Nov 18, 2014 2 min read

Fifteen of 40 apartments at Washington County Housing Authority’s Crumrine Tower on South Franklin Street in Washington were treated for bedbugs, and a representative of a pest-control firm will be on hand at the authority board meeting at 5 p.m. today to answer questions.

The board meets on the first floor of the six-story Crumrine Tower, but Stephen Hall, executive director of Washington County Housing Authority, said there was no infestation in the offices. Despite the name “bedbug,” the insect can inhabit upholstered furniture, drawer joints, electrical receptacles and appliances or live under loose wallpaper, according to the website of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The housing authority has a contract with Witt Pest Management, Pittsburgh, to use heat and chemical treatments.

Heat treatment, which Hall said seemed the most effective, brings the temperature inside an apartment to between 130 and 140 degrees.

The bugs die when their body temperatures reach 113 degrees, but to attain that, a room must be hotter to ensure sustained heat reaches the bugs no matter where they are hiding, according to the EPA website.

“It’s been a challenge, but we’re staying on top of it,” Hall said. “We’ve had bedbug outbreaks in the other developments. Crumrine Tower just seems to have been the most severe.”

One resident, who asked not to be identified, said she covered her electrical outlets with caps designed to protect children from shocks.

“I’m a clean person, and I’m not cluttered up,” she said. “I called the zoning board, too. It’s an ongoing fight. The county, they are helping us out.” She wondered if the best strategy would be to have all residents leave the building at the same time and treat the entire tower.

Bedbugs can hide in the smallest of crevices. “If a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a bug,” according to the EPA website.

One meeting was already held to inform residents of the problem. The housing authority also posted signs and placards in common areas.

If someone reports seeing bedbugs, pest control workers inspect the unit and place monitors. If a problem is detected, the unit is treated.

Witt recommended all apartments in Crumrine Tower be inspected, said Hall, who estimated the building is home to about 50 people.