The city council of Bellevue in northern Kentucky will vote on an anti-bed bug law next month.
The ordinance would require any bedding that’s placed outside for trash collection to be wrapped in plastic so bed bugs can’t escape. Research entomologist Jeff White with the New Jersey-based Bed Bug Central says that’s a good first step, but more precautions should be taken. For instance, the law should require the furniture to be marked if it’s infested with bed bugs, and the city should offer to pick up bedding in between trash days.
“You’d be amazed how and what people will take in,” he says. “We have destroyed things; literally cut pieces of bedding and furniture up and tagged them and still had people take things into their home.”
City administrator Keith Spoelker says bed bugs are not an overwhelming problem in Bellevue, but adds that city officials want to take precautions. He expects the legislation to pass.
“Are we overrun and are they running all over the place? No, I don’t think so,” he says. “But we know people have bed bugs. We know it. Supposedly Cincinnati across the bridge there is a hotbed of bed bug activity. But are we any worse off than anybody else? I don’t think so.”
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