Manchester & Trafford Pest Control

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Hotels, dorms and local groups work hard to keep little suckers at bay

By Steve Law

The Portland Tribune, Feb 2, 2012

Christopher Onstott / Portland Tribune

Grant Walter of Home Forward Pest Control inspects for bedbugs in the couch cushions of an apartment with an LED light during a routine inspection.

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“Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” The old bedtime saying has taken on new meaning for thousands of Portlanders in recent years, ever since the local bedbug population mushroomed.

Infestations at homeless shelters, hotels, apartments, hospitals and college dorms have served as a wake-up call, prompting a variety of countermeasures.

But bedbugs remain a stigma here, in contrast to places like New York where they’ve long been ensconced. That keeps people and businesses from reporting or acknowledging the problem – making it difficult to track the growth of Portland’s bedbug population and determine if and where we’re making headway.

“Nobody can give you a really clear picture, because we don’t have that data,” says Margaret Mahoney, co-chairwoman of a bedbug work group formed by Multnomah County to forge community-wide solutions.

Homeless shelters and other low-income housing providers stepped up first in Portland, when bedbug sightings grew more common during the past few years. Home Forward (formerly the Housing Authority of Portland) built a “warming room” to kill bedbugs in homeless peoples’ luggage and possession before they could move into the new Bud Clark Commons apartments in Old Town. Central City Concern even developed its own bedbug-resistant bed and made it available to others.

But experts say anti-bedbug efforts in other sectors have lagged or been less effective, including those of the hotel industry and purveyors of secondhand furniture. Portlanders working on the front lines say it would be better if all affected parties, including TriMet, movie theaters and the hotel industry, participated in community-wide efforts.

“For a long time, the hotels said, ‘We don’t have a problem,’ ”says Mark Schmidt, Portland branch manager for Sprague Pest Solutions Inc.

“I don’t understand why we’re having such roadblocks with some partners in the community,” says Corey Ray, housing director for Portland State University.

Even the Multnomah County Health Department was initially reluctant to address the issue, says County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, because bedbugs were not deemed a public health threat.

Kafoury helped organize a one-day Bedbug Summit last March, bringing together a variety of affected players. The county is taking the lead role, though it’s not always getting the information or cooperation it would like.

“We know the importance in tracking the problem and knowing what the growth rate is,” says Ben Duncan, bedbugs program specialist for Multnomah County Health Department’s environmental health section.However, Duncan says, “There’s very little regulation or mandatory reporting.”

Despite the lack of comprehensive data on the scope of Portland’s bedbug problem, there are some indications of a problem here:

• In 2011, bedbugs were detected in 180 low-income housing units operated by Home Forward, says Ken Combs, core maintenance manager for the nonprofit agency. That’s 15 percent of its high-rise apartments.

• Schmidt, whose pest-control company counts many hotel owners among its clients, estimates that 3 percent of Portland hotel rooms have bedbugs. “I haven’t seen the numbers change much,” Schmidt says.

• Portland State University gets two to three reports of bedbugs in its dorms each quarter, says John Eckman, executive director of PSU auxiliary services. Every Northwest university, except for Eastern Oregon University, has reported problems with bedbugs, Eckman says.

• Though the city of Portland plays a minor role in the bedbug issue, 86 tenants have complained to the city Bureau of Development Services about bedbug infestations in their residences during the past four years, says agency spokesman Ross Caron.

Real bloodsuckers

Bedbugs are tiny, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they’re sleeping. They initially inject victims with an anesthetic, so people don’t realize they’ve been bitten until later – sometimes days later – when bite marks appear.

Bedbugs congregate where their victims sleep, and they come out at night. They hide in mattress seams, box springs, behind wallpaper, in light switches and floorboards, even inside alarm clocks and portable bedside stereos. They spread by hitchhiking rides on bedding, clothing, luggage and furniture.

Though bedbugs don’t carry disease, they can cause considerable stress and sleeplessness, and are very difficult to eliminate.Kafoury says the local bedbug problem first came to her attention when many senior citizens and disabled people reported being traumatized by them.

