Comments on: A Wake-Up Call on Bedbugs

By: Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann

Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:30:26 +0000

In regards to the comment “is because all of a sudden all the horsepucky about Integrated Pest Management is coming home to roost, and since they are “enlightened true believers” they refused to entertain the thought that anything could go wrong.” this is not what I meant or what was meant. Cities and government agencies were caught off guard because at first they did not pay attention to the issue, being told that it’s not a public health problem, it’s a nuisance pest, and poo poo-ing those who were dealing with it. Now the number of people who have battled bed bugs is greater. They’ve gotten the attention of the agencies who sat on this for 10 years. If only it were viewed as a public health concern, then we’d have had action years ago. As far as a silver bullet…can’t we learn from what history teaches us?

By: Richard Kozlovich

Richard Kozlovich — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:02:54 +0000

Dear Mr. Kusnetz This article was well done and outlines the problem very well, however I have seven points that I would like to make. • Regarding NY’s IPM specialist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann’s statement that “The problem seems to have caught government and researchers off guard” is because all of a sudden all the horsepucky about Integrated Pest Management is coming home to roost, and since they are “enlightened true believers” they refused to entertain the thought that anything could go wrong. • Those of us who actually understand what has been going on for years at EPA predicted just such an occurrence and many picked bedbugs to be the first of many plagues to haunt us as a result of EPA’s insane efforts to eliminate those very products that have saved the lives of hundreds of millions.• Punishing landlords who “refuse” to act is an effort in futility. They can’t afford what needs to be done. All this will accomplish is to eliminate inexpensive housing as they will be forced out of business. Their clientele can’t afford rent increases and they can’t afford the long expensive process that will lead to elimination, which will only be temporary anyway. • More research isn’t needed, we have products that will absolutely work and inexpensively. The EPA will not allow them to be used even though at least one is still labeled for use in non-agricultural settings. • Nor will the bill in Congress (the Butterfield Bill) going to accomplish anything except to create another expansive valueless program that will add to the layers of federal bureaucracy. Please see my article, The Butterfield Bill: Activity as a Substitute for Accomplishment, Part II http://paradigmsanddemographics.blogspot.com/2009/05/butterfield-bill-activity-as-substitute.html• Although I applaud Paul Wenning’s goals, there is no way to prevent bedbugs in our current chemophobic atmosphere.• Furthermore, “task forces” aren’t needed. Effective chemistry was the answer in 1946 and it will have to be the answer in 2010. • The only way this can happen is if efficacious, inexpensive products are made available to the public. As long as the general public is incapable of caring for this themselves the rate of re-infestation will continue and increase. • Although DDT and other products were efficacious, it wasn’t the professional applicators that eliminated bedbugs from our society. We had an impact, but it was the ability of the least amongst us to take care of their families on their own that eliminated them. Everyone was spraying inexpensive, efficacious pesticides everywhere. That is what did it and you don’t have to waste research money to find that out. That is history!Rich Kozlovich, Exterminator

By: Decker Ross

Decker Ross — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:21:43 +0000

Great article. Very well written and the information given is on point. Lopez is right when he says it is only going to get worse.

By: Theo Thugger

Theo Thugger — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:48:31 +0000

I’m glad they are finally putting research money into this bed bug epidemic. I am an entomologist, and have had to buy bedding covers from http://www.bedbug.com to stop my family from getting bed bugs! And individuals who usually can’t afford it are charged $1,000s for exterminators. There must be more done to prevent this menace.