Bed Bugs

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BRIEF SUMMARY

Bed bugs are well known as annoying biting pests, and they are increasing in importance, including in hotels and other lodging establishments in the U. S. You are encouraged to learn more about the biology of bed bugs and their association with homes, apartments, hotels, and lodging establishments so that you can make more informed decisions about health risks, how to protect yourself when traveling, and whether bed bug control is warranted in a residence or lodging establishment.

KEY POINTS

  • Bed bugs are expert hiders and not everyone in your family may be allergic to the bites. If you suspect an infestation, your county board of health (in Hendricks County, the number is 745-9217) can come to your home and do an inspection. If bed bugs are found, they can provide information on how to rid your home of the bugs.
  • The most effective treatment for eradicating bed bugs is heat. Professional chemical treatments are the next best option. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to effectively treat bed bugs without professional help. The treatment can cost upwards of $1000 or an average of $1 per square foot.

 SHARED WISDOM

  • (CounselorTalk March 2023): Q: Is anyone aware of resources to help families get rid of a severe infestation of bed bugs? I have heard that this process can be extremely expensive, and the family is not in a position to be able to afford it. Thank you in advance for any information you can provide!
    • A:
      • Maybe reach out to your local United Way??  Ours has helped families in the past.
      • We had a family get their house treated and I think that Medicaid paid for it. Your local health department should be able to direct you to resources.
      • I worked with my county health department to help a family remediate a bed bug situation. They were also in a situation in which their income did not allow for them to seek out professional services at their own expense. The health department was able to assist with resources. Unfortunately, they did need new mattresses and they were not able to afford these. I worked with a donor and was able to get new mattresses for the mom and daughter and help with removal of the old mattresses with assistance from the health department.
      • Our county health department has told us that they are willing to go to the homes of our students to help families with this. They also might have resources.  We have county churches that will often help us with funds for families in need.
      • We have gotten resources for families through Community Partners as well.
      • If you dial 211, they should be able to refer an organization near you who can help.
      • In Northern Indiana we have a group called SCAN that facilitates a community partners program.  Maybe try calling..they may have connections with similar resources in your area. (260) 421-5000
      • DCS has helped or The Villages in the past, if either are involved. Also we at the school have offered to launder things if the family has been in hardship. They have to bring it to us, but we have washers and dryers and would laundry and return in clean bags.
      • You might try FireFly – https://fireflyin.org/.  You have to have parent call or give them an application and you have to talk to the office that services your area, but I have found them very helpful in finding resources for all sorts of things.

 

  • We had an incident recently with bed bugs and our director of facilities had received training.  He actually connected with the family and helped them with some cardboard type traps.  They had to come to school and change clothes when they got here and then put their clothes back on when they went home.  They did this and used the traps for 2 weeks and were cleared.
  • We have a local agency called SCAN that assists with home cleanup. Is there anyplace that focuses on child welfare in your city that could help?

RESOURCES

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This post was created by ABCD ContentManager on August 5, 2016.