Michigan Bed Bug Concern

Michigan, and most of North America, had largely been free from certain household pests for decades.

But the Michigan Department of Community Health says they’ve made a comeback in the last few years.

They’re bed bugs.

The MDCH recently put out a warning about the misuse of pesticides for bed bug control.

The Marquette County Health Department says non–chemical methods are the best ways to deal with bed bugs.

Environmental health director Patrick Jacuzzo says some of the preferred methods for treating a bed bug infestation include reducing clutter that you may have lying around, sealing off any cracks or crevices and encasing the mattresses and box springs on all of your beds.

Pesticides have a U.S. Food & Drug Administration label.

Only pesticides labeled for indoor use against bed bugs should be used.

And it’s not a good idea to handle the pesticide yourself.

Jacuzzo says the Health Department recommends using pesticides only as a last resort and suggests contracting with a licensed pesticide applicator.

Bed bugs can infest any space that humans live in, from a college student’s apartment to a luxury hotel.

If you want more information about bed bugs and how to stop them, the Marquette County Health Department has several websites in mind that you can visit.

Those include the Health Department’s own site, the MDCH’s bed bug information site and the EPA’s federal bed bug site.