Bed Bug Infestation Returns to St. Vincent’s
855 Village Residents Will Be Temporarily Displaced

   SAN DIEGO — A second and more severe bed bug infestation will force St. Vincent de Paul Village to tent all three of its downtown residential facilities, located at 1501 Imperial Avenue, during the week of December 16, forcing the organization to temporarily relocate it’s 855 short- and long-term residents.

   The two-phase tenting schedule, allowing for some of the Village’s bed-space to remain in use during the process, is as follows:

Friday, December 13
1:30 p.m. – Pest control company begins exterior preparations – tarps are positioned atop the roofs of the Joan Kroc and Bishop
Maher Centers (JKC and BMC)

Monday, December 16
4 a.m. – Families and single adults begin vacating JKC and BMC to temporary quarters in Paul Mirabile Center (PMC)
6:30 a.m. – Fumigation tents are dropped over JKC and BMC

Wednesday, December 18
6 a.m. – Fumigation tents are removed from JKC and BMC
– PMC residents begin vacating building to temporary quarters in JKC and BMC
10 a.m. – Fumigation tents are dropped over PMC
1 p.m. – Re-entry process begins for residents of JKC and BMC

Thursday, December 19
12 p.m. – Fumigation tents are removed from PMC

Friday, December 20
10 a.m. – Re-entry process begins for residents of PMC

   All tenting is scheduled to be completed Friday, December 20, once again giving residents full access to the Village and its various rehabilitative programs and services.

***Despite the closure of its facilities, St. Vincent’s will still offer its daily public meal at 11 a.m., which will be served under a tent in a parking lot at the corner of 16th Street and Commercial Street.***

   In April 2001, the Village tented the PMC due to a bed bug infestation. Ongoing preventive spraying was administered after the initial fumigation to ensure containment of the bug problem and all 350 mattresses in the building were replaced.

   Earlier this year residents reported bed bug sightings, and resulting investigation and studies showed the infestation was far worse than originally anticipated: Not one, but all three residential buildings were affected. A twice-weekly spraying regimen was immediately expanded to all facilities and pest experts and entomologists were consulted to determine corrective action.

   In addition to tenting the facilities, the Village will replace all 900 of its wooden-framed beds with metal-framed modular beds. A more aggressive schedule of bi-weekly sprayings will commence immediately following the tenting and continue indefinitely.

   Village Division Director Ruth Bruland says experts point to a countywide bed bug epidemic as the cause of St. Vincent’s misfortune.

   "The experts we’ve consulted with say San Diego County is suffering a rare, but real bed bug epidemic," Bruland says. "We’re being told other facilities – including hotels and motels – have been impacted by the same problem. They, however, have the benefit of professional housekeepers who change linen and bedding (a main refuge for bed bugs) daily. Our commitment to low-overhead program staffing prohibits us from taking similar steps."

   However, Bruland noted that Village clients have been asked to do their part, adhering to new rules regarding frequency of cleaning in their personal quarters and personal hygiene.

   The infestation could not have come at a worse time, says Village President Father Joe Carroll, as the holiday season is already the busiest time of year for Village residents and staff.

   "It’s terrible that our clients will be uprooted this close to the Christmas holiday, even if it’s temporary," Father Joe says. "But the problem demands an immediate and decisive response, and we need to take action now to ensure the long-term comfort of our residents."

   With tenting, new beds and other miscellaneous costs related to the infestation estimated at $250,000, the economic impact of the bed bugs is also sobering, Father Joe says.

   "It’s an unexpected expense and we will definitely feel it in the pocketbook," he
said. "But what’s more of a concern is the health and well-being of our clients, making the cost of the fumigation irrelevant."

   Father Joe is actively seeking contributions from the public to offset the costs related to the infestation, going as far as placing newspaper ads soliciting cash donations to be used towards purchasing the necessary 900 metal-framed replacement beds.

   Individuals who would like to make a monetary contribution can call (619) 687-1066 for more information.

   For more information on the tenting of St. Vincent de Paul Village’s downtown residential facilities, call (619) 687-1076.

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