1/10/2011 Bedbug Train Of Horrors

Vampire fiction may be all the rage, but the true bloodsuckers that emerge after twilight are far less charismatic, and far more relentless. No one will testify to this truth more fiercely than the 46 passengers who were pitted against a relentless army of bedbugs when they boarded the AC 2-tier compartment of the Netravati Express – from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai – on Sunday. And then the nightmare began.

It sucks!

Versova residents Kartik Shah (33) and his wife Nirali (28), spoke to MiD DAY about the harrowing experience on board the train. They boarded the coach from the Kayamkulam railway station, not knowing what lay in store. The creepy-crawlies ventured out at 3 pm.

Kartik said, “As soon as dusk fell, we switched on the lights. We were shocked to see dozens of bedbugs swarming the curtains. Gradually, all the occupants started feeling itchy sores swell up. We complained to the coach attendant, but he turned a deaf ear to our pleas. We went to sleep a few hours later, but the bugs started crawling all over our sheets. A young couple even spotted that the bugs had crawled into their baby’s bed cloth.”

Refusing to take the matter lying down, the passengers dismounted at Madgaon, Goa, at 5 am, and complained at the station. “No action was taken, yet again. Chaos reigned inside the compartment. We even summoned Balakrishnan, the ticket checker on-board. He said that a request had been made to railway officials at Thiruvananthapuram station, to not attach the coach to the express, but no one bothered,” said Kartik.

By 11.30 pm, inflamed passengers decided to pull the train’s chain, minutes before it would roll into Mangalore station. They then demanded that the station superintendent be summoned and the coach changed. At Mangalore, Station Superintendent Carol Santosh apologised feebly, saying that changing coaches was not a feasible option.

Twice bitten

By this time, a passenger from the adjacent two-tier AC coach emerged, begging for medical treatment, as her hands were swollen from the repeated assault of the pests. She too, was returned to her coach, along with mumbled apologies.

What ensued was a sleepless night, spent tossing and turning, in the throes of discomfort.

“The attendants only offered to spray disinfectants in the coach, but cautioned in the same breath that it would make breathing difficult for us, as it was an AC coach. Since there were children and infants travelling with us, we decided against it, and spent a night of utter agony,” said an aggrieved Nirali.

Passenger V K Sukumaran, a retired railway section engineer said, “It’s disappointing that the trains are kept in this condition nowadays. If this is the condition of a two-tier AC coach, God save the passengers travelling in sleeper class. It is the responsibility of the railways to clean the coaches before they are sent to the platform. The large numbers of pests is clear indication of the fact that hygiene was not maintained.”

P G Shankaram (69), a retired professor, added, “The bugs have travelled to Mumbai with us: they are all over our luggage and belongings. How are we going to enter our homes? We just travelled through hell.”

Rats too?

To add to their shock, Kartik and Nirali found messages left behind by previous passengers, warning them that they had seen dead rats in the coach. “We decided not to take any food from the kitchen,” said Kartik.

At 5 pm on Monday, the bedbug express rolled into the Kurla Terminus, to a few railway officials and waiting pest control attendants. The railway officials found several parasites.

A railway official admitted, “The coach is badly infested. The onus lies with the Southern railways, who should inspect the coaches before departure. We will detach it from the train, and take pest control measures. The situation will be monitored, and if we are satisfied, we will put the train back on track after a day’s interval.”

Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway (CR) M V Malegaonkar said, “The work of cleaning, fumigating the coach lies with the Southern Railway, from where the train departed.” He added that he would bring the matter to the notice of railway officials only after he received a complaint from the passengers.

What can you do

Lodge a complaint with the ticket checker in the train

Inform the cleaners, who should be carrying a complaint book where you can file your grievance.

Inform the concerned railway division, to which the train belongs.

Locate the helpline numbers written at the entrance of every cabin. If the train is looked after by WR, send an SMS to 9004477777. For CR, message 9004411111.

Rat attack in Rajdhani Express

MiD DAY had reported in June 2010 how passengers of the Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani Express battled mice, mosquitoes on the train, even as staff refused to tend to the problem (‘Dead rats in Rajdhani,’ June 29).

