Comments on: From Time’s rich archives: a spider hungry for bed bugs

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:46 +0000

QUESTION!

Where do you live and what kind of building do you live in (how many rental units)?

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:56:30 +0000

Question,

Your options are affected by your location. NYC, for example, has housing inspectors who MAY inspect your home and enforce treatment. Please see our incomplete FAQ on who pays for treatment for leads on local laws where you live. We also have a FAQ on finding a lawyer. The forums may be a good place to get tips from locals also.

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:42:38 +0000

Frank,

Petroleum jelly may make a bed bug have trouble walking on a specific surface, but it does not “prevent” bed bugs from infesting your home or biting you. Slicking up your bed legs may do more harm than good by sending bed bugs to infest other areas of the home (living room or computer chairs, for example). See our FAQ on protecting the bed for better advice.

Neem, we are told, has repellent properties. But again, it won’t remove bed bugs from your home. It may scatter them further around your home, lengthening treatment times and increasing treatment cost.

People seeking DIY methods would do better to consider a dry vapor steamer and maybe some carefully-applied DE. We have FAQs on both in the “treatment” section: http://bedbugger.com/faqs

By: QUESTION!

QUESTION! — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 08:22:43 +0000

Alright, I have a very serious problem with bed bugs.
…A problem I have been living with for 3-4 months now thanks to an Unresponsive landlord, and irresposible roommates. At this point, I have asked, asked, and asked the landlord to get a bloody exterminator and fix this bloody problem, amongst other problems. Now, my roommates have moved out, and have taken the infestation to their own pad. I am currently stranded in an apartment, with no fiscal means of hiring an exterminator, a landlord who says they are cockroaches (even though I have shown him the carcasses and online pictures, as well as having confirmation from my uncle, who is an entymologist) and refuses to exterminate them because it is “my responsibility.” I am stuck here, and cannot move out without taking the bastards with me, and at this point, trapped in a sinking ship. Who do I call to bring legal action and a bloody exterminator to this place?

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:56:38 +0000

Apparently petroleum jelly works very well in preventing bed-bugs, as well as the end-all beat-all natural repellent to all: Neem Oil. Between the two, you should be ok. Look at Wikipedia for advice.

By: bad bed bugs go with you

bad bed bugs go with you — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:13:20 +0000

hi:only one problem with just packing up and moving,these dam bed bugs just go with you,they lay eggs on your things that hatch and here we go,bed bugs some more,i went through a move,washed all cloths and bedding,wiped down everything with soapy water(hot),junked all bedding(mattres’s) ,couch and chairs,and they still moved with me.ken

By: Bed Bugs Blow

Bed Bugs Blow — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:23:47 +0000

I’m a first time home buyer, and had no idea what was biting me at night. As is turns out I thought I was breaking out into stress related hives a month before I got married. 2 months later I finally see the suckers! Of course my husband and I just started our own business and had no money for treatment. No money to speak of at all really.
So all I’ve done is spray Ortho Home Defense, which seems to make them back off for a few days, and I find a couple dead hear and there, but they still come back. What’s even more frustrating by not having money to treat, I’m the only one in the household effected! My husband doesn’t even have a reaction. – another reason why it took so long to figure out what was there.
I still find them in my clothes just a day after I wash. I’ve taken everything out of drawers and closets, but still they persist. Is there not any way to get rid of these things myself?!They were just in our room, but now they’ve traveled with us downstairs. Ugh.
Should I just pack up and sell my home!!! That’s what I feel like. Is there a city or government office that can help take care of these bugs. I don’t have money! But I still have my sanity….barely.
I can say this though, it feels good to tell someone about it. I don’t feel dirty, and like I have a gross, unclean home. I don’t! I’m just so F-ing over these things.

By: nobugsonme

nobugsonme — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:33:44 +0000

Sandi,

I can’t comment on how to manage a building vis a vis non-paying or late-paying tenants.

I can note that just because you heard this unit had bed bugs first does not mean that it was the original source of bed bugs in the building. Often people have made such assumptions and then later discovered even worse, non-disclosed cases in the building. When it comes to bed bugs, try to avoid laying blame and focus instead on education and treatment.

The best thing you can do for your building as a whole is to have all units carefully inspected by a PCO who knows how to look or by a canine scent detection team — make sure they agree to look for bed bugs once the dog alerts. Educate your tenants (and yourself) about bed bugs. Some firms would recommend treating all attached/adjacent units to the known infested one, even if no signs are found (the Boston Inspectional Services Dept. has this as a city-wide policy).

Remember it can be hard to detect bed bugs visually because they hide well, and remember that a huge percentage of folks do not react to bites and may have no idea they have them.

You can come to the Forums for more suggestions.

By: Mr. LandLord

Mr. LandLord — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:36:48 +0000

You should of evicted this loser a long time ago! Call the sheriffs! Now!

By: Sandi

Sandi — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:26:33 +0000

OK, OK …
So, you guys think you’ve got BB problems?
Let me let you in on mine.
I live in Chicago.
It’s 5:30 in the morning & I’m still up trying to find reliable as well as informative information to copy & distribute to residents of the 47 unit building I manage before our extermination service arrives to access a BB problem I discovered in one of the apartments.
I was summoned to this this residents apartment where I was questioned as to what kind of a time frame he could count on for an eviction process to actually happen.
I mean after all, he was going to need time to prepare his finances, due to the fact that he needed to save enough money for a security deposit, first months rent & movers, after he found another place.
Did I say he hadn’t payed his rent in several months?
Did I say that when he opened the door & asked me inside I was reluctant based on the smell alone, not to mention the absence of carpeting due to beer cans and overflowing garbage bags as well as who knows what else stacked about the room?
Let’s just say, it wasn’t going to take a fresh coat of paint & a general good cleaning to get this apartment back into,’Move In Shape’ again.
To get to the point …
He then complained … he might have ticks in his couch & chair???
He handed me a jar, with a few of them inside, to prove his point …
Long story ….(sorry)
Yes, you guessed it Bedbugs.
A WHOLE LOTTA BB’s
Let’s just say the inside, under the cushions was crusted black.
Yes, I called the exterminators, they quoted me $450 per unit & said it would take 5 weeks,
& remember this guy hasn’t paid his rent in several months & I’m going to have to invest more than I should have to to repair this apartment after he saves up enough to move out.
However, that’s not my main problem at this moment.
My problem is ….
How do I explain to my other residents that we now have BB’s?
I don’t care how ‘nicely’ you put it ….
They are not going to appreciate it.
I now have come to find out … after being told that he did not have TICKS,
instead he had a very bad case of BB’s, he’s placed his couch & chair in the hallway.
(he didn’t want BB’s in HIS apartment) So, now you can be sure …
If for some miracle the BB’s hadn’t spread outside his apartment by now,
this act will shurely do exactly THAT!
(I expect he’ll be passing them out door to door next)?
What do I do now?
(sorry this was so long)
Thanx for any suggestions?