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I have.... bed bugs :(


spjunkies

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No other way to put it other than to say that the little ****ers have invaded my apartment and now the left side of my body is covered with bumps. I have a friend who used to work in the leasing office of my building and she said that my neighbor is a pack rat and they are spreading from his nasty ass apartment.

My lease is expiring next month, but my rent is great for the area so I'd prefer to stay. Is it realistic for me to ask to move to another unit for the same rent or am I pretty much screwed?

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You can ask to move, or you can demand the leasing office send in fumigators and rid the complex of the bugs. You have to make sure the bugs are all killed off, otherwise you'll just bring them with you into the new place you move to.

I called this morning and she said that she's going to schedule a spraying for next week. Honestly, I just want to get away from that neighbor because they had to spray my apartment last year as a precaution since the other units around me found some.

I seriously can't deal with this.

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You might want to try washing your bedding with pure essential oil of cedarwood. Pet stores sometimes carry a natural flea powder with cedarwood and rosemary. You may want to try that for carpeting areas.

I'm definitely going to give this a shot. I've never been so embarrassed/itchy in my life.

Thanks

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Aren't those ****es really hard to kill off? I don't think a regular fumigation will kill them. I thought there was some special bed bug fumigation that was expensive as hell and you may have to get rid of your furniture, etc..

I'm probably wrong but I thought I remember seeing this on the news a few years ago

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Aren't those ****es really hard to kill off? I don't think a regular fumigation will kill them. I thought there was some special bed bug fumigation that was expensive as hell and you may have to get rid of your furniture, etc..

I'm probably wrong but I thought I remember seeing this on the news a few years ago

I was just talking to my mother and she also suggested trashing my furniture if they are willing to work with me and give me a new apartment.

---------- Post added January-2nd-2013 at 04:31 PM ----------

Rub dryer sheets and put them everywhere around your bed, closet. Really anywhere there is fabric. Also put them in your packing materials too. The bugs hate the smell. And try to move to another apt. if you can.

I have some STRONG Downy sheets so I'm definitely going to give this a shot.

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Aren't those ****es really hard to kill off? I don't think a regular fumigation will kill them. I thought there was some special bed bug fumigation that was expensive as hell and you may have to get rid of your furniture, etc..

I'm probably wrong but I thought I remember seeing this on the news a few years ago

^^This. I think most bedbugs are now immune to typical pesticides. Your apt complex is probably going to have to call in a specialized pest control company to treat the whole building. As for your "nasty" neighbors it may not be their fault or even the fact that they're packrats. Bedbugs have become a real problem of late and all it takes is staying in a hotel room or perhaps visiting someone who has them. I travel a lot for work and the very first thing I do when I enter the hotel room is check the bed for bedbugs.

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You're going to have to get the leasing office to hire a company to do it. It won't matter if you just pick another apt. because more than likely they are in your box springs, bed frame, mattress, clothes, etc. Alcohol does work but you need to know where to treat. It's a very annoying process.

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You're going to have to get the leasing office to hire a company to do it. It won't matter if you just pick another apt. because more than likely they are in your box springs, bed frame, mattress, clothes, etc. Alcohol does work but you need to know where to treat. It's a very annoying process.

The company is going to have a company come in and spray. I'm going to toss my furniture and stuff when I move just to avoid them traveling with me.

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Well, since those constitute a health hazard and make your apartment uninhabitable (at least legally), and the infestation was not caused by you (I think), you kind of have the upperhand.

I recommend you demand fumigation immediately (looks like you have).

Also, have you visited a physician to get your bites looked at? Did you have to pay for any medication or creams for the bites? I would give the bills (after making a copies for yourself) to your landlord and ask him/her to reimburse you. I'm not sure whether the law is on your side in asking for reimbursement or not, but I would certainly try (and maybe even consult a lawyer or some official place that gives legal advice).

In addition, since your place is uninhabitable until the fumigation is completed, I believe you can ask your landlord to pay for reasonable accomodations for you during this time.

Finally, I believe you can take the dates your place was deemed uninhabitable and ask that the landlord to either retroactively reimburse you for the rent of those particular days or subtract the rent from that period of uninhabitable time from the next month's rent.

Not sure about the laws in your state regarding vermin infestations. But I went through this with my landlord last year regarding a homeowners association legal water issue the landlord did not adequately address. Due to his negligence, our house was cut off of water for 7 or 8 days. Fortunately, the landlord was very receptive to my requests and we had our hotel paid for and rent expenses retroactively reimbursed.

In the meantime, google the best was to "bed bug proof" your furniture and apartment.

Also, I would talk to the landlord about this tenant. See what you can do about getting the tenant either relocated or an eviction process started (if the tenant is not receptive to and take part in abiding by preventive measures to ensure this doesn't occur again). Since that will likely take time (and eviction process usually takes a while since there are a lot of legal hoops a landlord has to go through to properly evict a tenant), if I were you, I'd ask your landlord to be able to move apartments within the building if there are vacant apartment spaces (and of course, at no extra cost to you). if your landlord is not receptive to this, I would get the heck out after your lease. In fact, if your landlord isn't receptive to this even now, I believe you can potentially, legally break your lease on the grounds the home is uninhabitable. Hopefully you will be able to work things out with the landlord though. :)

* Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer any advice I've given in this post, should be cross-checked with a lawyer in your state to ensure you are following all legal steps as set forth by your state laws.