“You have folks that really get debilitated by this issue,” Duncan says.

Some tenants have been billed hundreds of dollars when bedbugs were spotted in their dwellings, and others have been evicted, Duncan says. That makes some people afraid to report bedbugs, making them harder to contain.

County officials fear people are misusing pesticides in an effort to kill bedbugs, rather than hiring professionals. In addition, Kafoury says, “There are pest control companies out there that don’t know what they’re doing either.”

The bedbug population in the United States fell dramatically by the mid-20thcentury, beaten back by pesticides. But the numbers started growing as the insects developed resistance to pesticides, and with increased international travel. Long a scourge in New York City, elsewhere on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the bedbug population started growing here about three to five years ago.

Though they’re more common among transients, who often live in unsanitary conditions, bedbugs have been found in million-dollar Pearl District condos and high-end downtown hotels. They also may be found in homes, apartments, hotels, buses, airplanes and movie theaters.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rich or poor person,” says Kasandra Walton, a pest control technician for Home Forward. “They don’t discriminate. They like everybody.”

Aggressive programs

One day last week, a crew from Home Forward sprayed Robert Jarkow’s apartment at the Hollywood East high-rise in Northeast Portland. It was a precautionary move, which Jarkow appreciated, because several of his neighbors have reported bedbugs. “They have not been very happy,” he says.

Home Forward has an aggressive strategy to keep bedbugs under control, and now handles it all in-house with three trained pest control technicians.

“The numbers that we started at, and where we’re at now, we’re totally on top of it,” Combs says.

Staff concluded that some bedbugs were brought into the apartments via furniture donated by the Community Warehouse, and on a futon purchased on Craigslist. “We put a halt to anything coming in before we checked it,” Combs says. They eliminated free clothing exchanges on site, and started providing free encasements for mattresses, which suffocate bedbugs.

When bedbugs are discovered, technicians treat the units three times, every two to three weeks. If bedbugs are still there on a fourth visit, the treatment cycle begins anew, Walton says. Follow-up inspections are held every two months.

Home Forward invested $33,000 to build what is believed to be the first heating room for bedbugs in Oregon, after hearing about similar facilities in Canada. “It’s basically a big sauna,” says Rachael Duke of Home Forward.

Incoming residents to Bud Clark Commons are asked to place their belongings in the room, which is heated to 194 degrees. That kills the bedbugs and their eggs in a couple hours, without the need for chemicals. As a result, there’ve been no bedbugs reported at the homeless apartments since they opened six months ago, Duke says.

Used furnishings a concern

Bedbug experts say mattresses left on the street for all-comers to take, or other free exchanges, are a particular hazard for spreading bedbugs. It’s believed that some people put bedbug-infested furniture on the street to avoid the expense of hauling it to a dump.

Organizations like Community Warehouse, a Northeast Portland furniture bank that provides donated goods to low-income people, have a particular challenge with bedbugs. They get several truckloads of donated furnishings a day, and make it available to about 50 low-income families a week, says Tom Elston, program manager.

Elston acknowledges that his organization gets one to two calls a month from people claiming bedbugs have been spotted in the donated bedding and other furnishings. “There’s been some buildings that won’t allow furniture in from Community Warehouse,” he adds.

But Elston, who is an active participant on the county bedbug work group, insists bedbugs are under control at Community Warehouse because of its extensive screening program. Every week a dog trained to sniff out bedbugs comes to the warehouse to “inspect” the entire facility, including newly donated items.

“We’ve passed 62 inspections in a row,” Elston says. “We don’t have a problem at all –zero.”

However, Elston is convinced that many hotels are doing less than they should to counter bedbugs. When there are guests staying there, it’s unlikely a hotel will close a whole wing to deal with an infestation, he says.

Hotels are particularly vulnerable because they are way stations for travelers, including those coming from overseas, where bedbugs are more common.