A few inebriated train attendants and a hapless ticket checker left the 75 harried passengers to defend themselves against the population of rats. Left to their own means, and with the generous help of the TTE Rajesh Gupta, the commuters themselves caught six live rats with the help of a trap.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Train Of Horrors

12/11/2011 New Way To Disinfect Hospitals Of Bedbugs

Toronto: A new technique would not only disinfect hospitals worldwide but also stop bed bug outbreaks.

“This is the future, because many hospital deaths are preventable with better cleaning methods,” said Dick Zoutman, researcher at the Queen`s University.

“It has been reported that more than 100,000 people in North America die every year due to hospital acquired infections at a cost of $30 billion. That`s 100,000 people every year who are dying from largely preventable infections,” Zoutman added.

The new technology involves pumping a ozone and hydrogen peroxide vapour gas mixture into a room to completely sterilize everything – including floors, walls, drapes, mattresses, chairs and other surfaces.

“It is far more effective in killing bacteria than wiping down a room. He has also used this technology to kill bed bugs,” said Zoutman, according to a university statement.

A major US hotel chain has already expressed interest in the technology because of its potential to save the company millions of dollars in lost revenue and infected furniture.

Zoutman worked with Michael Shannon of Medizone International located in Innovation Park, Queen`s University.

Medizone is commercializing the technology and the first deliveries are scheduled for the first quarter of 2012.

Continue Reading More: New Way To Disinfect Hospitals Of Bedbugs

12/5/2011 Survey: Travelers Fear Bedbugs And Dirty Sheets

Bedbugs, unwashed sheets and dirty toilets are among the biggest hygiene fears of Kiwi travellers, a survey has revealed.

The Travelbug survey of 11,000 New Zealanders, conducted by the Trade Me website, asked people their destination preferences and hotel habits.

Of those, 32 per cent revealed their biggest hotel hygiene fear was discovering unwashed sheets in a room, followed by an infestation of bedbugs (24 per cent) and dirty toilets (15 per cent).

“Maybe people think bedbugs are unlikely but unwashed sheets are quite a real fear – you do hear some horror stories about what people find when they pull back the sheets. But in reality NZ hotels are very clean by world standards,” said Trade Me head of travel Daniel Bridges.

Those most scared of germs were women aged 18-29, with 95 per cent having some hygiene fears, compared to the least concerned – men over the age of 60 – 22 per cent of whom had no hygiene fears.

The survey also revealed some fascinating habits of travellers once behind the hotel room door, said Mr Bridges.

Men were more likely to wander into the wrong hotel room, with seven per cent having done so; and 68 per cent of female respondents aged 18-25 had no problem taking the hotel toiletries home with them.

Queenstown was a clear winner when it came to the most sought-after destination.

More than 80 per cent of New Zealanders planned to travel around the country this summer, with the town topping the list of best destination they had visited and most preferred place to return to.

The visitor-friendly aspect of the town was a large part of its appeal, said Mr Bridges.

“It’s no longer just a winter playground there’s so much to see and do and it really is an exhilarating place to be all year-round. It’s exciting and unlike anywhere else in the country with world-class visitor experiences like ZipTrek Ecotours, Shotover Jet and bungy-jumping.”

The “Queenstown obsession” was particularly strong among young people, with 26 per cent of those aged 18-29 picking it as their number one holiday destination.

Northland also rated strongly, with those over 60 selecting it as their favourite place to visit.

When travelling, most people preferred to people were happy to pay for accommodation and have their own space rather than stay with friends and family.

Continue Reading More: Survey Travelers Fear Bedbugs & Dirty Sheets

11/15/2011 Bedbug Warning To UK: Wash Your Sheets: Time And Cashed Strapped Brits Are Cutting Back On Washing Their Bedding Putting Them At High Risk Of Bedbugs

One in eight people sleep in bedding that has not been washed for over a month, according to a new study.

Time and cash-strapped Brits are cutting back on washing their bedding – putting them at a high risk of a bed bug infestation, reveals the annual survey.

And men came out worst with 1.7 million waiting more than a month before washing their bed sheets.

