Feds won't OK bedbug killer

The Federal Government continues to shut down proposals to use industrial pesticide to combat bed bugs. The same bugs that are spreading across homes in Ohio, causing state officials to press the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval of this proposal.

The EPA wrote a letter to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland expressing concern about the pesticide's effects on safety; Propoxur, the name of the proposed industrial pesticide, could harm the nervous system in children, and in 1990 it was removed from home use after the Feds discovered that it can cause nausea and vomiting if swallowed. Propuxur is currently used in crops, commercial buildings, and even pet collars.

State officials now want it used in beds. But would you want to be rolling around in something that has never been used in direct contact with humans and poses health risks? So long as you don't swallow it and keep children away from your bed. Yeah, no problem.

Bed bugs are a problem in the state of Ohio. It is present in homes, local theaters, hotels, nursing homes, and taxi cabs. The state has established a task force under the Health Department to help solve the problem. The bed bugs don't carry and spread diseases but are annoying and leave red itchy bumps along the skin of the person in contact.