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Article source: http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=132813755975557900

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Hotels, dorms and local groups work hard to keep little suckers at bay

By Steve Law

The Portland Tribune, Feb 2, 2012

Christopher Onstott / Portland Tribune

Grant Walter of Home Forward Pest Control inspects for bedbugs in the couch cushions of an apartment with an LED light during a routine inspection.

ADVERTISEMENTS

“Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” The old bedtime saying has taken on new meaning for thousands of Portlanders in recent years, ever since the local bedbug population mushroomed.

Infestations at homeless shelters, hotels, apartments, hospitals and college dorms have served as a wake-up call, prompting a variety of countermeasures.

But bedbugs remain a stigma here, in contrast to places like New York where they’ve long been ensconced. That keeps people and businesses from reporting or acknowledging the problem – making it difficult to track the growth of Portland’s bedbug population and determine if and where we’re making headway.

“Nobody can give you a really clear picture, because we don’t have that data,” says Margaret Mahoney, co-chairwoman of a bedbug work group formed by Multnomah County to forge community-wide solutions.

Homeless shelters and other low-income housing providers stepped up first in Portland, when bedbug sightings grew more common during the past few years. Home Forward (formerly the Housing Authority of Portland) built a “warming room” to kill bedbugs in homeless peoples’ luggage and possession before they could move into the new Bud Clark Commons apartments in Old Town. Central City Concern even developed its own bedbug-resistant bed and made it available to others.

But experts say anti-bedbug efforts in other sectors have lagged or been less effective, including those of the hotel industry and purveyors of secondhand furniture. Portlanders working on the front lines say it would be better if all affected parties, including TriMet, movie theaters and the hotel industry, participated in community-wide efforts.

“For a long time, the hotels said, ‘We don’t have a problem,’ ”says Mark Schmidt, Portland branch manager for Sprague Pest Solutions Inc.

“I don’t understand why we’re having such roadblocks with some partners in the community,” says Corey Ray, housing director for Portland State University.

Even the Multnomah County Health Department was initially reluctant to address the issue, says County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, because bedbugs were not deemed a public health threat.

Kafoury helped organize a one-day Bedbug Summit last March, bringing together a variety of affected players. The county is taking the lead role, though it’s not always getting the information or cooperation it would like.

“We know the importance in tracking the problem and knowing what the growth rate is,” says Ben Duncan, bedbugs program specialist for Multnomah County Health Department’s environmental health section.However, Duncan says, “There’s very little regulation or mandatory reporting.”

Despite the lack of comprehensive data on the scope of Portland’s bedbug problem, there are some indications of a problem here:

• In 2011, bedbugs were detected in 180 low-income housing units operated by Home Forward, says Ken Combs, core maintenance manager for the nonprofit agency. That’s 15 percent of its high-rise apartments.

• Schmidt, whose pest-control company counts many hotel owners among its clients, estimates that 3 percent of Portland hotel rooms have bedbugs. “I haven’t seen the numbers change much,” Schmidt says.

• Portland State University gets two to three reports of bedbugs in its dorms each quarter, says John Eckman, executive director of PSU auxiliary services. Every Northwest university, except for Eastern Oregon University, has reported problems with bedbugs, Eckman says.

• Though the city of Portland plays a minor role in the bedbug issue, 86 tenants have complained to the city Bureau of Development Services about bedbug infestations in their residences during the past four years, says agency spokesman Ross Caron.

Real bloodsuckers

Bedbugs are tiny, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they’re sleeping. They initially inject victims with an anesthetic, so people don’t realize they’ve been bitten until later – sometimes days later – when bite marks appear.

Bedbugs congregate where their victims sleep, and they come out at night. They hide in mattress seams, box springs, behind wallpaper, in light switches and floorboards, even inside alarm clocks and portable bedside stereos. They spread by hitchhiking rides on bedding, clothing, luggage and furniture.

Though bedbugs don’t carry disease, they can cause considerable stress and sleeplessness, and are very difficult to eliminate.Kafoury says the local bedbug problem first came to her attention when many senior citizens and disabled people reported being traumatized by them.

