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Precautions for a New Apartment
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MartyJMK
junior member
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 40
Posted 5 months ago
Thu May 28 2009 9:42:58
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I've been dealing with BBs for nearly six months and I'm finally on my way out of my lease and apartment.
I've been looking for a new apartment and asking questions about management companies, but what other precautions should I take for a new apartment?
I've looked up the addresses on the registry, plan on getting a new mattress and new Protect-a-Bed encasements, and potentially having the new place exterminated before I move in.
What else should I be doing? K9 in the new place before moving in? I will be asking the management companies a lot of questions, but I feel like they won't be forthcoming with me or admit to a previous issue. I know its nearly impossible to predict if a place has them, especially if it's newly renovated (which the units I'm looking at are) but how do I minimize my chance?
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CrazyMe
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Joined: May '09
Posts: 39
Posted 5 months ago
Thu May 28 2009 12:16:44
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Marty did you check the bedbugregistry.com?
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Hi,
If you can find someone who will treat an apartment before you move in shame on them and I will almost certainly guarantee that they will not do a good job. To treat an area unnecessarily and without the target species being present only increases the risk of any future bed bugs coming into contact with a weaker or low dose of insecticide and being able to develop greater resistance.
It is simply unprofessional and in the UK illegal to do under health and safety regulations as well as the ones that govern the use of licensed insecticides. If you carry the problem with you then yes treated at the earliest possible signs is sensible but the infestation still needs to be confirmed before anyone should treat.
The correct way to deal with this is:
- In an ideal world ensure you are free from bed bugs before you move. To leave a property knowingly infected only affects the next occupant and its deeply socially irresponsible.
- If you problem is an unaddressed adjoining infestation and thus a constant stream if bed bugs coming regardless of treatment of your own property then you need to decontaminate your possessions between the two properties. This may be done by vigorous and thorough inspection by an expert with a highly trained and experienced eye, Vikane fumigation if available or thermal remediation.
If you want to ensure that the new property has no bed bug issues then self or professional inspection is the best way forward. I am always over cautious of properties with complete refits and total decoration but if there has been an issue the signs can usually be found. There is also scent detection with a training dog and handler. I would trust the two methods above before I solely relied upon internet reports.
Yes it can be hard and something of a gamble but having a good look yourself is the best first step you can take. I would also suggest taking a camera with good macro ability so that you can zoom in and check details later.
I hope that help.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
Emmm
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Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 225
Posted 5 months ago
Thu May 28 2009 13:24:38
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David, I am certainly not questioning your advice and suggestions. But I, also, am moving in a couple of months. My boyfriend had a K9 unit into his place and mentioned this to him. (We've both been given all-clears, by the way, even if I'm still really nervous) The handler (also a PCO) suggested having the new place treated residually, which I'm guessing could mean dust or a certain spray. Is this such a bad idea? I've already asked my PCO if they offer this (No response yet) and we were planning to do so.
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Hi,
By all means use DE and apply it to cracks and crevices and seal / caulk but treat NO. If you don't have a problem you don't need treatment its as simple as that. To use professional products in this way is not a professional way of working.
Worst case scenario is that you get this pre move in treatment and in 4 months you get a few rogue bed bugs introduced. The product that is down will be very weak in comparison to its applied strength and would act as a selective pressure to encourage only breeding of bed bugs which are tolerant to the lower levels of product. Soon you end up with a population that is harder and harder to treat chemically and I am sure calling back the same PCO will only result in them using the same product all over again.
I will go rabbiting on about Darwin again if you are not careful.
Please look at this logically, if you don't have bed bugs what good is a preventative treatment? The only thing it will do is improve the profit margin of the PCO and reward them for bad behaviour.
Now at this stage I am not advocating the hard line that we take which is that individual areas or rooms MUST have active signs of be treated but that is exactly how we deal with it. If you have bed bugs in one bedroom of the house and the other 4 and lounge are clear we will treat 1 room only. If you follow the instructions then it should not spread. The other side of this is that we will not treat a property unless we can inspect all rooms and the lounge.
Yes our standards are set to the extreme setting but we follow the UK legislation to the letter in terms of the COPR (control of pesticides regulations 1986) and COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health act 2002). When we encounter problems caused by other PCO's who have not followed these laws we do report them to various authorities for investigation. Its not popular but its a start at cleaning things up from the inside.
