NIAGARA FALLS – An exterminator went on the warpath against bedbugs in the Trott Access Center on Thursday night, trying to kill the bugs in several first-floor areas of the Niagara County office building.
There will be two more treatments, according to Robin DeVoe, deputy public works commissioner for buildings and grounds, who termed the problem “minimal” in an interview Friday.
“In 14 days they’ll be coming back to spray again, and 14 days after that, they’ll be coming back to spray a final time,” DeVoe said.
Jennifer R. Pitarresi, county risk and insurance director, said it is the second time this summer that Buffalo Exterminating of Orchard Park has been called to Trott, located at 1001 11th St.
On an earlier occasion about two weeks ago, a person who one source said was “infested” with bugs entered the building.
Buffalo Exterminating was called to make sure that client hadn’t left any insects behind.
Pitarresi said a county worker saw a bedbug Monday, so the exterminator was called again to employ bedbug-sniffing beagles to determine the extent of the problem.
The two beagles roamed the building Tuesday and Wednesday nights, sniffing out bedbugs and their eggs.
“The dogs are 90 percent accurate,” Pitarresi said.
DeVoe said Thursday night’s spraying occurred where the beagles noted bedbugs: in the space occupied by Northpointe Council, a private substance abuse treatment facility, as well as the motor vehicle office and the offices of the county Health Department.
“It’s not the whole area; it’s just in certain areas,” DeVoe said. For example, at the DMV, the bugs were behind one filing cabinet.
“We had the whole building sniffed out, just to be safe,” DeVoe said. “They could have been there for a long, long time. We don’t know that.”
DeVoe said there was no need to prevent public access to any part of the building.
“The process we’re going through is the gold standard for eradication of bedbugs and the eggs that hatch them,” Pitarresi said. “It doesn’t pose risk to the public. It doesn’t pose risk to the employees. … We believe, because we have engaged a professional expert, it won’t go any further.”
Other tenants of Trott include the county Mental Health and Probation departments, a state job training office and Niagara County Community College.
Brad Fisher, bedbug manager at Buffalo Exterminating, did not return a call for comment Friday.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
There will be two more treatments, according to Robin DeVoe, deputy public works commissioner for buildings and grounds, who termed the problem “minimal” in an interview Friday.
“In 14 days they’ll be coming back to spray again, and 14 days after that, they’ll be coming back to spray a final time,” DeVoe said.
Jennifer R. Pitarresi, county risk and insurance director, said it is the second time this summer that Buffalo Exterminating of Orchard Park has been called to Trott, located at 1001 11th St.
On an earlier occasion about two weeks ago, a person who one source said was “infested” with bugs entered the building.
Buffalo Exterminating was called to make sure that client hadn’t left any insects behind.
Pitarresi said a county worker saw a bedbug Monday, so the exterminator was called again to employ bedbug-sniffing beagles to determine the extent of the problem.
The two beagles roamed the building Tuesday and Wednesday nights, sniffing out bedbugs and their eggs.
“The dogs are 90 percent accurate,” Pitarresi said.
DeVoe said Thursday night’s spraying occurred where the beagles noted bedbugs: in the space occupied by Northpointe Council, a private substance abuse treatment facility, as well as the motor vehicle office and the offices of the county Health Department.
“It’s not the whole area; it’s just in certain areas,” DeVoe said. For example, at the DMV, the bugs were behind one filing cabinet.
“We had the whole building sniffed out, just to be safe,” DeVoe said. “They could have been there for a long, long time. We don’t know that.”
DeVoe said there was no need to prevent public access to any part of the building.
“The process we’re going through is the gold standard for eradication of bedbugs and the eggs that hatch them,” Pitarresi said. “It doesn’t pose risk to the public. It doesn’t pose risk to the employees. … We believe, because we have engaged a professional expert, it won’t go any further.”
Other tenants of Trott include the county Mental Health and Probation departments, a state job training office and Niagara County Community College.
Brad Fisher, bedbug manager at Buffalo Exterminating, did not return a call for comment Friday.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com