More bedbugs discovered at North Mianus

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Exterminators called to North Mianus School after a bedbug was discovered there Wednesday found a few more of the insects Friday.

District spokeswoman Kim Eves said workers from Parkway Exterminating, based in Valhalla, N.Y., worked over the weekend to search and treat the area. The bugs were first found in a staff bathroom Wednesday, and three other live bugs were found in a classroom, in and around carpet squares stored near a wall that separates the staff bathroom and the classroom.

The exterminators discarded the carpet squares and also opened up a section of the wall between the two rooms to steam clean and vacuum it, Eves said.

The high heat from steam cleaning kills bedbugs and is often used to treat large areas, such as schools.

Eves said the exterminators also brought in bedbug monitors, which use carbon dioxide to attract the insects, which feed on human blood.

Parents were notified of the developments Monday via letters sent through the district's ParentLink system.

According to the letter, no further evidence of bedbugs was discovered after the building and bedbug monitors were checked on Sunday.

"The exterminator believes that the problem has been resolved," wrote North Mianus Principal Angela Schmidt. "However, as a precaution, we will continue to use the bedbug monitor every night this week to determine if there is any possible concern."

Coincidentally, the insects were first found at North Mianus the same day that the district held a forum to address the discovery of bedbugs at Hamilton Avenue School late last year.

At the forum, Dr. Gale Ridge from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and chair of the Connecticut Coalition Against Bed Bugs, gave advice to families who are concerned about their children bringing bedbugs home from school. She said parents can have their children remove their clothes and put them in the drier for 20 minutes, since the high heat kills the bugs. Parents can also inspect books and backpacks for the insects, which are flat, brown and about the size of an apple seed.

John Goeller, who has three children attending North Mianus, said he wasn't too worried about the discovery.

"I understand you get that many children together, you're always going to have something like that happen," Goeller said. "I appreciate what the town is doing about it, and certainly our school."

Nearly eradicated in the developed world after the 1950s, bedbugs have rapidly made a comeback over the past decade. International travel is believed to be the main culprit behind the resurgence, though Ridge said at the forum she believes international trade was likely to blame.

A video of Wednesday's presentation can be viewed at http://www.greenwichschools.org/gpstv.

Staff Writer Lisa Chamoff can be reached at lisa.chamoff@scni.com or 203-625-4439.

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More bedbugs discovered at North Mianus

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