Good luck :)

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Well, since those constitute a health hazard and make your apartment uninhabitable (at least legally), and the infestation was not caused by you (I think), you kind of have the upperhand.

I recommend you demand fumigation immediately (looks like you have).

Also, have you visited a physician to get your bites looked at? Did you have to pay for any medication or creams for the bites? I would give the bills (after making a copies for yourself) to your landlord and ask him/her to reimburse you. I'm not sure whether the law is on your side in asking for reimbursement or not, but I would certainly try (and maybe even consult a lawyer or some official place that gives legal advice).

In addition, since your place is uninhabitable until the fumigation is completed, I believe you can ask your landlord to pay for reasonable accomodations for you during this time.

Finally, I believe you can take the dates your place was deemed uninhabitable and ask that the landlord to either retroactively reimburse you for the rent of those particular days or subtract the rent from that period of uninhabitable time from the next month's rent.

Not sure about the laws in your state regarding vermin infestations. But I went through this with my landlord last year regarding a homeowners association legal water issue the landlord did not adequately address. Due to his negligence, our house was cut off of water for 7 or 8 days. Fortunately, the landlord was very receptive to my requests and we had our hotel paid for and rent expenses retroactively reimbursed.

In the meantime, google the best was to "bed bug proof" your furniture and apartment.

Also, I would talk to the landlord about this tenant. See what you can do about getting the tenant either relocated or an eviction process started (if the tenant is not receptive to and take part in abiding by preventive measures to ensure this doesn't occur again). Since that will likely take time (and eviction process usually takes a while since there are a lot of legal hoops a landlord has to go through to properly evict a tenant), if I were you, I'd ask your landlord to be able to move apartments within the building if there are vacant apartment spaces (and of course, at no extra cost to you). if your landlord is not receptive to this, I would get the heck out after your lease. In fact, if your landlord isn't receptive to this even now, I believe you can potentially, legally break your lease on the grounds the home is uninhabitable. Hopefully you will be able to work things out with the landlord though. :)

* Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer any advice I've given in this post, should be cross-checked with a lawyer in your state to ensure you are following all legal steps as set forth by your state laws.

Good luck :)

This is all great advice and I more than appreciate it!

I just got done speaking to the community manager and showing her my wounds. She seems very receptive about helping me out and she is going to speak to the cooperate office tomorrow and I told her that I'm willing to stay in my current apartment after it's been fumigated if I could stay at my current rent price, but if I have to move it would have to be at what my increase would've been.

I guess my next action hinges on what her response is tomorrow.

This stinks

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Make sure you stand your mattress & box spring on their side with enough space between them to allow the fumigation to penetrate. If you have a headboard pushed near the wall, pull that away from the wall for the same reason.

Here's a pretty good site for information: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef636.asp

Good luck and hope everything turns out well...

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I called this morning and she said that she's going to schedule a spraying for next week. Honestly, I just want to get away from that neighbor because they had to spray my apartment last year as a precaution since the other units around me found some.

I seriously can't deal with this.

A spraying likely won't solve the problem. Bed bugs call for a full fumigation of the entire building they are infesting if you hope to get rid of them. Now if only they would legalize the production of DDT the problem could be solved likity split (it is also a safer pesticide than any in use today).

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A spraying likely won't solve the problem. Bed bugs call for a full fumigation of the entire building they are infesting if you hope to get rid of them. Now if only they would legalize the production of DDT the problem could be solved likity split (it is also a safer pesticide than any in use today).

Why won't they legalize it? Likely to take too much money out of the pest company pockets or something?

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Rubbing alcohol. Get a bottle, put it in a spray bottle. If you can locate any egg sacks, spray then to hell. Make sure it's isopropyl.

This is what I do. Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. However, it doesn't kill the eggs. You need heat for that. Look in to buying a quality steamer. Kills bed bugs and their eggs VERY effectively. One time I actually got rid of the entire infestation with a really thorough steaming.

Now I have a new infestation, and I lost the steamer when I last moved. I inspect my bed every couple days with the spray bottle of alcohol.

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We had them about 2 years ago and we basicly had to pack the entire house so they could get behind everything to spray. Had to take off all outlet covers and pull the carpet away from the walls. They will spray the beds, but then you have to get bedbug proof matress covers and keep them on for a year. As far as clothes go, you don't need to wash them if they are already clean(but it's a good idea). Heat kills them, so we ended up taking all clothing, stuffed animals anything that would last in an industrial dry at the laudry mat. Set on hi for 30min. Was about $500 to do that and $3500 for the fumigation, $75-15- for each bed set x5. I first found them in basement bedroom. Tried to fight them ans was successful (or so I thought) for many months. Would see one here and there and spot treat. Since the washer and dryer are down stairs am guessing thats how they spread. But it took over a year for them to get to the first floor, than another 6 months to find them in other rooms.

DDT was legal, I don't recall when it had to be cut out. That is one of the reasons some of our pest problems are like this. Not allowed to use what works.

This is what I do. Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. However, it doesn't kill the eggs. You need heat for that. Look in to buying a quality steamer. Kills bed bugs and their eggs VERY effectively. One time I actually got rid of the entire infestation with a really thorough steaming.

Now I have a new infestation, and I lost the steamer when I last moved. I inspect my bed every couple days with the spray bottle of alcohol.

You are losing the battle. It's the same infestation I did the same and they just move from the area you treat, fastest way to get them to spread. It's in the walls you can't treat with over the counter products. Nasty little ****ers!!

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