After a year of fighting Hamilton’s bed bug scourge, city officials don’t know if their strategy will eventually work.
In 2014, Hamilton spent nearly half a million dollars combatting bed bugs, which city officials at the time said had skyrocketed by about 600 per cent from 2006 and was called an “epidemic.”
In 2015, councillors approved spending just over $1 million in capital funding over three years to try and eradicate the infestation. The strategy involved a public-relations campaign to remove the stigma of bed bugs, cleaning up residential units which can cost upwards of $2,000 per unit and training apartment staff in integrated pest management.
During the first year of the strategy that began in 2016, the city assisted 48 people, provided consulting help to 66 residents and trained about 300 property staff, representing about 12,000 apartment units. About 60 local agencies that have clients with bed bug issues have requested workplace training.
The strategy was created in consultation with community members who have experience in dealing with bedbugs. The plan includes limiting bed bugs’ movements, reducing “significant” infestations and creating living and work places that will repel bed bug infestations.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” Terry Quinn, director of service channel integration, told members of the city’s emergency and community services Oct. 5. “But we are seeing significant improvement. We are seeing improvements with landlords.”
Bed bugs are small, wingless biting insects that feed on human and animal blood. They can multiply quickly and travel easily. Adult bed bugs can be as long as 10 millimetres. They have an oval, broad flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bed bugs are brown, but darken to a blood-red colour after feeding. Young bed bugs are shaped like adults, but are smaller about 1.5 millimetres long and lighter in colour. Bed bug eggs are white, about one millimetre long.
Bites can cause itching, allergic reactions or a secondary skin infection. A bite mark can take up to 14 days to develop in some people.
According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, bed bugs were usually found in developing countries. But over the years, they have been spreading across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
They can be found in any type of residence.
Evidence of an infestation include the bug’s exoskeleton after moulting, bugs present in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty-coloured blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal matter and a sweet musty odour.
Quinn said Hamilton’s bed bug strategy will take “several years” before any improvements will be revealed.
“I think we are on the right track,” he said. “We are at the start.”
After a year of fighting Hamilton’s bed bug scourge, city officials don’t know if their strategy will eventually work.
In 2014, Hamilton spent nearly half a million dollars combatting bed bugs, which city officials at the time said had skyrocketed by about 600 per cent from 2006 and was called an “epidemic.”
In 2015, councillors approved spending just over $1 million in capital funding over three years to try and eradicate the infestation. The strategy involved a public-relations campaign to remove the stigma of bed bugs, cleaning up residential units which can cost upwards of $2,000 per unit and training apartment staff in integrated pest management.
During the first year of the strategy that began in 2016, the city assisted 48 people, provided consulting help to 66 residents and trained about 300 property staff, representing about 12,000 apartment units. About 60 local agencies that have clients with bed bug issues have requested workplace training.
The strategy was created in consultation with community members who have experience in dealing with bedbugs. The plan includes limiting bed bugs’ movements, reducing “significant” infestations and creating living and work places that will repel bed bug infestations.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” Terry Quinn, director of service channel integration, told members of the city’s emergency and community services Oct. 5. “But we are seeing significant improvement. We are seeing improvements with landlords.”
Bed bugs are small, wingless biting insects that feed on human and animal blood. They can multiply quickly and travel easily. Adult bed bugs can be as long as 10 millimetres. They have an oval, broad flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bed bugs are brown, but darken to a blood-red colour after feeding. Young bed bugs are shaped like adults, but are smaller about 1.5 millimetres long and lighter in colour. Bed bug eggs are white, about one millimetre long.
Bites can cause itching, allergic reactions or a secondary skin infection. A bite mark can take up to 14 days to develop in some people.
According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, bed bugs were usually found in developing countries. But over the years, they have been spreading across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
They can be found in any type of residence.
Evidence of an infestation include the bug’s exoskeleton after moulting, bugs present in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty-coloured blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal matter and a sweet musty odour.
Quinn said Hamilton’s bed bug strategy will take “several years” before any improvements will be revealed.
“I think we are on the right track,” he said. “We are at the start.”
After a year of fighting Hamilton’s bed bug scourge, city officials don’t know if their strategy will eventually work.
In 2014, Hamilton spent nearly half a million dollars combatting bed bugs, which city officials at the time said had skyrocketed by about 600 per cent from 2006 and was called an “epidemic.”
In 2015, councillors approved spending just over $1 million in capital funding over three years to try and eradicate the infestation. The strategy involved a public-relations campaign to remove the stigma of bed bugs, cleaning up residential units which can cost upwards of $2,000 per unit and training apartment staff in integrated pest management.
During the first year of the strategy that began in 2016, the city assisted 48 people, provided consulting help to 66 residents and trained about 300 property staff, representing about 12,000 apartment units. About 60 local agencies that have clients with bed bug issues have requested workplace training.
The strategy was created in consultation with community members who have experience in dealing with bedbugs. The plan includes limiting bed bugs’ movements, reducing “significant” infestations and creating living and work places that will repel bed bug infestations.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” Terry Quinn, director of service channel integration, told members of the city’s emergency and community services Oct. 5. “But we are seeing significant improvement. We are seeing improvements with landlords.”
Bed bugs are small, wingless biting insects that feed on human and animal blood. They can multiply quickly and travel easily. Adult bed bugs can be as long as 10 millimetres. They have an oval, broad flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bed bugs are brown, but darken to a blood-red colour after feeding. Young bed bugs are shaped like adults, but are smaller about 1.5 millimetres long and lighter in colour. Bed bug eggs are white, about one millimetre long.
Bites can cause itching, allergic reactions or a secondary skin infection. A bite mark can take up to 14 days to develop in some people.
According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, bed bugs were usually found in developing countries. But over the years, they have been spreading across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
They can be found in any type of residence.
Evidence of an infestation include the bug’s exoskeleton after moulting, bugs present in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty-coloured blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal matter and a sweet musty odour.
Quinn said Hamilton’s bed bug strategy will take “several years” before any improvements will be revealed.
“I think we are on the right track,” he said. “We are at the start.”