Dealing with Bed Bugs in Australia
Bed bugs have been a serious problem for Australia in recent years. As a result, the Australian Government has made significant efforts to address this issue. It has outlined policies and procedures for controlling bed bug infestations.
A comprehensive survey of Australian pest managers was carried out. The results of this study revealed a 4,500% increase in the number of bed bug infestations throughout the nation. This resulted in the development of a bed bug industry standard that forms the basis of training and education programs in Australia.
In conjunction with the development of the industry standard, a bed bug web site was created. The web site holds all six editions of the Code of Practice, as well as public submissions and a list of pest managers who are certified in the management of bed bugs. All of the information is available for free on the web site.
The peak pest management industry association in Australia is known as the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA). AEPMA initiated the development of a bed bug industry standard. The code, which was initially developed by the Association’s working party, has been adopted by other pest management associations around the world.
The AEPMA has also developed educational activities to promote best practice. Educating stakeholders is a critical element in minimizing the impact of bed bugs. For example, an educational program can involve a wide variety of methods, including workshops, seminars, lectures, and online videos. These are designed to be applicable to the different needs of different groups.
The resurgence of bed bugs in the Australia is attributed to two species, Cimex hemipterus and Cimex lectularius. These species are found north of the NSW/QLD border and in south-east Asia. However, occasional infestations have been reported outside of the range of the tropical bed bugs.
One of the main causes of the resurgence is short sightedness and poor pest management. Many individuals were unaware of the resurgence until it had begun to affect them. Furthermore, some people who had never experienced the bites of these insects were now being bitten.
Because of this, there was a need to develop urgent strategies to control the bed bug problem in Australia. At the annual conference of the AEPMA a concept of a bed bug industry standard was outlined. Based on this, the senior author of this paper was invited to become the Coordinator of the ‘Code’.
The ‘Code’ is a’reference document’ that encourages best practice worldwide. It has been adopted by various pest management associations in the USA, Italy, and New Zealand. Several independent groups have also developed procedural guidelines for bed bugs in the United States.
The ‘Code’ has been adopted by the World Pest Conference, enabling it to be freely distributed to other pest management associations. The code and its associated bed bug web site are ranked among the top three on Google Australia. Throughout the years, the authors of this article have provided numerous presentations, training courses, and lectures on bed bugs.
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