The annual Bed Bug Audit, conducted by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, found that 29 per cent of Brits have cut back on washing their bedding due to lack of time while 17 per cent delay washing their dirty laundry to cut costs.

More than one in eight Brits (13 per cent) sleep in bedding that has not been washed for over a month, while a quarter (27 per cent) sleep on mattresses that are more than 10-years-old.

With forecasters predicting erratic temperatures this winter which could reach -15C by Christmas, bedrooms could become the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs, which take refuge in the warmth of mattresses, pillows and sheets to feed.

To add to the cosy conditions, over half of more than 1,000 Brits polled (56 per cent) said they will use extra blankets to keep warm this winter, while 31 per cent will opt for a hot water bottle.

With forecasters predicting erratic temperatures this winter which could reach -15C by Christmas, bedrooms could become the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs, which take refuge in the warmth of mattresses, pillows and sheets to feed.

To add to the cosy conditions, over half of more than 1,000 Brits polled (56 per cent) said they will use extra blankets to keep warm this winter, while 31 per cent will opt for a hot water bottle.

Almost one-in-five people polled said they were more likely now than last year to buy second-hand furniture, which is a leading source of infestation as a pre-owned mattress alone can contain up to 10 million bed bugs.

One-in-six men put in an average of 30 days sheet use before washing their bedding while four per cent admitted to not washing their bedding in over two months.

Nine per cent of men confessed that they did not think washing the bed was important with more than a third confessing they put off washing due to sheer laziness.

This is all the more worrying as bed bugs are not the only ones enjoying a bedroom bite – 46 per cent of Brits said that they had eaten a meal in bed. Nine per cent admit they regularly eat breakfast in bed, while 10 per cent even said that they eat their evening meal in the sack.

The Bed Bug Audit also revealed that 26 per cent of Brits polled had no idea how bed bugs spread and a quarter (25 per cent) said they were unaware of any measures to counter them, such as leaving sheets exposed during the day or regularly vacuuming all areas of the room – including the seams of the mattress.

It seems those in Yorkshire have the cleanest bed sheets with the average person washing their bedding more than three times every month.

Londoners seems to be the worst when it comes to keeping their linen clean with more than half of those living in the capital surveyed admitting putting off washing bedding when they are feeling lazy, while 18 per cent of Scots put off washing to cut costs.

Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance spokeswoman Jacky Brown said: ‘We spend so much time in our beds that it is astounding so many Brits and particularly bug busting men – do not keep them clean.

‘Simple measures like avoiding eating in bed, leaving the sheets exposed during the day and washing them regularly can help avoid an infestation

‘Bed bugs in the home can be an extremely unpleasant experience so it is important that homeowners have a way to deal quickly with an infestation such as our pest cover otherwise the upcoming cold spell could provide a nasty wake-up call.’

10/21/2011 Bedbug Fears Force Pro Golfer To Withdraw From Tournament: Thomas Levet Will Not Play In China’s HSBC Champions

Top French golfer intends withdrawing from next month’s $US 7.5m WGC – HSBC Champions event because of Chinese bed bugs.

Thomas Levet has only recently returned to competition after breaking his leg in a victory leap following his success at his own French Open in Versailles.

Victory earned the Parisian a start in Shanghai but the 43-year old has turned down the opportunity to pocket the near Euro 900,000 first prize cheque.

“I’ve been to the Shanghai for three years and each time I always loose about six to seven kilograms in weight,” he said during last week´s Portugal Masters.

“And the three times I’ve been out there I always end up having to call the doctor about two o’clock in the morning because I am covered in spots and a rash and I’m shivering badly.”

“I don’t know whether it’s the food, the beds or the washing powder they wash the bed sheets in or whether they’re bed bugs or what but it just drives me crazy.”

“Then when the doctor comes he can’t understand a word of French or English.”

Levet will now joins the likes of Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington in not contesting the final WGC of the season as both Woods and Harrington have failed to qualify in being outside the top-50 on the World Rankings.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Fears Force Pro Golfer To Withdraw From Tournament

10/18/2011 Battling Bedbugs Costs British Columbia Big Bucks: Over $700k Spent Over Past Year In Public Housing

BC Housing spent $721,344 over a 12-month period to battle bed bugs in 43 of 49 of its own residential developments in the Lower Mainland.

