Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs Now Available
For Release: February 4, 2015
Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs Now Available
The management of bed bugs continues to be a major challenge for communities, state and local governments, private industry and the American public. Today, on behalf of the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup, EPA is releasing the Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs, providing guidance for how the various levels of government can minimize the negative effects of bed bug infestations on human health and the economy.
The Strategy advocates for a logical, integrated approach to bed bug management, with a focus on cooperation among all levels of government and the community. When communities customize implementation at the local level, they are able to draw on their own unique characteristics and strengths to develop a more robust management program. By implementing programs that address the issues discussed in this strategy, communities can reduce costs and achieve a better level of bed bug control.
The Strategy is organized into four priority areas for bed bug control:
- Prevention,
- Surveillance and Integrated Pest Management,
- Education and Communication, and
- Research.
For each priority area, the Strategy defines the problem, recommends actions and discusses ways to measure the success of these actions. Readers will also find information on the elements of a successful program; what collaboration needs to take place; how to measure results; and, the identification of research needs.
The Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs was developed by the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup, which was established based on a recommendation from the first National Bed Bug Summit in April 2009. The strategy was developed with input from representatives of the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, represented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Read more information on The Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs.