Ohio asks for federal help to fight bedbugs

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio wants federal permission to use a strong weapon against a growing problem of bedbugs.

The state Department of Agriculture has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an emergency exemption so Propoxur may be used to battle bedbugs in Ohio homes. Propoxur is an insecticide currently used in commercial buildings, on crops and in pet flea and tick collars.

An answer from the EPA could take months, however.

At an Ohio Agriculture Department bedbug summit Tuesday, Paul Wenning with the Franklin County Board of Health said the pests are becoming overwhelming. He estimated that 70 percent of hotels in Franklin County, which includes Columbus, have had to deal with bedbug infestations. Cincinnati and Cleveland also have reported bedbug problems.