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Local Nonprofit Wages War on BedbugsBy WYDaily Staff Tuesday, March 08, 2011 Avalon will be temporarily closing its emergency shelter starting Wednesday in order to deal with an infestation of bedbugs. Avalon, a nonprofit that helps battered and homeless women and children become self-sufficient, sent out a press release Monday explaining that a shelter resident brought bedbugs into the shelter after being exposed at her workplace. The shelter will close from this Wednesday through Friday, March 18.The press release stresses that it wasn’t the shelter resident’s fault. “She wasn’t dirty or careless, she was simply doing her job and a few tiny bugs the size of apple seeds were caught on her shoes and clothing when she returned to the shelter,” it reads. “Since then, Avalon has been treating the shelter vigorously to try to eliminate the problem. Unfortunately, since there is no known chemical that can kill a bed bug other than DDT that was banned by the EPA, Avalon has been losing the battle” against bedbugs. In order to eradicate the pest, Avalon staff will dispose of every piece of furniture in the shelter, clean the facility top to bottom, treat with “the most aggressive means necessary,” and refurnish the shelter with new beds, mattresses, common area furniture, and chairs. The plan is expected to cost $15,000, which is tough for the agency, already grappling with budget cuts. All current shelter residents are receiving assistance with finding safe alternative shelter arrangements in other communities and will be welcomed back onto the campus when the shelter reopens. Only Avalon’s emergency shelter was exposed to bed bugs so the transitional housing units, administrative office, and outreach offices are clear. Going forward, Avalon will not be able to accept any donations of clothing, luggage, or furniture. The organization will also require all incoming residents to wash all of their belongings before entering the shelter and will ask all residents at risk of bed bugs in their workplace to wash and dry their uniforms immediately before returning. “The Board of Directors, staff, and Executive Director are committed to providing the families Avalon serves with high quality programming and a clean, healthy, and safe shelter environment,” according to the press release. “It is Avalon’s philosophy that clients the agency serves deserve nothing less. Avalon appreciates the community’s support and understanding as the difficult situation is remedied.” Sarah Meacham, the nonprofit’s executive director, says, “I can assure you that we take our responsibility to the community and those in crisis very seriously and look forward to reopening with renovated space and renewed commitment to empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and poverty-driven homelessness.”
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If you would like to help, the most impactful way to do so is to send a donation of any denomination to support Avalon, please send it to: Avalon, Attn: Sleep Safe Fund, P.O. Box 6805, Williamsburg, VA 23188. And, you can go to Moe’s with your family for dinner tonight where 25% of the proceeds will come back to Avalon. Please know that $0.89 of every dollar goes directly to providing services to local women and children.
Again, we greatly appreciate your thoughts and concern.
Heat is a control method that has been utilized since the early 1900s. Bed bugs die at temperatures above 45°C which is about 113°F. 140 degrees to be safe ... There are many pest control companies that offer some kind of heat treatment to kill bed bugs, and there are a variety of ways that it can be accomplished. Another method is to use large commercial heaters to heat the entire room and its contents.
the Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)
Bed bugs are once again reaching epidemic proportions. Dr. Michael Potter, University of Kentucky entomologist, was quoted recently, “Bedbugs are just going ballistic everywhere. It is going to really rock this country.” Bed bugs are found today in hotels, apartments, dorm rooms, delivery vehicles, dry cleaners, jails, hospitals, churches, cruise ships, furniture rental stores and private homes. Rare for a time, bedbug bites are becoming all too common. Because pesticides are losing their effectiveness at treating bed bugs, the search is on for new ways to eliminate infestations. ThermaPure Heat kills bed bugs without harming the environment; using heat to kill bed bugs and the eggs they leave behind. And since ThermaPure can be effective in a single bed bug treatment, it can be more cost effective than chemical alternatives.