B.I.T.E. Back Newsletter * vol. 1
Bed Bug Information That Empowers
Check it out! SPCP has put together a newsletter designed to update Chicago residents on the latest bed bug developments. We will be creating four volumes in 2010 and will post each on our website for reading and downloading. Go to B.I.T.E. Back Newsletter vol. 1 * Spring 2010 to get a copy of your very own. |  | NEW Bed Bug Education Tools
Flip Chart and Script for Community Educators & Others
Chicago, more than ever, needs to spread the word about the reappearance of bed bugs on the housing scene. SPCP has tried mightily to do this but one small organization can't do it alone. We need your help.
If you are interested in helping your community prevent and/or eliminate bed bugs safely and efficiently, please download the flip chart presentation and script available here. Read through the script carefully and call us if you have questions. We'll help you become a seasoned bed bug educator in no time! Better yet, come to one of our bed bug workshops and then you'll really be prepared to spread the word. Once you feel confident, print the presentation and put it in a 3-ring or other binder and you've got a portable presentation that can be given anywhere. Or, just use it directly from your computer or laptop.
As always please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
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Presentation.pdf
BedBugFlipchartscript.pdf |
| | Bed Bug Checklists Now Available
More resources to help control bed bugs
For Residents: We have come up with the most important things you, as a tenant, should do if you suspect bed bugs have infiltrated your home. If you are a renter, the first thing you need to do is call you landlord and let him or her know. If he or she refuses to do anything and/or blames you, call Metropolitan Tenants Organization at 773-292-4980. They will be able to help you organize and force management to address the issue. This checklist is available in English and Español.
For Landlords or Property Managers: Have bed bugs in one of your building and don't know what to do? Heard that bed bugs are in your neighborhood and want to protect your building? This checklist is designed to help not only those experiencing bed bug problems, but also those who want to protect their building from infestations. Eliminating bed bugs is NOT as easy as hiring a company to do chemical treatments only. Effective treatment necessitates an Integrated Pest Management approach, a coordinated response that involves the tenants, the landlord, and an experienced pest control company. This checklist is available in English and Español. | | Bed Bug Myths
What everyone should know about bed bugs
Myth: Bed bugs are only in cheap, dirty hotels and homes. Only the poor and unsanitary get them.
Fact: Bed bugs do NOT discriminate based on income, race or cleanliness. Bed bugs are attracted to heat and CO2 emissions. This means that anyone who is alive and breathing can get bed bugs.
> More Information
| | Get Rid of Cockroaches in 6 Steps
New and improved factsheet now available!
Cockroaches are not only disgusting, they also have serious health impacts. Living with cockroaches can: (1) cause asthma; (2) trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions; (3) spread bacteria and disease; and, (4) cause structural damage. You can find cockroaches in many places including homes, offices, schools, childcares, grocery stores, restaurants, warehouses, etc. But how can we control them without making ourselves even sicker?
The easiest solution is to prevent them from ever entering your home in the first place! But, if you already have them, this recently updated and simplified factsheet offers effective solutions that anyone can do. Please download and use it yourself and/or share with clients, family, friends, neighbors or tenants. Integrated Pest Management is the only real way to prevent and eliminate cockroach infestations and it is also the safest and most effective method. | |
CockroachFactsheet.pdf |
| | Attorney General Issues Mosquito Mister Alert
Public advised to exercise caution
The Illinois Attorney General recently issued an alert warning consumers about the potential risks of using mosquito misters around the home. These devices use a timed sprayer to distribute pesticides around backyards and landscaping without regard for weather conditions, nearby wildlife or neighbors. The pesticides approved for use in misting devices pose known risks to aquatic species, and are increasingly linked to accidental exposure and poisoning in humans.
Mosquito control experts also warn that insecticides sprayed when mosquitoes are inactive do not provide effective control, and can harm beneficial insects - such as bees - more so than the nuisance kind. For more information about these devices please see our fact sheet Mosquito Misters: What You Need to Know. | | Costs Associated with Bed Bug Treatment
What you should and shouldn't pay for
 This article linked below from the New York Times on July 10, 2009 illustrates the challenges facing homeowners facing a bed bug infestation. SPCP has a number of fact sheets that will help you if you are facing this problem.
New York Times article
| | IPM IN HOMES
No matter where you live-- in an apartment, house or dorm room-- there's something most of us have in common - a desire to have a home free of ants, mice, and other pests. Integrated Pest Management offers a method of getting rid of these pests while avoiding the use of pesticides that could have serious health consequences. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a proven method of pest control that emphasizes simple, inexpensive prevention practices that cause the least harm to people and the environment. IPM focuses on eliminating the root cause of pests by minimizing access to food, water and hiding places.
IPM has been successfully used by homeowners, landlords, and renters –including residents of public and low income housing. In fact, a nationally recognized IPM program that SPCP conducted in Chicago’s public housing development, Henry Horner Homes, resulted in an 83% drop in the pesticides used. Additionally, a study by Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York found that homes that began using IPM reported roaches down by 40%, whereas homes that didn’t use IPM had no reduction. view study
The following resources provide you with basic information to get started using IPM in your home.
 A fact sheet explaining the basics of IPM
A list of steps to practice IPM in your own home
A list of pest control companies that provide IPM services
Contact us with questions or for more information.
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