MICHIGAN MANUAL FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF BED BUGS Produced by the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Michigan Bed Bug Working Group Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge all of the members the Michigan Bed Bug Working Group and their respective agencies whose insights, expertise, and persistence have led to the development of this manual: Denise Chrysler, Erik Foster, Rebecca Reik, Abby Schwartz, Kim Signs, and Mary Grace Stobierski, Michigan Department of Community Health Don Edmunds, Wayne County Health Department Patty Lawless, Michigan Department of Education Don Hamel and Howard Krieger, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion Janet Irrer, Peggy Pertner, and Jillian Thelen, Michigan State Housing Development Authority Mike Kaufman, Michigan State University Extension Steven Leggat, City of Detroit Buildings and Safety Engineering Colleen Nelson, Michigan Department of Human Services Gary Offenbacher, Property Management Association of Michigan Mel Poplar, Brian Rowe, and Mike Szynski, Michigan Department of Agriculture Mark Sheperdigian and Bill Welsh, Michigan Pest Management Association Dean Sienko, Ingham County Health Department Dave Vincent, Michigan Association of Housing Officials Steve Yencich, Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association We’d also like to thank several organizations and individuals that have influenced our current work, and provided use of materials for this manual: The Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force Woodgreen Community Services, Toronto, Canada Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, New York State IPM Program, Cornell University Stephen L. Doggett, Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital, Australia The National Center for Healthy Housing For comments or concerns about the content of this manual, please contact the Michigan Department of Community Health Communicable Disease Division at (517) 335-8165 Front cover image courtesy of Graham Snodgrass, US Army Public Health Command Back cover images courtesy of Mark Sheperdigian, Rose Pest Solutions TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................1 CORE MANUAL ..........................................................................................2 Getting to Know the Bed Bug................................................................................................................3 Natural History......................................................................................................................................3 Biology..................................................................................................................................................3 Health Concerns Associated With Bed Bugs ......................................................................................6 What Activities Put Me At Risk of Encountering Bed Bugs?................................................................6 How Do You Know If Bed Bugs Are Biting?.........................................................................................6 Can Bed Bugs Make You Sick? ...........................................................................................................7 What Are Some Other Possible Health Effects from Bed Bugs?.........................................................8 Is There An Effective Treatment for Bed Bug Bites? ...........................................................................8 What Are Some Other Causes for Red, Itchy Swellings of the Skin?..................................................9 Other Biting Arthropods........................................................................................................................9 Responsible and Safe Use of Pesticides for Bed Bugs .....................................................................13 Laws and Regulations..........................................................................................................................15 Regulatory Authority of Health Officers..............................................................................................15 Regulatory Authority for Housing .......................................................................................................15 Protections for Consumers.................................................................................................................18 Authority of the Michigan Department of Agriculture to Regulate Pesticides ....................................20 Bed Bug Treatment Guidelines ...........................................................................................................21 The Integrated Pest Management Philosophy ...................................................................................21 IPM for Bed Bugs ...............................................................................................................................22 Inspection ...........................................................................................................................................23 Identification .......................................................................................................................................31 Treatment ...........................................................................................................................................31 Educating Residents and Staff.......................................................................................................................31 Reporting and Recordkeeping .......................................................................................................................32 Isolating the Bed ............................................................................................................................................33 Pre-Treatment Preparations ..........................................................................................................................34 Non-Chemical Treatments to Eliminate Bed Bugs.........................................................................................40 Use of Pesticides ...........................................................................................................................................42 Post-Treatment Evaluation ............................................................................................................................44 Summary of Bed Bug Treatment Methods.........................................................................................46 Preventing a Bed Bug Infestation in Multi-Unit Housing and Group Living Environments.........49 Furniture and Room Guidelines .........................................................................................................49 Donations of clothing and household items .......................................................................................50 Policy Statements for Shelters and Group Housing...........................................................................50 SITE-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION OF BED BUG INFESTATIONS ................................................................52 Multi-Unit Housing................................................................................................................................53 Hospitality Industry ..............................................................................................................................60 Shelters and Transitional Living .........................................................................................................63 Long Term, Nursing, and Assisted Living Facilities.........................................................................70 Camps....................................................................................................................................................72 Dormitories............................................................................................................................................74 Schools and Child Care Centers.........................................................................................................76 Version 1.01 - September 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) APPENDICES............................................................................................84 A - Matrix of Michigan Laws and Regulations ...................................................................................85 B - Sample Treatment Agreement.......................................................................................................89 C - Pre-Treatment Preparation Checklist ...........................................................................................91 D - Sample Bed Bug Complaint Documentation Form for Hotels ...................................................92 E - Bed Bugs: What Schools Need to Know ......................................................................................93 F - Sample Parent Notification Letter for Schools and Child Care Centers ..................................97 G - Sample “Parent Bed Bug Inspection Report” for Schools.........................................................98 H - Recordkeeping Requirements for Licensed Pest Management Firms and Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicators in Michigan.................................................................................99 I - Agency and Public Roles for Successful Bed Bug Management..............................................102