Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)
How much can happen in three weeks? Can I break lease? Help!
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The best course of action, for all concerned, is always to inform the landlord and the neighbors, and ask the landlord to treat, which is likely his obligation. This helps you in the end and is the right thing to do in so many ways. (Just one example of why this is a good thing to do is that if you have communication with your landlord and neighbors, you can help prevent the worst things from happening, like someone setting off bug bombs in their apartment, which will make everyone's problems worse.)
That said, if I understand the situation correctly, and you are not willing or not able to return to deal with this situation right now, and you are correct in suspecting that your landlord will not hire the right PCO for the job, then, if it were me, I would consider hiring my own PCO. Not everyone knows bedbugs, and those who do are not cheap. It takes time, careful treatments and repeat visits. And a whole lot of prep work. And knowing what to do and not to do. Not to throw out stuff without care, etc.
I know this is not the correct approach, I should be telling you to insist and convince your landlord to hire the right PCO, to call in the city inspectors if that doesn't work, etc. But, well, are these realistic options for you given what you describe? Only you can know that. Hiring your own PCO might allow you to get rid of them, and if not for good, at least temporarily, in order to think about and plan a move. This is assuming that the building has several infestations that will not be controlled. Obviously, you need to assess that yourself, and honestly and calmly, not in desperation, because moving is not an easy thing to do and is very, very risky. So, if you can avoid it, you will be better off.
Again, you can, and perhaps you should, give the landlord an opportunity to do the right thing, for you and any of your neighbors that also have an infestation.
Perhaps others will give their perspective. You can still fulfill your ethical obligations to your neighbors by speaking to them directly and doing what you can to educate them about the problem.
Anyway, that's just my personal take, and that is because I had a long bedbug fight, and made many mistakes and, if I had to do it over again, I would have hired the best PCO I could afford the first time.
There is NO need for a protracted battle. People who find good PCOs and do the necessary work can get rid of them very quickly and, relatively, painlessly. No need to throw out your life, to go through a traumatic move, etc. Or, if that is in the end the only choice, to do it safely, without putting others at risk, and keeping everything that means anything to you.
We're here, but like I said in the other thread, start with the FAQs, as they provide the best information available.
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The other thing, depending on the specific landlord-tenant laws in your city, it seems to me that it's possible that you are allowed to have a roommate who is not on the lease, and you might look into this, by perhaps contacting a tenant advocacy group in your area, so that you don't have to be afraid of things that you need not be afraid of when you speak to your landlord.
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 11:55:14
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Hi …
Sorry for the bad news really I am!If, there are 10 adults (5 females), and if all goes well for them, climate, food source, survive without being caught or killed, My estimate is that you would have an additional (apx # 100 bugs in various larval stage and eggs.
Figure five eggs laid every five days x 5 females and x 4 (for the 20 days) = 100 MORE bugs from today's date.
Sorry for the bad news.
When you say 'many people have thrown out so much;" DID you mean at YOUR apartment i.e. the neighbors, or were you referring to people here, and their stories--that is unclear. An old apartment full of cracks would mean. Possibly that the neighbors already have the bugs.
How long have/ had you been there i.e. how long was the old lease and how many had you signed?
Neighbors may have caused this.
Do you have any idea how the bugs got in there?
What a conundrum--I am at a loss, only to say the most responsible thing for you to do is to either call the property owner and spill all--or get the Sublette to try to hire a PCO that knows how to treat for Bed bugs on the sly.
The best way to keep them from spreading into other areas is for the Sublette to act as bait to draw them OUT of the crack and crevices ... so the Sublette might need to stay on the bed and have the poisons spread just around the bed area. Provided they are poisons, the bed bug will be willing to cross over to bite the Sublette and not just go thru the walls into the neighbors. That is not SOP and a PCO would need to be convinced to do this for you.
That extra "C" note tip...
This may be the time to use it.
you've already gotten the whole thing "loused up" whether it was you, the Sublette or the neighbor's who started all the bed bugs--and of course it is really nobody's fault.
When you get home the first order of business, then would be to get the buds to die by having a Bed Bug specialist PCO back in ... immediately to treat, then caulk all cracks and crevices after they spray killing chemicals into the walls.
This is what I would do--as, it sounds like you may be afraid of loosing your place or being held liable. Or both.
Bed bugs can really mess with one's head, and so, this SUGGESTION ONLY is like a harm reduction thing: killing as many bugs without spreading too many--under the table, so to speak.
Rules to this awkward case: Sublette has no visitors whatsoever, stays on the bed as much as possible, hopefully he or she can isolate the bed properly per the FAQS so he she will not be eaten alive within 48 hours of the PCO doing the first treatment.
They should treat, anywhere you or the Sublette. often spend time in the place, as the bugs could be anywhere. It is usually the bed, the bedroom, a computer chair or a couch where you may be reclining ... watching TV or reading or whatever...
You would need to figure out what y9ur habits are in the home ... the fact that the Sublette has his/ her own habits too--so ... the whole place may need to be sprayed.
This is not the best thing for the killing of the bugs totally ASAP--but you do not want you sued or wind up homeless or something else worse than having bugs.
You will have to meditate over it and ... good luck.
