Bronson and Viamonte-Ros: Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

With bedbugsa real problem in New York, outgoing Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson and state Surgeon General Dr. Anna Viamonte-Ros warned Floridians that the bugscould be a problem in the Sunshine State.

Bronson cautioned Floridians on Monday to be careful when trying to fight them and, as they come out at night and are often hard to detect, to bring in licensed contractors to fight them.

Reports of pesticides and other chemicals being misused in the treatment of bedbugs have made headlines in many states across the nation, said Bronson. Due to the difficulty in controlling this pest, the public may resort to the use of pesticides in ways that are not in compliance with their label directions and are frankly unsafe.

Said Viamonte-Ros, Application of pesticides or chemicals by untrained or unlicensed individuals is a primary concern of the Department of Health because misusing pesticides in a desperate attempt to control infestations can lead to harmful exposures in private homes, public housing, workplaces and institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools.