Schools Tackle Bed Bugs

Take a deep breath, say the experts.

A single bed bug turned up at Whitman High School this week, following on the heels of finds at two other schools and the Huntington Public Library and amidst rumors of finds in other public venues. 

A few days before the bug was spotted, the South Huntington School District had issued a letter advising parents on how to eliminate the spread of the bug and what steps the district was taking to get rid of them, once found.

"The treatment of choice in our buildings has been the use of a refrigerant to freeze the affected areas where bed bugs are prone to nest. This treatment is effective and does not damage materials in the classroom. We are not using pesticides because they can be harmful to children," read a letter from Superintendent Dr. Thomas C. Shea, issued before the latest discovery. The district website provides tips on avoiding and coping with bed bugs.

But experts warn about overreaction, noting that bed bugs, while annoying and difficult to eradicate, don't spread disease.

Urban entomologist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, who works for the New York State Integrated Pest Management program, said of an at the Huntington Public Library that getting rid of the creatures "is such a frustrating experience.

"I don't know about the Huntington Library situation but it's likely they found  A bed bug and then Wednesday another one could come in on someone else. People are WAY overreacting" to the bed bug issue in general, she said. "I don't know their (the library's) response but they're going have to put in protocols for reacting and then educating the public on the issue. You can't prevent people with bugs coming to the library."

Getting rid of bed bugs and keeping them out of the schools takes some work, the district's website advises. "Our experts have told us that the best line of defense is to clean and disinfect hiding places. Placing your child's clothing (outerwear, etc.) in a dryer at a hot temperature for 20 minutes is an effective means of controlling the spread of bedbugs."