“You have folks that really get debilitated by this issue,” Duncan says.

Some tenants have been billed hundreds of dollars when bedbugs were spotted in their dwellings, and others have been evicted, Duncan says. That makes some people afraid to report bedbugs, making them harder to contain.

County officials fear people are misusing pesticides in an effort to kill bedbugs, rather than hiring professionals. In addition, Kafoury says, “There are pest control companies out there that don’t know what they’re doing either.”

The bedbug population in the United States fell dramatically by the mid-20thcentury, beaten back by pesticides. But the numbers started growing as the insects developed resistance to pesticides, and with increased international travel. Long a scourge in New York City, elsewhere on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the bedbug population started growing here about three to five years ago.

Though they’re more common among transients, who often live in unsanitary conditions, bedbugs have been found in million-dollar Pearl District condos and high-end downtown hotels. They also may be found in homes, apartments, hotels, buses, airplanes and movie theaters.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rich or poor person,” says Kasandra Walton, a pest control technician for Home Forward. “They don’t discriminate. They like everybody.”

Aggressive programs

One day last week, a crew from Home Forward sprayed Robert Jarkow’s apartment at the Hollywood East high-rise in Northeast Portland. It was a precautionary move, which Jarkow appreciated, because several of his neighbors have reported bedbugs. “They have not been very happy,” he says.

Home Forward has an aggressive strategy to keep bedbugs under control, and now handles it all in-house with three trained pest control technicians.

“The numbers that we started at, and where we’re at now, we’re totally on top of it,” Combs says.

Staff concluded that some bedbugs were brought into the apartments via furniture donated by the Community Warehouse, and on a futon purchased on Craigslist. “We put a halt to anything coming in before we checked it,” Combs says. They eliminated free clothing exchanges on site, and started providing free encasements for mattresses, which suffocate bedbugs.

When bedbugs are discovered, technicians treat the units three times, every two to three weeks. If bedbugs are still there on a fourth visit, the treatment cycle begins anew, Walton says. Follow-up inspections are held every two months.

Home Forward invested $33,000 to build what is believed to be the first heating room for bedbugs in Oregon, after hearing about similar facilities in Canada. “It’s basically a big sauna,” says Rachael Duke of Home Forward.

Incoming residents to Bud Clark Commons are asked to place their belongings in the room, which is heated to 194 degrees. That kills the bedbugs and their eggs in a couple hours, without the need for chemicals. As a result, there’ve been no bedbugs reported at the homeless apartments since they opened six months ago, Duke says.

Used furnishings a concern

Bedbug experts say mattresses left on the street for all-comers to take, or other free exchanges, are a particular hazard for spreading bedbugs. It’s believed that some people put bedbug-infested furniture on the street to avoid the expense of hauling it to a dump.

Organizations like Community Warehouse, a Northeast Portland furniture bank that provides donated goods to low-income people, have a particular challenge with bedbugs. They get several truckloads of donated furnishings a day, and make it available to about 50 low-income families a week, says Tom Elston, program manager.

Elston acknowledges that his organization gets one to two calls a month from people claiming bedbugs have been spotted in the donated bedding and other furnishings. “There’s been some buildings that won’t allow furniture in from Community Warehouse,” he adds.

But Elston, who is an active participant on the county bedbug work group, insists bedbugs are under control at Community Warehouse because of its extensive screening program. Every week a dog trained to sniff out bedbugs comes to the warehouse to “inspect” the entire facility, including newly donated items.

“We’ve passed 62 inspections in a row,” Elston says. “We don’t have a problem at all –zero.”

However, Elston is convinced that many hotels are doing less than they should to counter bedbugs. When there are guests staying there, it’s unlikely a hotel will close a whole wing to deal with an infestation, he says.

Hotels are particularly vulnerable because they are way stations for travelers, including those coming from overseas, where bedbugs are more common.