All but one of BC Housing’s 31 directly managed sites in Vancouver coastal region were sprayed to kill and prevent the spread of the bloodsucking pests, while 13 of 18 developments in the Fraser region were also sprayed, according to information provided to The Sun by the ministry responsible for housing.

Between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, BC Housing spent approximately $721,344 on bed bug-related costs, the ministry said. It is not known if the spray campaign was successful and if the properties treated are now bed bug free. The ministry said it doesn’t track specific numbers of active bed bug cases because infestations can vary depending on weather and other factors.

Bed bugs are an exposure pest and are not necessarily associated with living conditions. Infestations can occur anywhere, including 5-star hotels. The bugs are spread by contact and are easily spotted – adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed and a reddish brown colour. They usually bite at night.

And, despite the name, they don’t just live in beds. The insects can occupy almost any dark crack or crevice in any room and can be found in electronics and furniture as well as clothing and bedding. Bed bugs are very resilient and can survive more than a year without feeding. Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed and go back to the same hiding spot, according to information on Vancouver Coastal Health’s website.

In response to questions submitted to BC Housing about infestations at social housing developments, the ministry said BC Housing has approved additional resources to combat the problem, including mobile heat treatment trailers which are used to eliminate bed bugs on tenants’ furniture and other possessions. The ministry is in the final stages of training staff to operate the new equipment, said a ministry spokeswoman in an email.

The spokeswoman, who would not allow publication of her name, also noted that some newer BC Housing developments, which are run by thirdparty non-profit organizations, have permanent bed bug sauna rooms to treat infested furnishings.

The hot rooms are located at the Lux on East Hastings, the Station Street building, and Maxxine Wright in Surrey, the spokeswoman said.

A number of single room occupancy hotels such as Walton and Orwell in Vancouver, and New Westminster’s Russell Place – which are all managed by non-profits – have been retrofitted with saunas where infested furniture and belongings are subjected to 60°C heat, she noted.

Requests to the ministry for an interview were not granted by deadline.

The spread of bed bugs in the Metro Vancouver affects more than just social housing developments, said Tom Durning, of the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) in Vancouver. Social housing, and rentals of all kinds are facing infestations these days, he said. “It’s everywhere.”

One of the problems unique to BC Housing is that many of its tenants struggle to prepare their homes for what can be frequent spray treatments, Durning said. Seniors and physically or mentally disabled tenants often can’t move their furniture on their own, he said.

A user-generated online bedbug database, bedbugsregistry.com, has over 20,000 reports of the insects in Vancouver residences, many in the West End.

10/17/2011 Bedbugs Spread Through UAE: Pesticides Prove To Be Ineffective In Abu Dhabi & Dubai

A private war is being waged in bedrooms across the nation – and the bedbugs appear to be winning it.

Efforts to tackle the bedbug problem have largely failed as the bloodsucking insects are becoming increasingly resistant to the chemicals used to kill them.

After the tragic deaths last year of two five-month-old children whose neighbour’s house in Ajman had been sprayed with pesticides, the Ministry of Environment and Water introduced controls on chemicals available to pest control companies.

But the chemicals still in use are no longer very effective, says Dinesh R, the operations manager of National Pest Control.

“The bedbugs are getting genetically adapted and resistant to the pesticides we’re using,” Mr Dinesh says.

To try to slow this process, National Pest Control changes the chemicals it uses every month. But that approach has had little effect and still fails to affect the creatures’ eggs.

The chemicals kill young bugs and adults but the eggs have a waxy coating that can be penetrated only by gas – making the company’s water-based chemicals all but useless. And one egg can start an infestation.

The problem becomes worse in summer when the heat and humidity allow the bugs to be more active.

“We are treating three jobs for bedbug infestations a day, which is still a lot,” says Mr Dinesh.

They breed prolifically and though they can live for 18 months without it, they feed every five to 10 days.

Experts say the infestations have risen dramatically almost all over the world in the past decade, as the result of the creatures’ increasing resistance and the growth in foreign travel.

