Surrey, B.C. public housing infested with bed bugs
By nobugsonme on Mar 25, 2008 in BC, BC Housing, british columbia, low-income housing, public housing, surrey, ted kuhn I, ted kuhn II
Canada’s CTV reports that a BC Housing complex is infested with bed bugs. The article mentions Kuehn Tower, but the BC Housing site lists Ted Kuhn Tower I and II in Surrey, so this appears to be a typo. (Incidentally, I wonder if they found a new manager yet?)
Bill McLeod’s body is covered with bites. It’s bedbugs — and they’re crawling all over his apartment building.His home — in a B.C. Housing complex in Surrey — has been sprayed nine times to deal with a stubborn bedbug infestation. But the pests aren’t going anywhere.”I can’t sleep like this,” McLeod told CTV News. “I’m up until three in the morning. I have to leave all my lights on.
The article later claims,
B.C. Housing says it’s spent tens of thousands of dollars on pest control companies, and has a rigorous and comprehensive plan to eradicate the pests.And it’s a major problem for people in low-income housing who may have other barriers such as mental illness that make it harder for them to deal with the problems.
Mr. McLeod’s home has been treated for bed bugs nine times. Something must be going wrong then, eh? Nobody should be forced to live with this problem. Especially not folks who are older, disabled, or with other health concerns. If residents need help with prep or otherwise need support during treatment, then either social services, or BC Housing, will need to provide this assistance.
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thebedbugresource | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
Hello All,
This is exactly why the media is dangerous. I know for a fact that the person’s home is full of clutter, and in no way has he complied with the recommendations of the PCO.
This is not an account of mine (it is our competition’s) but the reporter openly admitted to me that the apartment looked like a bomb went off. There was junk everywhere.
There are always two sides to every story and in the media’s case the angle they take most often is sensationalism (half truths).
In no way can this be shouldered solely on the PCO. In fact, the only thing the PCO has done wrong is not walking away from the job right from the beginning and demanding that the apartment be properly prepared BEFORE any work is done.
Sincerely,
Sean
Entolmologist / Pest Professional
http://www.thebedbugresource.com
nobugsonme | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
Hi Sean,
Thanks for adding your perspective and sharing the information you have on this one.
There are often even more than two sides to a bed bug story (tenant, neighbor, PCO, and landlord all come to mind).
And if bed bugs are not going away, it can be the fault of the tenant, the PCO, the landlord, or the neighbors (and sometimes more than one of those parties).
Christopher | Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
Little sensitive there Sean! According to Wikipedia it’s been proven that Bed Bugs are not related to cleanliness. As an entolmologist I wouldn’t jump in front of the bus here. These bastards are really hard to get rid of. How have successfully eradicated bed bugs in your career? And how?
persona-non-bugga | Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
Christopher,
It’s true bedbugs can enter and occupy any home - clean or dirty. All that’s required is a living host to feed off of. So, if someone discovers bedbugs in their homes, they shouldn’t feel stigmatized as “dirty” or whatever.
But having a home full of clutter and mess makes it much more difficult to treat the infestation. It increases the likelihood that a bedbug infestation will persist. A house packed with clutter has that many more places for bedbugs to hide. That’s probably why almost all treatment plans require extensive prep work, which includes clearing clutter.