If you have ever wondered why bed bug infestations are so common in government buildings, then a recent news story concerning bed bugs in City Hall should provide you with an answer. In this recent bed bug case, the insects were brought into a Delaware town’s City Hall by one individual. Considering that this individual was quickly spotted as having bed bugs on his person by others within the building, it would seem that the man either did not care about infesting the building, or he was blind. It is hard to believe that the man did not know about the numerous bed bugs that had been crawling all over his clothing, but the government employees working within the building that day were likely happy that they got to go home early. The man who had bed bugs on his clothing was in Muncie City Hall in order to face criminal charges in court. So maybe infesting the building with bed bugs was this man’s way of getting even with the system. In any case, the building was promptly closed for immediate fumigations.
After closing early last Monday, the Muncie City Hall building underwent thorough bed bug treatments despite the fact that the infested man had only been within the building for a short time. However, Mayor Dennis Tyler and Building Commissioner Rick Lorrison, decided that a full blown termite treatment was the best option, as it is better to be safe than sorry.
After closing on Monday morning, city officials stayed mum over the reasons for the building’s sudden closing. At 11:36 AM, the city sent out a tweet claiming that the building was closing early due to “maintenance issues that need to be addressed.” However, the bed bug incident did not remain secret for long, as health department administrator, Jammie Bane, claimed that she learned of the incident”through the grapevine.” Although the city’s health department prefers to be notified about bed bug incidents that occur within government buildings, City Hall officials were not legally obligated to notify the health department because bed bugs are not a public health threat; instead, bed bugs are considered nuisance pests, but given the surge in reports concerning bed bug injuries that result in hospital visits, the insects may soon become a concern to public health officials.
Have you ever visibly noticed bed bugs crawling on another person?