Blogs » Compost this! News of the obscure, irreverent and horticultural

A bed bug conference and upcoming work days

By CATHERINE IDZERDA ( Contact ) Monday, May 23, 2011 - 5:11 p.m.

I love my job.

Today I got to write about hosta hybridizer Jeff Moore.

I also received this press release: "BED BUG CONFERENCE WILL SPOTLIGHT STATEWIDE PANDEMIC, SOLUTIONS."

"APPLETON, WIS. – May 23, 2011 – New Berlin-based Batzner Bed Bug Services will host Wisconsin's first all-day Bed Bug Conference on May 24 in Milwaukee and May 25 in Appleton. The conference, directed toward public and private facility services representatives, will cover the tremendous bed bug infestation increase seen here at home and worldwide."

Here's the best part: The conference features Jeffrey Lipman, attorney and bed bug litigation specialist, and Arnold Ramsey, chemist at FMC Corp. and former pest management professional for the Dept. of Defense.

How sweet is that? A bed bug litigation specialist and a former pest management professional for the Department of Defense!

I once wrote a story about bed bugs. I asked Adam Elmer of the Rock County Health Department how a person would know if they had bed bugs. He said: “They leave little bites on your skin, in groups of three. I’ve heard it described as breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Thank you Adam, that's beautiful.

Here's a link to the whole story: Bed bugs

And in other news: Rotary Botanical Gardens needs your help from 8 a.m. to noon this Saturday. It's one of those crucial spring planting days, so show up if you can.

reader COMMENTS

Click here to view reader comments

(4)

janesvillean
May 24, 2011 at 10:36 a.m.
Suggest removal

They're really awful -- I endured a brief infestation a few years ago. It was after a new tenant moved into the building I was in, and some of them probably came through the walls (they can slip through anywhere a single playing card can, and smaller). The bites are not dangerous -- bed bugs are not implicated in any spread of disease -- but they itch like crazy for days, and you'll do anything to not itch anymore. I'll just say two words that saved my sanity: diatomaceous earth. It's ground up primordial creature shells, which you can spread on floors or dispense into cracks, and the sharp edges cut the bedbugs open so they dry out and die.

Before you post a comment, consider this:

Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy Agreement

Keep it clean. Comments that are obscene, vulgar or sexually oriented will be removed. Creative spelling of such terms or implied use of such language is banned, also.
Don't threaten to hurt or kill anyone.
Be nice. No racism, sexism or any other sort of -ism that degrades another person.
Harassing comments. If you are the subject of a harassing comment or personal attack by another user, do not respond in-kind. Hit the "Suggest Removal" button on offensive comments.
Share what you know. Give us your eyewitness accounts, background, observations and history.
Do not libel anyone. Libel is writing something false about someone that damages that person's reputation.
Ask questions. What more do you want to know about the story?
Stay focused. Keep on the story's topic.
Help us get it right. If you spot a factual error or misspelling, email newsroom@gazettextra.com or call 1-800-362-6712.
Remember, this is our site. We set the rules, and we reserve the right to remove any comments that we deem inappropriate.

Post Comment

Commenting requires registration.

News:

Opinion:

Blogs | Columns | Political Cartoons | Polls

Sports:

Multimedia:

Community:

Births | Couples | Obituaries | Death Notices

Blogs

Blog List | Latest Blog Entries

Services:

Reader Rewards | Retail Locations

Copyright ©2007 Bliss Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this material and this site are subject to the GazetteExtra Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Content may not be published, broadcast, re-distributed or re-written.