from the Cincinnati Health Department (C. Jones, A.Young, T. Hooper, R. Smith, and B. Watson), Hamilton County Public Health (T. Ingram, C. Eddy), and Dr. S. Jones, an expert entomologist with Ohio State University Extension Service, to discuss what is currently being done, and to develop coordinated approaches to addressing the bed bug problem.

Alright, Chicagoans, I think we might have something to work with here. I think it starts with the tenants and landlords out there who are dealing with bed bug infestations right now. I think it’s going to take phone calls to the City of Chicago Department of Public Health– lots of calls, hundreds of calls– from people just like you. And then I think it’s going to take a leader, someone with power, like Ohio Rep. Dale Mallory, to get involved, and to influence the City of Chicago DPH to get involved. And finally, we need to find a way to determine and calculate real dollars, real costs to businesses and organizations and public agencies, and we need to get those numbers into the hands of decision-makers.

It starts with you, folks. I can call 311 till my fingers fall off, and I will if I have to, but I am only one person. If you want your city to work for you the way it’s supposed to, it looks like you’re going to have to do a little work first.

And if you’d like to take it a step further and help us complete any of the tasks on our Activism page, or if you’ve got an idea we haven’t thought of yet, feel free to post a comment on our Discuss page or contact me directly at jessica_kevan at yahoo dot com.

We are all in this together, after all.

I stumbled upon this information while doing some research, and I wanted to pass it along to you, Chicago landlords and property managers, in case you weren’t already aware.

Community Investment Corporation is sponsoring a FREE integrated pest management  workshop for landlords and building managers through Safer Pest Control Project.  Safer Pest Control Project’s website says:

With the emergence of bed bugs on the Chicago scene, attending one of our IPM workshops for landlords and building managers has never been more important. Come join us on January 8, 2009 at 6:30pm 3424 S. State Street for an informative, and dare I say, FUN workshop on controlling pests more effectively in multi-unit buildings. Come learn how to eliminate cockroaches, mice, rats, bed bugs AND save money! This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required through the event’s sponsor, Community Investment Corporation. Please call 312-258-0070 to do so today.

I am so happy to see that Safer Pest Control Project  and Community Investment Corporation are working to educate Chicago landlords and property managers about controlling bed bugs effectively– and less expensively– through an integrated pest management program!  This is EXACTLY the kind of information and education our landlords and property managers need in order to protect themselves, their investments, and their tenants.  And it’s FREE!

Bravo, SPCP and CIC.

I sent an email to our contact at SPCP to get a little more information, and I’m going to try to register for and attend the workshop so I can write about the efforts of these organizations.  I think they certainly deserve some free advertising.  And I think the City of Chicago will benefit from any good information about bed bugs we can make available.

Stay tuned…

And landlords, REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP!  It’s critical, it’s free, and it’s likely to save you TONS of money in the long run.

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