DHS office dealing with bedbugs – Tahlequah Daily Press

Adding to the litany of conquests in their nationwide comeback, bed bugs have found their way into the local office of a state agency.

The pests were detected July 7 in the Cherokee County office of the Department of Human Services.

Steven Edwards, office director, said exterminators fumigated the building the night of July 11, and that supplies are being kept in plastic bags during the treatments.

"We had professionally licensed exterminators come in," Edwards said. "They were confined to one area, but we sprayed the whole building. And we will do it again after about 10-14 days to make sure we get everything."

The Daily Press has received some employee complaints about working around the pesticide. Some are being allowed to work from home or elsewhere. If workers elect to take time off, they are using personal days.

"Some people have complained that it irritates the eyes, nose or throat," Edwards said. "However, if I didn't believe it was safe, I wouldn't be going to work in there. We have offered alternative places to work. Some of our people work from home much of the time, anyway, or they may be working at one of our other county offices."

Edwards said he does not know the number of employees taking time off working elsewhere, saying that supervisors made arrangements within their respective departments.

Because many office documents are stored in bags, the pace of labor is affected.

"There is still work being done," Edwards said. "We still see people every day, but stuff is all backed up. We have to keep it all bagged up until the treatments are done, but we are still doing the best we can."

Once they have found their way into a structure, bedbugs can be exasperatingly difficult to dislodge. With the pests now spreading around the country after a long dormancy, Edwards said he understood that some people might be apprehensive about visiting the DHS building.

"They can apply for benefits at okdhslive.org," he said. "With the technological advances of the past several years, we don't need to have all that foot traffic anymore."

Bed bugs are flightless, so dwelling infestations are almost always due to unwitting facilitation by residents. A workplace can be infected by employees or customers.

"Those bed bugs are everywhere," Edwards said. "People need to be aware that this is becoming a common issue."

It is a good idea to check any piece of clothing, furniture, mattress, suitcase, or even books or a cardboard box for bedbugs or signs of infestation, especially if the item is used. A home should be kept clear of clutter, particularly around the beds. Cracks and baseboard crevices can be caulked.

The causes of the bed bug bounceback are probably many, but travel is thought to be a big culprit. Hotels and motels are an ideal transmission point for bed bugs. Because travel lodgings are sprayed regularly, the pests may build resistances more quickly.

When on the road, check the room - particularly the bed - and keep suitcases and clothing off the bed and floor until the room is inspected. Check and vacuum luggage upon return, and do laundry using hot temperatures.

Bed bugs might not be so irritating if their bites didn't irritate. The most common reaction is the typical red bump associated with many insect bites. Bed bugs are notorious for their "breakfast, lunch, dinner" pattern of three bite marks in linear proximity. Some people have allergic reactions that result in hives. About 20 percent of the population has no reaction to bed bug bites.

Bed bugs are known to carry up to 32 human pathogens, but studies have found no indication that they are transmitted through feeding.

Less than a week after the bed bugs were detected, there was more bad news when the DHS announced $30 million in reductions to state funding. The cuts are expected to affect funds for foster family reimbursement and senior nutrition programs, reduce patient access to the Medicaid ADvantage program to help elderly and disabled residents continue living at home, and force a six-month hiatus on new applications for subsidized child care.

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DHS office dealing with bedbugs - Tahlequah Daily Press