The Cincinnati Beacon
Bed Bugs - Doing Our Part - A Community Effort
Monday, July 28, 2008
Posted by Media Release
Cincinnati, OH – The Cincinnati Health Department will host Bed Bugs - Doing Our Part - A Community Effort on Thursday, August 14th, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Duke Energy Center. The conference is designed to improve public awareness on strategies to prevent, control and eradicate bedbug infestations. The keynote speaker, Dr. Susan Jones from the Ohio State University County Extension, Entomology Department, will discuss the biology of bedbugs including their life cycle and behavior. Additionally, Rickell Howard, attorney with Legal Aid, will review the tenant and landlord’s legal responsibility of managing bed bugs.
The city of Cincinnati is predominately comprised of old buildings, a harborage for bedbugs. An estimated 28% of the population lives below the poverty line while 58% reside in apartments or rental units. According to the Cincinnati Health Department, these factors have played a considerable role in the resurgence of bedbugs, resulting in a projected 35% increase in reported cases in 2008, primarily from residents in Avondale, Fairmount, Mt. Auburn, Over the Rhine, Price Hill, Roselawn, Walnut Hills and Westwood. Most concerning is that the experience of other cities suggests that complaints to health departments represent only a small portion of actual bedbug infestations.
The conference offers a unique opportunity for participants to exchange information and more importantly, ask questions. Conference topics include: prevention, treatment, landlord and tenant responsibilities, inspection protocols, and extermination procedures. Expected participants include residents of the Tri-State Area, community leaders, business owners, as well as city, county and state officials. The conference will also provide professional educational opportunities for environmental health sciences and extermination professionals.
“I am very pleased to know that the conference has invited nationally recognized researchers to help educate our citizens, property owners and tenants understand the bedbug biology, identify the bugs and take appropriate actions to control them.” Dr. Mohammad Alam – Director of Environmental Health, Cincinnati Health Department.
Susan C. Jones, Ph.D.
Dr. Susan C. Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University. Dr. Jones serves as a state specialist on household and structural insect pests, providing research-based information to the public and the pest management industry. She routinely conducts pesticide applicator training pertaining to household pests, termites, and wood destroying insect inspection and provides input to regulatory agencies regarding insect control. Dr. Jones holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Arizona, a M.S. and a B.S. in Entomology from Louisiana State University.
Rickell Howard
Rickell Howard is a Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, representing low-income tenants in eviction cases, subsidized housing terminations and affirmative claims aimed at improving housing conditions. She also participates in a number of projects advocating affordable, decent housing for low-income people. Ms. Howard holds B.B.A. in International Business from Howard University and a J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
For more information or to register for Bed Bugs - Doing Our Part - A Community Effort, visit http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov, call (513) 357-7344 or fax (513) 357-7262. The conference is free, but seating is limited.
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