Chicago vs. Bed Bugs

So, Chicagoans, have you noticed these nifty new ads on the CTA?  Seems to me that they began to appear a few weeks ago, and now, it seems to me that they’ve virtually taken over the Red and Brown Lines.

Believe me, folks, it’s no coincidence that Protect-A-Bed is suddenly advertising– with a vengeance– in the City of Chicago.  They’re doing it for a very good reason:  They know what’s coming, and so should you.

This leads me to photo number two, taken a couple of weeks ago, again on the North Side.

What’s the deal with pitching futon cushions?  I suppose this might just be coincidence, and people are tossing perfectly good furniture because they can afford to do so.  But somehow, I have a hard time believing that’s the case, especially considering the current economic situation.

Listen,  if you take nothing else from this post, please take this:

Do not throw your furniture away if you think or know it is infested with bed bugs unless you do so at the suggestion and under the direct supervision of an experienced, trained, qualified pest management professional.  It’s usually not necessary to throw your belongings away and if you do, you could spread bed bugs throughout your building and throughout your city.

Mattresses and box springs can typically be safely sealed with zippered encasements– I happen to really like Protect-A-Bed’s AllerZip Encasement, to be honest– and used during and after treatment for bed bugs, as long as your pest management professional says it’s okay.  So save your stuff, Chicagoans, if at all possible.  You might just save your neighbors, too.

I received an email yesterday from Silvia Salazar of Norwood Tenant Association, the phenomenal lady I wrote about here.  Silvia wrote to fill me in on the Stop Bedbugs DC Summit, which she helped create and organize.  Silvia had great news to share– the summit, sponsored in part by the DC Department of Health, was a huge success.  In fact, Silvia says

We had over 120 organizations in attendance. Many were interested in developing a task force and offered resources and expertise.

A fire alarm went off after lunch and we had to exit the building. We were concerned that people would loose interest and leave. We were gladly surprised to see them return after we were cleared to return to the building. Guess the summit attendees were as tenacious as bedbugs.

Or the summit attendees really understood exactly how tenacious bed bugs can be!

These are just a few of the photos taken during the summit. My favorite is the top middle picture. What this photo says to me is that people are talking and listening to each other; they’re trying to determine what needs to be done, which bases need to be covered right away, and how they can work together to address the spread of bed bugs in Washington DC.  As I mentioned here, the summit included all of the following:

• Expert entomologists
• Experienced industry professionals
• Stakeholders
• Discussion of pertinent and time-sensitive issues:
  • legislation
  • enforcement
  • citizen involvement through tenant groups, senior and public housing
• Educational outreach
• Government and local business participation
• Empowering people who are affected by bed bugs to take action and combat the problem

Wonder if we could pull something like this off here in Chicago?  I hope so.  The Stop Bedbugs DC Summit was an important first step for the stakeholders in DC who are interested in developing a task force– and a strategic plan– to control bed bug infestations there.

Again, we at Chicago vs. Bed Bugs commend all of the organizers, speakers, and attendees who participated in the Stop Bedbugs DC Summit on March 27th.  You are on the right track, and we’re so grateful to you for setting an example for everyone.

*Special thanks to Silvia Salazar for sending summit updates and photos.

This, my friends, is what happens when people have bed bugs and don’t know what to do about it.

This photo was taken in a North Side neighborhood a couple nights ago.  It’s disconcerting for several reasons:

• First, if this futon cushion is indeed infested with bed bugs, the person who picks it up (either for personal use, for resale, or for disposal) risks contracting and spreading bed bugs throughout our city and possibly beyond.
• Second, in most cases, it is not necessary nor is it recommended that people dispose of infested mattresses and furniture.
• Third, bed bugs can be spread through residences and buildings when infested mattresses and furniture are moved outside for disposal.
• Finally, if disposal is absolutely necessary, the risk of spreading bed bugs can be reduced if infested mattresses are wrapped and tightly sealed in airtight plastic sheets.  This should only be attempted at the suggestion and under the direct supervision of a qualified pest management professional.

Spread the word, okay, people?  And if you’re interested in helping us encourage our City of Chicago aldermen to introduce and support legislation to regulate the disposal of infested furniture, among other things, please participate in our CitizenSpeak campaigns.  We already wrote the letter for you– all you have to do is fill in some information and click “send”.

We’re all in this together, remember.