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Article source: http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=132813755975557900

Tick and flea bites can cause your dogs discomfort and have them itching and scratching frequently, but are they harmful? In their article “Home Remedies for Dogs with Fleas,”  Shanna Freeman and Dr. William Fortney write, “Some dogs are extra-sensitive to flea saliva. One bite may be enough to bring on the unbearable itching of flea-allergy dermatitis (FAD).” These little critters can also make your pet susceptible to bacterial infections and hot spots, which can spread and become difficult to control. According to the National Pest Management Association Inc., fleas can even transfer tapeworms to pets and cause anemia.

HOW DOES MY DOG GET TICKS AND FLEAS?

In his interview for WebMD, flea and tick expert Professor Michael Dryden says that it can happen when a flea-infested animal roams around your neighborhood carrying flea eggs or female fleas. The latter may leave eggs scattered around your area. “And then those eggs developed into adults and those fleas jumped onto your pet,” he explains. Fleas are known to jump over six feet and latch themselves onto any furry pet they can find.

Dryen says a female flea can lay as many as 40 to 50 eggs per day–that’s 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. And these eggs can hatch in 1 to 10 days. “Over 4,000 eggs are deposited in cracks and crevices along floors, behind dog cages, or even ceilings,” Dryden says in his research entitled “Biology and Control of Ticks Infesting Dogs and Cats in North America.” And once they hatch, they can survive for weeks without feeding while waiting for a suitable host.

HOW CAN I GET RID OF THESE PESKY PARASITES?

If your fur baby only has a few (thank God!), you can remove them manually. Professor Dryden recommends grasping the flea or tick as close to the skin as possible with a tweezer and then extracting the parasite using slow, steady pressure. “The tick should not be crushed, twisted, or jerked out of the skin,” he warns. Doing any of these could detach the tick’s body, leaving the head still latched onto your pet’s skin, which could in turn cause infections.

According to Jenna Stregowski, RVT, on the other hand, there are three effective ways to eliminate fleas. In her article “All About Fleas on Dogs” she includes:

1. Spot-on topical treatments like Advantage and Frontline

“Typically, the spot-on treatments need to be applied monthly,” she says. It can kill adult fleas, and some even have ingredients that can sterilize fleas. They are usually water-resistant, which means you can bathe your dog a few days after the application.

2. Oral flea prevention or treatment

This releases chemicals into your dog’s blood and can kill the parasites once they bite your dog. It should also be given once a month, and a dog should not be given more than one type of oral treatment at a time.

3. Shampoos, dips, and topical sprays

These might not last as long as the previous treatments mentioned, but they can instantly remove fleas. “Flea shampoos, dips, and sprays should not be used in conjunction with topical spot-on treatments, as they may cancel each other out or even cause chemical toxicity,” she warns.

HOW CAN I ELIMINATE TICKS AND FLEAS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT?

This can be done by destroying tick and flea habitats. Dryden suggests “cutting or removing grass, weeds, and brush piles between fences and along property lines.” Acaricides (or pesticides used to kill ticks and fleas) can also be sprayed into cracks and crevices around your dog’s cage or sleeping area, along the boards of the ceiling, and other areas your pet frequents. “If ticks continue to be a problem, restricting a pet’s access to tick-infested environments, such as tall grass, weeds, and forested areas, may be necessary.”

For more on pet care, check out these articles:

• 10 Things You Should Do for Your Dog This Year
• How to Toilet-Train Your Puppy: A Guide for First-Time Dog Owners
• Mommy, Can I Keep Him? 12 Things to Remember When Giving Your Kids Their First Pet
• Canine Companions: 5 Reasons to Get Your Kids a Dog
• What Every Pet Owner Should Know about Vaccines: 5 FAQs and Their Answers
• 10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Picking a Vet
• 16 Basic Items Every New Pet Owner Must Have
• Doggy-Dangerous Munchies: 20 Food Items Not to Feed Your Pooch
• Canine Cribs: 6 Tips for Creating a Dog-Friendly Home
• Fur Files: 10 Things to Consider before Adopting a Pet
• Wipe It! 5 Ways to Deal with Your Pet’s Messes
• Food for Your Fur Baby: 5 Things You Should Consider When Picking Dog Chow

