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Senior Living
(3 posts)-
ilovemyseniors
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 8offline
Posted 3 years ago
Sat Sep 12 2009 0:28:27
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I am a manager of a senior building in Michigan. I love my seniors and I do not want them to live with the problem of Bed Bugs, but they are taking over. High Rise apartments are the hardest to deal with when it comes to these pest. They move to the next apartment as soon as we get control of one. We have a POC, and they are very compassionate in their work, but they are being defeted by the problem. They say to use Alcohol, but it seems that the alcohol only makes them mad and they come back with a vengance. We have spent over $30,000 for extermination and we still have a big problem.
I have a friend that had the same problem in her building and she told me to get Bayer Advantage. So I did. I only purchased a couple of gallons at $9.77 each and the stuff works. Me and my staff strapped up and went in for battle. I like to deal with problems that go on with my seniors first hand so that I can see what the true problem is. So I strapped up and what I seen I do not wish on anyone. Most of them did not even know they had them. These little things are slick and fast. Seniors tend to use alot of bedding and they are embaressed to say that they have anything.
So me and the guys suited up and went in for battle and Bayer Advantage really works. The bed bugs began to run like roaches, but it had a horrible effect on my seniors and us. The seniors began to cough and sneeze instantly. This was a lesson learned. Make sure that you are prepared before you use this product. Use a mask, not the painters mask as we did the first time, but the heavy duty one, with the ventilators on them.
Another thing about seniors is that often they have no one to help them and they do not have money to buy new furniture, so we have to do the best we can to work with them and for them. But, some things can not be saved. We found one resident that had the protective covers that were purchased for $110.00, but it was still full of fecal matter from the bugs. That only meant to me that my senior was still being attacked, even though they said they only seen one on the bed. From my experience if you only see one that means there is a whole family waiting to attack.
Well the two gallons only lasted for three floors and we have ten. We ran out way to fast and that only put a small dent in the problem. Seniors like to visit each other and sit in common areas. This is were the bugs transport from place to place. The POC uses cedar oil, which seems to work well, but they only come every two weeks. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. They come in the day time and as I have researched, these buggers come out at night. The POC is good at saying "No Activity Reported", but the very next day my seniors are coming down showing me bite marks.
I need a solution and I need it fast. I go to sleep at night thinking about my residents and I can not take it. I am going to purchase 20 gallons of that Bayer Advance and spray my whole building. I have learned that these bugs are very smart, they will migrate to an apartment next down, downstairs or upstairs in order to get away and find a new host.
If anyone has any suggestions, please help me to help my seniors.
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spideyjg
oldtimer
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 3,201offline
Posted 3 years ago
Sat Sep 12 2009 1:30:50
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First off is it even legal for you to treat the building?
If you are going to use anything at all read and understand backwards and forwards the safe usage and have proper PPE per the label.
Read up on integrated pest management because even if a PCO deals with the pesticide application you may need to do any followup sealing/repair work if you are the manager.
Jim
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 2,440offline
Posted 3 years ago
Sat Sep 12 2009 21:24:57
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In many municipalities, treating for pests without being a licensed pest control professionial is agains the law.
Bed bugs are a particularly nasty pest to eliminate, as you and the seniors in your building have found.
The cheapest way to safely eliminate the bugs is to hire a pest control firm who knows how to handle bed bugs.
If I were you, I would be very, very concerned that self-treating the building you work in would put you in danger of lawsuits since you have not mentioned being a licensed PCO.
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