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When bed bugs become suspect
Any time the media says "bed bugs," it is mostly followed up with how they are in our neighborhoods, backyards, attics, couches and beds, which inspire a few different reactions: one of vapid panic that keeps people awake feeling little twitches all over. Another is denial. The place looks clean, there's no mold or trash laying around, ergo "it can't happen to me." People hear about bugs and associate uncleanliness to an infestation, however the word "infestation" itself can be exaggerated and typically is associated with pictures of thousands of crawling insects. The common way to inform people of the presence of the bugs is "you have bed bugs." This references nothing to the amount found. It may be two, not thousands.
Sometimes two can be enough. This problem isn't something people can simply sweep under the carpet ... they may already be there.
Compared with the trials anyone in public safety encounters, small tick-sized bugs can't rise to top priority. "There's no officer in this country who's not going to pick up somebody saying ?I can't bring them in my car because they have bed bugs'," says Eric Bryan, a vice president of Noble Pine Co. - manufacturer of Sterifab, a disinfectant and insecticide commonly used on bed bugs.
James Skinner, president of the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association (NESDCA) agrees. "When you're dealing with a conflict, you have to keep the most important thing the most important thing, and that's the conflict at hand," he says.
Yet, as the number of places where bed bugs have been found increases, the risk to public safety, law enforcement and corrections included increases likewise. "There's no way anymore that you can be assured someone you're coming in contact with doesn't have bed bugs," says Paul Wenning, chairman of the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force.
Search & education
As with any good investigation, knowing your enemy is vital - this holds true with the national bed bug epidemic. While New York is the quintessential location in discussing the bugs, the greater Columbus area has experienced its own high level of unwanted visitors. In a proactive approach, the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force was formed to raise awareness...