Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed Bug Resources
Should I move in?
(11 posts)-
jlp
newbite
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 3offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 1 2011 16:18:36
#
Login to Send PM
I recently signed a lease to a group home and was scheduled to move in yesterday. The landlord called and said one of the tenants (it's a 5 bedroom home) saw some bed bugs. They had an inspector come out and they did verify that bed bugs were in one of the rooms (not mine). The landlord is having an exterminator come out Monday and says I should be able to move in Tuesday. From what I've been reading, I am thinking it would be best to just find another place. Any suggestions? I was really looking forward to moving in but I am starting to think it's not worth the risk.
-
so unsettling
senior member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 456offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 1 2011 16:51:58
#
Login to Send PM
I am assuming they informed you because the law requires them to do so. This means that any other home in your area would be under the same law, and, assuming the landlords abide by it, you would at least know that another place had no KNOWN bed bugs at this point.
What concerns me is that it is a rooming house, where rooms must have close proximity to one another. Unlike apartments in big buildings where there is some distance, and although they can travel around there too, the chances are greater of keeping a distance from it.
I don't know what to tell you--it is really your decision. Are they going to treat the whole house? do you know how they are going to treat it? Bugs could be driven from one room to another, and that is why it is best if ALL the rooms are treated. I live in a 4 room apartment, and all the rooms were treated each time.
If it were me, i would look for another place. But everyone has to live somewhere. Maybe you could wait on it?
-
jlp
newbite
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 3offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 1 2011 19:16:41
#
Login to Send PM
They are doing every room in the house including shared spaces. The PCO company claims they have a 100% success rate except for one time when the client's boyfriend was brining in bugs from his house.
I am leaning towards moving in only because I don't have many other options at this point. Maybe I should wait a week or so and see if the problem has gone away?
-
so unsettling
senior member
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 456offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 1 2011 20:15:51
#
Login to Send PM
About not having other options--that's what i meant when I said "everyone has to live somewhere." I have moved several times in my life, and changing my mind at the 11th our was never an option.
The good news is that you already know what you are dealing with, and the building managers are already moving on it. Many people here have moved into buildings, only to find out that they had a bed bug situation after they got there. This could be because they were not informed, or because the problem existed but was not known at the time, or did not exist until after they had been there a while. At least you are on top of it, and so are they.
Is this a single building, not attached to others? My impression is that single buildings can be easier to treat, because you don't have to worry about an adjoining home. Apartment buildings can be hard to treat, because you don't know what is going on in all the other units.
If waiting a bit is an option, maybe you could hold off and stick around here and study a lot. That way you will know more about what to do when you get there. You might want to invest in one or two of the monitoring devices--the climbup or passive--that are sold at Usbedbugs, advertised to the right. This will help you to know if anything is going on in your room.
Good luck to you!
-
your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,727offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jan 2 2011 1:20:32
#
Login to Send PM
If they are doing a traditional treatment (sprays, dusts, etc.), then one treatment is rarely enough. Most cases require retreatmemts at approx. 10-14 day intervals. The pest pros may not have inspected carefully enough to rule out the other rooms being infested (many don't).
I would go to a lot of trouble to avoid moving in there.
-
Traumabugged
member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 168offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jan 2 2011 2:49:24
#
Login to Send PM
I would not dare go there neither. Especially when they say "you can move in the next day after the spray". Sounds like you will be the bait...
-
jlp
newbite
Joined: Jan '11
Posts: 3offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jan 2 2011 13:08:06
#
Login to Send PM
I don't know what kind of treatment they are using -- they just asked that I wait to move it at least 5 hours after the treatment so that the chemicals don't harm me.
I think it could go either way. If the bugs are in one room (as they claim) than that indicates that they haven't spread yet and thus have not been around long enough to infest the whole house.
I think my plan will be to move in but wait to really unpack until I am assured they are gone. I don't really have another option at this point. I know it's not ideal but I'm not sure what else to do...
-
BugsInTO
senior member
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 408offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jan 2 2011 14:01:11
#
Login to Send PM
Okay - so you don't have options and you are going to move in.
But, do they know that you don't have options? because now might be a good time to seem reluctant and to ask for things in writing like an outline of their commitment for future treatments if the bedbugs aren't gone etc.
As for not unpacking - the FAQ's on travelling might be helpful. You could think of your new room as an infested hotel room and take all the travelling precautions until you are more comfortable. And, remember, some people are non-reacting to bedbugs and if the treatment is partially successful it could reduce the populations enough that it could take a while before you are able to detect the infestation isn't gone. So, be cautious and read the FAQ's on how to check, and be careful when visiting friends etc.
There was a post a couple of months ago from someone who moved into an infested apt. and
discovered the bedbugs before they unpacked, but their unpacked items still got infested. I'm not a PCO, but it is my suspicion that pesticide treatments stir up bedbugs and they look for new harborages that haven't been treated. So, seal up the unpacked stuff really tight.Good luck.
-
dieBB...DIE
junior member
Joined: Jun '10
Posts: 41offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Jan 3 2011 0:07:46
#
Login to Send PM
Don't do it, as you said it isn't worth the risk.
-
your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,727offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Jan 3 2011 0:53:47
#
Login to Send PM
I am not buying the landlord's assurance that they're not in other rooms. Many PCOs do not spend the hours of searching it would take to declare this with any certainty. Besides, the other tenant found out they had a problem by seeing bed bugs-- which is not good. It's rare to see a bed bug. They may have been there for some time.
That said, I understand the bind you're in. I think BugsinTO had good suggestions for you above if moving in cannot be avoided.
-
Big Apple of Dread
newbite
Joined: Nov '10
Posts: 14offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Jan 3 2011 1:51:16
#
Login to Send PM
I can't so no enough times.
Reply
You must log in to post.
