Warden says bites at facility not bedbugs

Minnehaha County Prison has no bed bug problem, the warden said.

Two detained men said they woke up with insect bites in the apartment units Thursday morning, and guard Mike Mattson said he was informed as soon as he got to work around 7:45 a.m. that day.

“We checked the unit right away and devised a plan to shower everyone, get them new clothes, move them to a new unit, and treat the blocks these gentlemen were in,” Mattson said.

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Mattresses in the unit were wrapped in plastic, thrown away, and new ones brought in, Mattson said. Washing is currently taking place to kill any bugs or eggs that may have been on the fabric.

The men living in the unit were also examined by medical staff, Mattson said.

A pest control company came to the prison Friday morning and neither the sprayers nor prison staff saw bugs, Mattson said.

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“Everyone is letting us know that we have taken a very good approach to making sure this is not an ongoing problem,” said Mattson. “I wanted to be on the safe side rather than being sorry.”

Mattson reiterated that the bites were unrelated to the Mike Durfee Prison bedbug outbreak in Springfield, which was first reported by Dakota News Now in early July. The men who reported the bites were not moved from the Springfield men’s facility.

Annie Todd is breaking news and community reporter for the Argus Leader. Contact them at (605)215-3757 or atodd@argusleader.com.