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horrible nightmare
(6 posts)-
golders
newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 5
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Oct 6 2009 22:58:39
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Hi,
My flatmate and I have just figured out that our entire flat is infested with bed bugs... it is now nearly 5am and I can't sleep... can't go near my bed at all.We moved in a month ago. Had no idea such things existed, didn't look at mattresses at all. Idiots.
Just over a week after moving, I noticed bites. I assumed they were hives, as I had suffered from them briefly a few years ago, due to stress I think, for a short time. My flatmate had no bites/hives, which made me think 'Yep, hives... I'm obviously stressed by the move.' Had noticed a few bugs, one or two in bed, in lounge, etc, but assumed they were harmless bugs. Have spent the last 3 weeks suffering horrible ichy welts, all up and down my arms, hands, backs of calves, knees, feet, shoulders, back. Must have had a hundred of them. Went to medical surgery but as wasn't registered with NHS couldn't see anyone. In process of registering, but is taking 2 weeks to see a doctor. The 'hives' would lessen at times, so I was basically waiting for them to go, like they had (apparently) years earlier.
Anyway... came home from work today and was chatting to flatmate who had noticed she had developed a few of these ichy places too over last week. Just a few on her feet mainly. So we are thinking.. must be something in the flat, not just me getting hives again. We had been racking our brains to figure it out. My room has always smelled v strongly of mothballs.. was wondering if I was allergic to mothballs, etc. So naive! Finally my flatmate googles 'red bug' or similar, a last resort... and we see the pic and recognise immediately. We have seen these bugs round the flat. We read up on them via wikipedia. I peel back the undersheet on my bed, just one corner. At least 6 full adults in plain sight. Loads of the black specks. Stupidly, when we moved I had just put my sheets over the plain undersheet thing already over the mattress here... was tired, couldn't be bothered removing it, it looked clean enough. Checked the flatmates bed... exactly the same thing. She's now sleeping on floor in less infested lounge, while I obsessively read about bugs online.
I have a couple of questions:
Does this sound a very heavy/bad case?
I am worried the ladylady will blame us/not believe we didn't bring them here. I don't earn a lot and can't really afford all the pest control stuff. Especially when it is clearly an ongoing problem-- no wonder my room stinks of mothballs (carcinogenic too... perfect!)
Are we within our rights to leave (our tenancy agreement is for min of 6 mnths)? It has a clause about the place needing to be habitable. I don't now if I will ever feel Ok here. I have been sleeping on bed of bloodsuckers for a month, oblivious.I feel like this is a nightmare.
Thanks so much for this site and especially this forum. It has been great for info and has made me feel a bit less cursed.
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Im going through the same thing right now!! yeah, I cant sleep either! It hasnt been to long since I found out but I donot know exactly how long they have been here, but I know that they have cause much stress in my life! Even though my landlord isnt worth much, she has sent someone out to "try" to take care of the problem. Im thinking right now that I will leave if I have to give up all of my furniture being that they came from my neighbors! I have gone through some bad things before, but this has been one of the worst and I think Im losing my mind. If you feel as if you have to leave(trust me I know you do) then you would definintly be able to beat your landlord in court. I dont know if I have to that far because my landlord is good at pretending to be sympathetic..although she is just covering her ass! Please my no means expect them to care, because my landlord told me to sleep with off on! I wanted to punch her in her in the face! Good luck!
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It is a horrible nightmare. I'm a week or so ahead of you in the shock/awe/discovery phase. LL is no help and also suggested I sleep in a pesticide. Blame the victim. However, it is definitely connected to the adjoining apartment. Still too fearful to go in to much detail here.
My family now knows and are sure that heat treatment is the only solution. I agree. It's a very isolating and depressing experience.
From what I'm learning the inaction of LL is not correct however, every state is different and who wants the nightmare of court.
This site is extremely helpful and I owe many thanks to nobugsonme and killerbee and spidey(?) and all the contributors.
I've finally gotten a pco to come out. They are really picking thier clients.
Golders and Dee your comments really resonated with me. Thank you for posting and as we go along through this nightmare perhaps, we can assist each other. -
Hi :) I am not looking forward to telling the landlord as I expect she already knows.. I feel like we were tricked into taking the place (it had been empty a month). In our agreement it says tenants should launder all bedding etc etc before moving out... but the previous ones clearly didn't, from what I have seen of my mattress, there are lots of fully mature adults and loads of mess... it's been there months, and we certainly didn't bring this from our previous place. I feel like we were duped.
I really don't want to stay here :(
All the furniture in here is the landlord's, and was used by previous tenants. Including my wardrobe, which STINKS of mothballs. So I think it has been an ongoing problem.
I think the best thing we can do is try to keep some perspective... so we don't lose our minds. Let's hope we are both free of them soon :) -
Hi Strabat,
Thanks for your post. It might be lack of sleep, but it all seems very surreal. How had I never heard of these before (other than the flippant 'sleep tight.. ' saying)? How can people not know about them?
I am in the UK, and not sure what the procedure is, but am assuming a PCO will come round and agree that it's a major, longstanding thing, and the landlord can pay for whatever needs to be done.
Thanks for your message- I'm glad my post has helped in some way. You have my complete sympathy, and my ear if you want to vent/talk.
Thanks for replying... it's been a long night for me, and it does feel very isolating. Strange how I somehow feel it's my fault. Stupidly chose the wrong flat to rent, I guess.
Golders -
This sent me into a little "high investigative mode" as someone stated. Another harborage was uncovered behind something I never stapled to the wall??
I was thinking the same thing about when I took this place. My reservations and internal hesitations. However, one does what one has to do.
We're in good company. Most of the world is being taken off guard by these -pests. Almost, seems to mild a word for the extreme reaction it brings about mentally, physically, socially, financially, etc.
Ridding ourselves of the cimex has taken precedence over everything else. I'll be trying to keep from getting overwhelmed and losing hope that this can be beaten. My head is in my hands many times a day now with some very dark thoughts.
Time for rest for the next days battles.
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