Bedbug outbreaks hit Saint John

St. Joseph's Hospital isn't the only Saint John building that has been battling infestations of bedbugs in recent months.

The Saint John hospital revealed last week that it had an infestation of the insects. A city pest control company says bedbugs are a huge problem now and that is causing many organizations to take the situation seriously.

Tracey Shipley, a spokesperson with the Horizon Health Network, said the necessary steps have taken place to eliminate bedbugs at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Shipley said in an email the problem has been contained and isolated, and staff continue to monitor the situation.

But the news has other agencies, including the city's hotel industry, reacting with caution on worries thebedbugs may spread.

Paulette Hicks, the general manager of the Delta Brunswick Hotel and president of the Saint John Hotel Association, said local businesses are taking the threat of possible bedbug outbreaks very seriously.

"We're looking for any signs that it can be dealt with immediately," Hicks said. "I think an outbreak happens when there are situations that go unnoticed and not treated. "

Hicks said there have been no issues of bedbugs at her hotel, and she said members of the hotel association haven't reported any problems.

Greg Flynn, who is with Braemar Pest Control, said he receives between 10 and 12 new calls a week from people dealing with bedbug outbreaks.

Ayear ago, Flynn said, he would only get one or two calls a month.

"The new calls are getting overlapped by the follow-ups and it's just going. And I know our guys are tapped right out," Flynn said.

"We're getting to the point now that we're looking at putting a bedbug crew together where we have two guys that travel around and just do bedbugs."

Flynn said too often people are throwing out their mattresses to curb the problem. When that happens, he said, people are spreading the bugs to more areas of a given property.

Another mistake people make is to combat the problem with a bottle of store-bought insect killer, Flynn said.

He said the average bedbug job takes between four and six weeks to complete.