 
(Photos by LOLren, CMDrGravy, and breakmake respectively via Flickr Creative Commons)   

Article source: http://www.femalenetwork.com/pets/ticks-fleas-and-your-dog-3-questions-youve-been-itching-to-ask-answered/

Tick and flea bites can cause your dogs discomfort and have them itching and scratching frequently, but are they harmful? In their article “Home Remedies for Dogs with Fleas,”  Shanna Freeman and Dr. William Fortney write, “Some dogs are extra-sensitive to flea saliva. One bite may be enough to bring on the unbearable itching of flea-allergy dermatitis (FAD).” These little critters can also make your pet susceptible to bacterial infections and hot spots, which can spread and become difficult to control. According to the National Pest Management Association Inc., fleas can even transfer tapeworms to pets and cause anemia.

HOW DOES MY DOG GET TICKS AND FLEAS?

In his interview for WebMD, flea and tick expert Professor Michael Dryden says that it can happen when a flea-infested animal roams around your neighborhood carrying flea eggs or female fleas. The latter may leave eggs scattered around your area. “And then those eggs developed into adults and those fleas jumped onto your pet,” he explains. Fleas are known to jump over six feet and latch themselves onto any furry pet they can find.

Dryen says a female flea can lay as many as 40 to 50 eggs per day–that’s 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. And these eggs can hatch in 1 to 10 days. “Over 4,000 eggs are deposited in cracks and crevices along floors, behind dog cages, or even ceilings,” Dryden says in his research entitled “Biology and Control of Ticks Infesting Dogs and Cats in North America.” And once they hatch, they can survive for weeks without feeding while waiting for a suitable host.

HOW CAN I GET RID OF THESE PESKY PARASITES?

If your fur baby only has a few (thank God!), you can remove them manually. Professor Dryden recommends grasping the flea or tick as close to the skin as possible with a tweezer and then extracting the parasite using slow, steady pressure. “The tick should not be crushed, twisted, or jerked out of the skin,” he warns. Doing any of these could detach the tick’s body, leaving the head still latched onto your pet’s skin, which could in turn cause infections.

According to Jenna Stregowski, RVT, on the other hand, there are three effective ways to eliminate fleas. In her article “All About Fleas on Dogs” she includes:

1. Spot-on topical treatments like Advantage and Frontline

“Typically, the spot-on treatments need to be applied monthly,” she says. It can kill adult fleas, and some even have ingredients that can sterilize fleas. They are usually water-resistant, which means you can bathe your dog a few days after the application.

2. Oral flea prevention or treatment

This releases chemicals into your dog’s blood and can kill the parasites once they bite your dog. It should also be given once a month, and a dog should not be given more than one type of oral treatment at a time.

3. Shampoos, dips, and topical sprays

These might not last as long as the previous treatments mentioned, but they can instantly remove fleas. “Flea shampoos, dips, and sprays should not be used in conjunction with topical spot-on treatments, as they may cancel each other out or even cause chemical toxicity,” she warns.

HOW CAN I ELIMINATE TICKS AND FLEAS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT?

This can be done by destroying tick and flea habitats. Dryden suggests “cutting or removing grass, weeds, and brush piles between fences and along property lines.” Acaricides (or pesticides used to kill ticks and fleas) can also be sprayed into cracks and crevices around your dog’s cage or sleeping area, along the boards of the ceiling, and other areas your pet frequents. “If ticks continue to be a problem, restricting a pet’s access to tick-infested environments, such as tall grass, weeds, and forested areas, may be necessary.”