Another company, Invaders Pest Control, deals with an average of four cases a day in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, unchanged from a year ago.

“It’s pretty bad,” says B Pereira, the operations manager of Invaders Pest Control. “The bugs are mostly found in hotel rooms, brought in by travellers.”

Pest controllers have tried to move away from traditional fumigation treatments, where an entire room would be sprayed. Instead, they target specific areas.

“We use a spray treatment with non-toxic chemicals areas because it usually occurs only on mattresses or corners of beds,” says Mr Pereira.

But even that proved fruitless.

“The strongest pesticides we’ve used are now banned because the chemicals have the potential to harm humans and the environment,” says Mr Dinesh.

Many hotels regularly spray whole rooms, which housekeeping staff say is very effective.

“We have a pest control treatment once a month,” says Cynthia Requino, the assistant housekeeping manager at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi. “We get bedbug infestations maybe once or twice a year … we notice it straight away because we check our mattresses daily.”

Last year, National Pest Control developed a non-toxic method to freeze the bug. But there were problems.

“The system blows carbon dioxide which forms ice crystals at minus 5°C, but the problem was the pressure at which it was blown,” says Mr Dinesh. “When it came in contact with the bug, it would blow it away instead of freezing it.”

Manufacturers are working on lowering the pressure.

National Pest Control has been researching other non-toxic methods and plans to import a new system from the US next month.

Chemical treatments usually require a minimum of three visits to wipe out the insects.

“It’s a one-time treatment, which takes an average of three hours to eliminate the bugs,” says Mr Dinesh.

The method is widely used in Australia, Europe and the US. National Pest Control says it has a 98 per cent success rate, compared with 80 per cent for previous techniques.

“It really is the most practical method,” says Mr Dinesh, who is unwilling to give details of the treatment.

But it should be less demanding than current techniques, which require residents to leave their house for four hours, wash their furniture and destroy anything that is infested.

“With the new technology, all this will be taken care of,” he says. “People can stand just outside the door.”

Although further testing is required, he believes it will eliminate all stages of bedbugs.

Continue Reading More: Bedbugs Spread Through UAE

10/4/2011 Sweden: Bedbugs Up By 800%: Stockholm Hit Hard By Invasion

9/19/2011 Bedbugs Bite Students At Posh London Schools: $20k Per Year Park Tower Students Not Sleeping Well

If you think you don’t need to worry about bed bugs in London, talk to the London International Academy boarding school students.

Or better yet, take a close look at them.

It won’t take long to find clusters of red bug bites on the students — whose parents pay $20,000 per year for accommodation at the Park Tower on King St. and pre-university courses at the downtown private school.

“Right here,” said one teen yesterday, rolling up his sleeve to show where he was bitten the week before. “My neck,” said another, gesturing to a grouping of six angry red welts just under his chin.

Many of the students have arrived during the past month to start school meant to prepare them for Canadian university. Their English is still spotty, but when stopped out front of their residence at 186 King Street Thursday, all were familiar with the term bed bugs.

“Oh yes bed bugs,” said one boy, who declined to give his name or have his picture taken. “I’ve been here two weeks. I was bit three or four nights.

“I don’t sleep well.”

Another student said he had seen the bugs and killed some, but still he wakes up with bites “every night.”

Inspectors with the Middlesex-London Health Unit are aware of the situation at the building, said environmental health director Wally Adams.

He said a health unit inspector called out for something else in August noticed some bed bugs and ordered the building manager to “beef up integrated pest management measures.

When the inspector returned Aug. 23, he was satisfied that the manager had complied.

“The school and landlord are working cooperatively to address this problem,” said Adams.

A manager at Park Tower said the building has dealt with “a few isolated incidences of bed bugs, no different than any other residence in London.”

She too declined to give her name, but said landlords have a “preventative program in place to proactively manage pests.”

She said she was too busy to comment further, but would be available for interviews after September 23. She would not comment on the significance of the 23rd.

Earlier this week the Health Unit said calls about bed bugs have doubled in two years and an official with the London Middlesex Housing Corp. said it’s pest control budget has skyrocketed to $300,000 from $25,000 four years ago  all because of bed bugs. The housing corp. and health unit have now partnered for a public awareness program and representatives plan to visit every city owned complex starting next week to talk to residents about bed bugs, how to recognize them and how to prepare their units for treatment.

Traditionally, the health unit does not get involved in situations regarding bed bugs because they are considered a “nuisance,” not a “health hazard.”

But the problem has become so widespread, that the health unit is asking the public to phone in reports of any infestations.

Continue Reading More: Bedbugs Bite Students At Posh London Schools

9/15/2011 Bedbug Numbers Increase In London: Home Owners Now Dealing With Increase

They’re creepy little biters and they’re everywhere – London, Bayfield, Exeter, Sarnia and Goderich.

Bed bugs are hitchhiking into hotels, apartments and houses more and more every year.

“It’s definitely increasing and it’s been increasing substantially over the last six to seven years in the London area,” said Ryan Sawyer, owner of Sawyer Pest Management.

“People don’t understand where it’s going. It appears to be getting worse every year.”

While bed bugs once were found mostly in hotels or highdensity housing, Sawyer said he receives many more calls from residents of single-family homes, townhouses and condos about them.

He has seen infestations so bad people were sleeping in their bathtubs and balconies to get away from the bugs.

“When you go into some place and people are sleeping on their balconies . . . you really have to feel for people,” he said.

Last month, a Sarnia police office responding to a call to assist a man in medical distress found bed bugs crawling on him.

This month, Lambton County council passed a motion to hold a public meeting on the growing problem. A staff report is expected next month.

Five years ago, Sawyer received one call a month from someone fearing they had bed bugs. Now, he gets two or three a day.

The story is the same at the Middlesex London Health Unit, where calls about bed bugs have doubled in two years.

Four years ago, the London Middlesex Housing Corp., pest control budget was $25,000.

Now, it’s more than $300,000 – all because of bed bugs.

“It’ll be like that for the foreseeable future,” said Derek Grater, the corporation’s acting chief executive.

The city-owned corporation has 3,000 units and the bed bug issue is “multiplying significantly,”

Grater said.

“This is a major issue for hotels and landlords,” he said.

One tenant, who asked her name not be used, said her unit has been sprayed four times for bed bugs, but the problem persists because a neighbouring unit that has bed bugs refuses to allow pest management to spray.

The woman said she and her young children have been forced to keep their belongings in garbage bags and huddle in one room to sleep. Her request to be moved has been denied, the woman said.

“I’m paying rent for all my stuff to be in garbage bags to keep away the bed bugs,” she said.

Grater said residents sometimes refuse to allow pest management in, but under Ontario law, landlords must treat a pest issue if they find one or risk being taken to court by other residents.

“To treat the unit for bed bugs is a very invasive process,” Grater said.

Professionals place finely crushed seashells, called diatomaceous earth, in the baseboards where bed bugs hide during the day.

When the bugs walk across the powder, it scratches the underside of their bodies and dehydrates them.

Another, more expensive way, to kill the bugs is through heat. Techni- cians use special equipment to quickly increase the heat in units to about 45 C for three hours, killing the bugs.

Though effective, Grater said the technique is also expensive, about quadruple the cost of diatomaceous earth.

But before any of that is done, Grater said, the largest stumbling block is preparing the unit for treatment. People have to move furniture from walls, empty dressers, launder clothing and place it all in plastic bags.

“It’s a very big process,” he said, adding some people are unable to do the preparation work.

Sawyer called the expansion of the bed bug problem “troublesome.

“The (bed bug) population’s continuing to grow and expand and hasn’t peaked out yet.”

While there’s no “magic bullet”

for treating bed bugs, Sawyer said there does need to be more education on proper pest control to cope with the problem.

Residents or homeowners need to deal with it at the first sign of a problem or if they suspect they have bed bugs to call a professional to confirm the finding.

“The quicker you can control it, the better, because their production is so high,” said Sawyer.

Females can lay between three and five eggs a day and adult bed bugs can go 13 months without a blood feeding. Younger bugs can go three months without a meal.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Numbers Increase In London