Thankfully we can see the way that bed bugs are being treated and approached changing and at an alarming rate but many of the changes cant come fast enough.
I have said this many times before but bed bug issues are rarely just about chemical control.
David
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boredm
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Joined: May '09
Posts: 19
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 7:29:45
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Emmm - I think I saw before that you're in Toronto - I just wanted to see if you felt that the K9 inspection was worth the money? I had my treatment this week, and haven't been bit in about 6 days, so my hope is that I had a small infestation, and the treatment is working.
Before this even happened, I've been looking to buy a condo - and I still want to do that, but you can imagine how nervous I am about bringing this problem with me. With no Vikane treatment available in Canada, I'm still trying to figure out what my best approach is to avoid bringing a stray bug or two with me.
Luckily, most of my furniture can be trashed (although I'm also not sure yet how to do that safely without spreading), but I am a bit more concerned about all my clothes, books, CDs, etc.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!!
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MartyJMK
junior member
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 40
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 12:53:24
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Hi David and all,
I'm checking the registry religiously and now calling the exterminators of the buildings I'm interested in moving into to check.
I've been treated extensively in my current apartment but KQ believes I'm not the source and they're coming in from elsewhere. My management company refuses to treat the rest of the building, in fact they are going to list my place right away to rent immediately! So frustrating. So up on the registry my building will go....
I will be Packtiting like crazy before the move and plan on also using Vikane.
Thanks for the advice!
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Emmm
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Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 225
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 13:34:35
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Boredm, I am in Toronto and absolutely recommend the local K9 unit (Purity Pest Control, fyi). However, as I'm sure others will tell you, you really have to give it awhile before having them in, a bit with no signs that you see. Kody (the main dog) came in and identified bed bugs (and it was a short visit-- he fit me in because I was sick with worry-- so there was no visual confirmation) and when I emailed him weeks later asking when he should return for another check, Michael, the owner, said six weeks at least after second treatment-- and that was with no real signs. The only thing I could even concieve were potential bites that were honestly probably nothing.
As for moving, that's the $64,000 question for those of us without Vikane, isn't it? I'm moving soon, but it has nothing to do with bed bugs. When this all began, I put my move off, deciding to eradicate the problem here (and we were absolutely the cause) and save what I could before moving on. I trashed some furniture, and might some more. My boyfriend is the same. My roommate and I put all our stuff into contractor bags with pieces of vapona strips-- this was suggested by two PCOs who weren't officially treating us, as it's not legal to treat bed bugs with it. Some on the board will suggest otherwise. Look around for other suggestions on how to treat your non-treatables, but that's what I've done.
People I know in the city who had bed bugs did various things to not take them with when moving, whether it was what I did (getting rid of the problem when you're the source and then beign careful when moving), or storing things in the winter-- after treatment, etc. etc. Talk to friends and see if they know anyone who's dealt with the problem nearby. They might have good suggestions, too.
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boredm
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Joined: May '09
Posts: 19
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 14:12:24
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Thanks, Emmm - I appreciate the insights - especially from a fellow Torontonian. Can you tell me where you got your vapona strips?
Also, how do you get rid of bed bugged furniture? Before I realized my problem, I was going to sell my extra furniture, but that's clearly not an option now. But I don't know how to get rid of my sofa without possibly contaminating someone else.
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MidnightSnack
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Joined: May '09
Posts: 20
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 19:21:52
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Ok, so I have a question. How in the HELL does a poor person like myself (not sympathy poor - financially) accomplish any of the things everybody talks about? I realize that the actual treatment part should be my landlord's responsibility - but what about all the other stuff? I can't even afford to actually wash every piece of clothing and bedding that I own at one time, let alone the mattress covers and all that other stuff everybody speaks of. What does one do in that situation? I understand that the treatment would probably be somewhat useless if I did not follow through with all the other precautions - but what if you can't, under the best of circumstances, afford it? I don't mean that like I have other things that I want or need first - I mean I literally don't have the money. This is something that has really been bothering me because for one thing, it is embarrassing to admit, but also because I seriously don't know what to do about it. I suppose I could get a second job - it's not like I get any sleep anyway.
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