For more on pet care, check out these articles:

• 10 Things You Should Do for Your Dog This Year
• How to Toilet-Train Your Puppy: A Guide for First-Time Dog Owners
• Mommy, Can I Keep Him? 12 Things to Remember When Giving Your Kids Their First Pet
• Canine Companions: 5 Reasons to Get Your Kids a Dog
• What Every Pet Owner Should Know about Vaccines: 5 FAQs and Their Answers
• 10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Picking a Vet
• 16 Basic Items Every New Pet Owner Must Have
• Doggy-Dangerous Munchies: 20 Food Items Not to Feed Your Pooch
• Canine Cribs: 6 Tips for Creating a Dog-Friendly Home
• Fur Files: 10 Things to Consider before Adopting a Pet
• Wipe It! 5 Ways to Deal with Your Pet’s Messes
• Food for Your Fur Baby: 5 Things You Should Consider When Picking Dog Chow

 
(Photos by LOLren, CMDrGravy, and breakmake respectively via Flickr Creative Commons)   

Article source: http://www.femalenetwork.com/pets/ticks-fleas-and-your-dog-3-questions-youve-been-itching-to-ask-answered/

This story has been updated to include a statement from Massey Services in regards to Sierra Club’s claims. 

With rainy season around the corner, the Sierra Club is concerned about the possibility of local urban fertilizing bans being overturned. The group met at Vinoy Park on Friday morning to protest two proposed state laws that would limit the impact of local fertilizer ordinances.

Almost 50 ordinances up and down the gulf coast would be affected by the passing of Senate Bill 604 and House Bill 421.

Coordinator of the Sierra Club’s Water Quality Campaign, Cris Costello, says that the only beneficiaries would be the pest control and fertilizer companies. The negatively affected population would be “everyone else”, according to Costello.

To regulate water pollution, pest control and fertilizer companies are not allowed to distribute services when it rains. If the current bills are passed (SB 604 and HB 421), companies would be given the OK to fertilize during what is now known as the “summer rainy season ban.”

“The rainy season ban is the backbone of meaningful fertilizer management,” Costello said at Friday morning’s gathering. “The fact is that local ordinances become close to meaningless without the rainy season band.”

The bills have already been passed through several committees and will make their way to Tallahassee on Monday for final review.

Commercial applicators that work for the pest control and fertilizer companies undergo a 70-minute training that allows them to self-regulate when it comes to the pollution of local waterways.

“They claim that all they need is their own best management practices,” said Costello. “But the evidence provided today proves otherwise.”

Handwritten signs and enlarged, time stamped photos were scattered around Costello as she spoke on Friday morning. The time stamped photos read “1/27/2012.” A series of photos reveals multiple vehicles distributing lawn care during a rain storm last Friday.

Massey Services was one of the company vehicles on display in the time stamped photographs. 

Update: Massey Services released a statement Friday in regards to the photos. 

“Today the Sierra Club released a statement along with photographs that purportedly show professional lawn care companies violating the Pinellas county fertilizer ordinance.  The claims by the Sierra Club that application of fertilizers during a light rain event such as was depicted in the photographs reported to have been taken on January 27th, 2012 are not prohibited by the Pinellas county ordinance or the Florida Friendly Best Management Practices.

Massey Services, Inc., a leader in landscape care, maintains that the service being provided, as shown in the photograph, is not a fertilizer treatment.  The Massey technician is in fact performing a landscape inspection and treatment to the ornamental shrubs.   The claims of the Sierra Club that Massey personnel were making an application of fertilizer are patently false. The truth is that the Professional Greens Industry as a whole are stewards of our environment.  We improve water quality by maximizing the effectiveness of our urban green spaces to filter storm water runoff.

Massey Services diligently follows all state legislation, county and city ordinances and regulations as they pertain to the proper applications of fertilizers. Massey Services takes a responsible approach to landscape management using Florida Friendly Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries as prescribed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.”

Costello says that fertilizer companies will turn a large profit by charging consumers for wasted products and services.

“This is far more than simply a matter of an esthetic,” said Florida native George Root. “This is a matter of jobs, this is a matter of our future and this is a matter of preserving that which is valuable to us as a state.”

The Sierra Club is urging citizens to call local legislators and use their voice, before they meet on Monday in Tallahassee.

Article source: http://oldnortheast.patch.com/articles/sierra-club-reveals-telling-photos-of-fertilizer-companies-disregard-for-ban