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Bedbug-infested items cause concern for cities

Rumpke wants infested mattresses and furniture wrapped in plastic for pickup.

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By Chelsey Levingston, Staff Writer Updated 7:13 AM Thursday, September 2, 2010

BUTLER CO. — Rumpke asks residents in Hamilton, Middletown and other service areas to wrap and seal all mattresses and furniture believed to have bedbugs in plastic to be picked up for trash.

A spokeswoman said this has been an unofficial policy of Rumpke’s for the past year or so, but the waste hauler has become more strict on what it picks up, said Doug Adkins, Middletown director of community revitalization. Mattresses with bedbugs that aren’t sealed in plastic are not picked up, Adkins said. In fact, letters from the city being sent to property owners say Rumpke can’t determine if furniture has bedbugs just by looking and will treat all furniture as if it’s infected.

Ohio was declared the bedbug capital of the U.S. in recent reports by Time magazine and CBS’ “Early Show.”

The past two to three weeks, mattresses left behind have led to trash nuisance orders and caught the city’s attention, Adkins said. A notice will be given from the city if mattresses are left out and require disposal in 72 hours or a fee of $125 per item from Middletown.

Plastic edges must be sealed with duct tape or some adhesive.

Hamilton’s policy is to ask residents to wrap furniture or refer them to the local Rumpke Transfer Station if trash is left behind, said Jim Dalzell, acting director of Hamilton’s health department.

“We really haven’t had much problems with our policy recently,” Dalzell said.

Officials also advise that residents should wrap the items before moving them to keep the bugs from spreading to other homes. Bedbugs can fall out of clothes or furniture, said Jackie Phillips, Middletown health commissioner.

“I don’t think it’s a problem yet, but we’re trying to head off these issues,” Phillips said.

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