Apartment Complex Tackles Bed Bug Infestation
Nate Morabito (Johnson City, Tennessee) wrote an article “Johnson City Apartment Complex Tackling Bed Bug Infestation” that will make your skin crawl. This apartment complex, John Sevier apartments, happens to be a government owned complex that houses senior citizens and people with disabilities. For the last year and a half these residents have had to live with roommates, but not just any roommates, bed bugs.
One resident, Bryan Saunders says “Vampires are real, they’ve evolved over the years into tiny, tick-size little bugs.” Another resident, Lavon Brooks, claims they are extremely itchy. Many of the residents realize that the bed bugs aren’t necessarily a health issue but an extreme nuisance. So as you can imagine, the residents at John Sevier haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in quite a while.
So what’s the management going to do about this little problem? M & M Properties is the company that owns the apartment complex and their manager Harry Gibson hired Terminix to deal with the issue. However, many of the residents think they hired Terminix just a little too late, two years late in fact. A resident by the name of Brenda Springer claims that management has denied the fact that there even was a bed bug problem. But management denies Springer’s claim. A quote from the article states:
“We addressed it when we initially knew of the problem,” Gibson said.
“Here we thought we had it under control and about a month or so ago it
reoccurred.”
Terminix is holding sessions for volunteers and residents in order to prepare them for the upcoming extermination. Soon enough the apartment complex will be completely bed bug free and residents will be able to finally get a good night’s sleep. Springer however feels it’s “a band aid on a deep puncture.” However Gibson feels Terminix will remove the problem but agrees that a solution needs to be developed to keep future bed bugs out of the apartment complex.
Full story can be found here: tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/johnson_city_apartment_complex_tackling_bed_bug_infestation/14901/
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My building also has them, and also neglected to inform me when there was an infestation last summer. Unfortunately it sounds like we all have to deal with less-than-responsible building owners and managers. My suite was treated a month ago. I realized that the treatment was unsuccessful when I woke up on Saturday morning with one of the little suckers crawling under my leg – full of my blood. I just shook my head, here we go again.
I am in the process of starting a bed bug strategy/relief company in order to provide a service that no one else is providing – first to deal with the psychological trauma, then to clean/treat and quarantine the bed (so you can get a good night sleep), then develop a treatment strategy for the unit, and then, finally a prevention strategy – especially in the case of flakey building managers.
@Melissa – Yes, alcohol does kills them, but killing them on a bug-by-bug basis doesn’t really do much to solve the problem. Because you’re right – they can hide out in the tiniest of places, and they multiply like crazy. If you’re building is not dealing with the problem you can protect yourself by developing a strategy.
You can barricade your unit by putting diatomaceous earth around the perimeter walls. Do some research on it, it works, and it’s non-toxic. Also and even easier you can put duct tape sticky side up around your bed. Secure the edges to the floor with masking tape. They can’t crawl across duct tape (I’m still experimenting with this but that is what alot of people say.)
@Kara – I’m so sorry to hear you have a bad reaction. I don’t react at all which is good, but also bad because I never noticed signs of infestation, and I never know for sure if they’re gone! Forget about going door to door. Unless your building does a full sweep, you’re on your own.
@Joe Ann – Don’t leave! You’ll likely just take them with you. Then you will have left your home of many years only to have the same problem. You need to educate yourself and deal with the problem effectively. Don’t worry, it can be done!
Good luck!
Jeff
Wow Kara, Yes there are a lot of us and people just think they are hives or mesquito bites. How hard would it be for the complex to just pass around something telling people to watch for them and how to protect themselves. They really think they are following the laws. The truth is… that once you are sued then a law gets past because of it. Sorry you have to go through this.
You can break your lease if you need to. Just go downtown and file to break your lease for safety and health reasons – but make sure you protect yourself from taking them anywhere – mostly throwing stuff out and getting things thoroughly treated first . My new place is going to pre spray to double protect me and them. Good Luck! Also the exterminator said dipping things in alcohol kills them.
I live in woodford apartment in Highland Park, Mi and I have found out that I have bed bugs, I have
lived here for some years.I have to leave.
Hello Melissa, I also live in Shaker Square Ohio and have an infestation. I found out Thurs and have had to stay elsewhere as i can’t bear to think of being there. I have been breaking out in hives for a month and went to the doctor thinking I had hives where she prescribed prednisone. Only to find out it is actually bedbugs officially diagnosed Monday. I read that if 10% or more of an apartment complex is affected the health department should be contacted. I haven’t had the guts to go door to door at the complex though.
I live in a apartment that has a bed bug infestation. Aren’t they required to inform their residents? The bugs travel from unit to unit – shared laundry facilities – pipes – cracks in walls — on animals and visiters. I know they have had them a while. I only know I have them because I checked after hearing at least 4 other residents are infested. They should have informed us to help us protect ourselves. They should be treating the entire complex – even if it’s expensive – it’s going to take a lot of work to remove them and not get them back. They were kept a secret on purpose and I am disgusted. The only way to prevent is to increase awareness. It’s an epidemic but people just don’t know it. shaker square apartments ohio
My husband and I have a bed bug infestation in our apartment building, I am devastated because it is getting closer to my suite. My husband went out and bought power and spray for our suite we have sprayed our front door and around the baseboards in our hallways and in around our suite,will that protect us?
Do bed bugs get into house plants?