Manchester battles bedbugs at Wilson School – The Union Leader

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A bedbug was reported at the school on May 23 and another was found two days later in another part of the school, said city Health Director Tim Soucy. Officials ordered thorough cleanings and a limited pesticide application in an attempt to eliminate the bugs, he said.

He believes the bugs were brought to school from the outside.

There are certainly still issues with bedbugs in the community, Soucy said. This is not unique to Manchester by any stretch of the imagination.

On Friday, Principal Polly Golden announced that the plastic bags would be distributed to the 450 Wilson students on Tuesday morning. She stressed that the Health Department made no recommendations to close the elementary school.

Soucy said a bug was reported in a second floor area of the school on May 23. The following evening, the citys cleaning service Aramark cleaned the area with hepa-filtered vacuum cleaners.

A contractor applied pesticide and set traps in the area.

But an adult bug was found on the first floor on Thursday, which prompted plans for a top to bottom hepa vacuuming of the school and pesticide applications at both locations. That took place on Friday after the close of school, said Philip Alexakos, Manchester chief of environmental health.

In her letter, Golden said the school is following a best-practices plan that has been in place since 2011 and is modeled after New York City guidelines.

She said the situation is being monitored, and the plan will be adjusted as needed.

Soucy referred to bedbugs as hitchhikers, likely to be transported in something like a backpack or pants cuff, but not on a persons skin.

They only feed at night, and they dont like light, he said. They prefer carpeting, upholstery and clothing to hard surfaces such as concrete floors or wooden cabinets, he said

These bugs like to hide. They really dont want to be in a school. They hitch a ride, Soucy said.

Bedbugs hiding in clothing or other material can be killed if exposed to heat, Alexakos said. They would die instantly if exposed to temperatures of 120 degrees or higher. Twenty to 30 minutes in a medium or high-temperature dryer will also kill them.

Soucy said his department does not compile the number of bedbug reports associated with city schools, but the city Facilities Division receives reports of all maintenance-related problems, including insect infestations, in city buildings.

mhayward@unionleader.com

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Manchester battles bedbugs at Wilson School - The Union Leader

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