Health district reaches out to bedbug victims

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By THOMAS GALLICK ThisWeek Community News Wednesday April 16, 2014 8:25 AM

The Delaware General Health District hopes its new program will help take some of the bite out of paying for bedbug treatments.

The district announced last week it would launch the Bed Bug Treatment Forgiveness Loan program. Through the program, the agency will pay for half -- up to $500 -- of certain district residents' bedbug treatments.

Adam Howard, the health district's residential services manager, said one resident requested an application for the program in its first week. He said it's hard to discern how many county residents are living with bedbugs because there are no reporting requirements.

Bedbugs are brown, oval-shaped insects that feed on blood. The bugs often live in mattresses and other pieces of furniture.

"We believe it is an underreported problem," Howard said. "There is a stigma associated with it."

Although bedbugs have not been shown to spread disease, Howard said the district saw treatment of the pests as another opportunity to serve its residents. The district already collects and analyzes what information it can about bedbug infestations and offers workshops on how to identify and treat bedbugs multiple times per year.

The program will help to fund treatments at single-family homes in which the owner has lived for more than one year.

Howard said the program excludes rental properties.

"That's more of a cooperation that needs to occur with the owner and renter," he said.

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Health district reaches out to bedbug victims

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