Wherever you are? Are you SURE, you do not have any bugs, as we often can carry them with us unbeknownst to us. Check for all signs and symptoms where you are. If you find any bugs... Be sure you do not bring any more back home with you upon return.
Sublette needs to wash all clothing i.e. every single cloth item and bag it all 100% too, as prescribed in our laundry FAQ, and, follow those instructions to the "T".
Can he/she do this and are you willing to have them do it?Also, make a list of the things you will need from mattress and box spring covers to DE and contact killers and order them now so you will have extra weapons to kill them upon your return.
Like I said ... this is not the best practice but given the sketchy you've left here ... this is most likely what I'd do or some version close to it.In this case … the judicious use of very thinly spread FWDE, all around the bed on he floor in a 2 foot ring may be a good temporary substitute for treatment UNTIL you get home. If this is the case—bugs will have been kept away from the bed as well as kept from leaving the cordoned off area so they will also be trapped inside the bed. If you were to have Sublette do this—I’d also have them isolate the bed,
Can you send them the supplies … send them here to the FAQS and get them to do it? Can you send them the contact kills and the DE?If the Sublette is intelligent enough to do this and prepared to read up all they can—it will lessen the load and cause minimal spreading.
MY THOUGHTS ONLY. ALL ABOVE = not advice for you i.e. a disclaimer.
Good luck
Willow
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 13:09:49
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sojo ...
That sounds like a plan. Where, exactly, is the apartment i.e. what city—not the actual address, obviously
Hells kitchen, the Bronx—Cleveland? South side of Chicago?
Also—is this husband and wife team only … or are there kids too?
Pets? That, in addition-- is part of it too--so let us know about that.Points: bed bug bites do not always cause a severe reaction in people sensitive to other bites. This is because the chemicals they inject are bed bug specific. the Novocain-like substance is not exactly Novocain. The anti-coagulant is not exactly like the anticoagulants a Doctor might use in the treatments they use it in.
Are you getting my point?
I'm fairly allergic to stuff … yet my bed bug bites are nearly indistinguishable from a little ingrown hair pimple.
Often the first few bed bug bites are the most reactive ... it just depends. This, I think was what happened to me: I had a huge welt in the first bite then much less….
In late January I thought I had a stress boil … In February I found a whole bunch of well fed bugs! I had systemic itching all over …. Some get that—not all.So … maybe those were not mosquito bites back in June. Maybe the whole place (at home) is already infested--still, I like your plan and it "sounds good."
Good luckWillow
PS the relative would have to do it by day, go very slowly and methodically, and take all sorts of precautions: They should have a COMPLETE change of clothing INCLUDING SOCKS SUES UNDERWEAR … They should have a contact kill ….
i.e. 91% r, alcohol in a spray bottle or from a web site you can get “klean-free.†They need to take a full shower, unwrap the clothing change after drying off IN THE TUB and changing in the tub—then getting out of dodge—en pronto. Their outgoing clothing should also be wrapped and then treated thoroughly.
The FAQS. Make sure they read and understand them fully.
In addition, that is not to say that bed bugs only live in cloth items ….See Murphy’s oil posts by doing a site search here.
(Look for the site search feature and the Google feature—click the correct boxes of course)
All wood can be treated using that—even especially repeating it on the floors.Again … Good luck!
Willow
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parakeets
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Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 913
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 13:17:44
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According to an adult school class I took in landlord/tenant law, if you sublet to someone then **you** technically can become "the landlord" to the person who sublets from you. So I think you are taking the responsible step of getting a PCO to start the process, particularly considering how slow your own landlord is to react in a proper fasion to complaints and given the complications of your having a subletter. If you want to break your lease, that may be possible if the landlord doesn't effectively treat the bedbugs in the building. Document everything and allow for some time.
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buggeroff
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Posts: 180
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 18:58:02
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sojo, it sounds to me like you may have gotten them from your neighbor of the thrown out mattress and upset voices.
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Blue_Ox
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Posts: 144
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 21:47:48
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Regarding the sublet thing - I don't see how you can really lose out by telling your landlord now about the bedbugs. If he tries to say you are subletting illegally, tell him you have a guest housesitting for you while you are away. I guess his only recourse if he really thought you went against the lease by having a sublettor would be to evict. Having an eviction on your record would obviously make it nearly impossible to ever rent again in Nyc, but I suspect no housing court would grant an eviction based on a one-month 'illegal' sublet.
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 21:54:00
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reactions vary bed bugs are "NEW" Some--not all have this reaction. Most have similar reactions to all the bed bug bites--but not all. It is all so complex. Size of the bug nymph vs adult ... where on body they bite you ... even, what you ahd for dinner could play a very small role in how you react. Seriously. Look at the bite photos .... all different. Some not allergic typed wind up wit hnear asthma ... some ver yreactive people get hardly anything in the way of reactions. Some bites last for weeks ... That is one thing I see that is common ... the bites or their marks often take a longer ime to go away. And that is limited to what I've seen in say 50 people positng here.
MUCH more research is needed. We have hada member say she saw herself get bit on the toe and the reaction came up suddenly.
Stress ca nmake reavctions worse, usualy. The variances go on and on and on.
See the skin FAQ and the article for some advice on treating your bites. it opens up onto page two, this article, so you cave to finde the "Page =2" and click it in some way to get back to page one. The advice given by menbers in that FAQ is really good!
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