The housing authority is bringing out new “thermal radiation” technology to zap the insect menace du jour in New Haven’s 2,000-plus public-housing apartments with hopes of saving money in the process.
On Wednesday morning Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH) officials scheduled a pre-bid conference for contractors who would like to provide it with the Temp-Air-40kw Mobile Heat Treatment System and training in order to elminate bed bugs throughout city projects.
This equipment has already completely eliminated bed bugs at the Tower One and Tower Two senior developments, according to HANH Chief Operating Officer Renee Dobos,
“It’s a quick kill,” said Lee Purvis, the HANH staffer in charge of the project.
HANH officials said they haven’t experienced a spike or invasion of bed bugs. They want to get ahead of any new problem that might develop.
HANH did a pilot on eight apartments already. It worked, officials said. Each thermal radiation machine costs about $50,000; the HANH hopes to buy two.
Within six to nine months, Dobos said, all affected apartments in the system should be cleaned.
“If we can get on top of the problem, we can eradicate it,” said Purvis.
Currently HANH deals with infestations of the wingless, blood-sucking Cimex lectularius the old-fashioned way: the use of chemicals, of dogs to locate host sites, and then secondary treatments. This takes weeks and necessitates displacement of residents, often elderly and sometimes confused individuals, along with all their stuff, which often has to be stored or tossed.
WebMD calls bedbugs more of a nuisance than a health hazard. Click here to see a slide show.
The new “quick kill” approach relies on thermal radiation. The preferred unit is the Temp-Air EBB-40kw Mobile Heat Treatment System. It consists of a trailer that contains a diesel powered generator, four convection fans, and cables. The mobility means it can travel anywhere throughout the city and be cabled up to high-rise apartments from the street.
When it’s set up, the fans spread heat between 120 and 135 degrees, enough to kill the bugs. It can be aimed in areas where infestations have been found.
Purvis said the unit can deal with three or four efficiency-sized units in a day. An elderly tenant can sit in the lobby or go out for coffee; the treatment is completed within hours.
Plus nothing has to be removed from the apartment. Except maybe a few items that might melt, according to Purvis.
“Thermal radiation equipment is about the only thing on the market that does work,” remarked New Haven Health Department Environmental Health Director Paul Kowalski. “The fact taht HANH has taken this stance is a good thing.”
Dobos said that using the old methods, HANH cleans out about ten apartments a week. This doesn’t mean that all are infested. As a precaution apartments surrounding the “host” apartment are also treated.
“Normally we use three to four people to prep one unit,” said Dobos. In sum, that takes a lot of HANH staff and time. Thermal radiation can be supervised via a computer by a single trained HANH staffer.
Contractor bids are due mid-month. After HANH staff selects a contractor, as with all significant purchases, the contract goes before the HANH board for approval, likely at the December meeting.
So if we're buying these machines with taxpayer money, will any taxpayer suffering from the scourge of bed bugs be able to have their home super-heated, too?
Didn't think so.