Bed-bugs!

[Bummer]

This is a horrible situation . . . regardless of the thread's age.

Why are so many individuals comfortable with "P and M'ing" on an public forum yet prefer to NOT "Rock The Boat" and take the appropriate and legal actions necessary to correct and eliminate the problem?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Bummer

This is a horrible situation . . . regardless of the thread's age.

Why are so many individuals comfortable with "P and M'ing" on an public forum yet prefer to NOT "Rock The Boat" and take the appropriate and legal actions necessary to correct and eliminate the problem?

Exactly. It's great to sign up for a forum to let people know about a problem they MAY encounter, but it does nothing to solve the poster's REAL problem.

Originally Posted by carrob

I for one was not aware of the outbreak of bedbugs in the metro Phoenix area. taksoulshine stated in his/her post that "Nobody's admitting it to the office or the pest control company, and our lives have been an absolute nightmare" To me. that sounds like the poster has attempted to "take some action."

taksoulshine, sorry about your misfortune. Please update us as necessary.

I'm not sure there is a recent "outbreak" of bedbugs in the Phoenix area or elsewhere in AZ -- they have always been here in certain places. By" take some action", (since "no one is admitting it to the office or pest control company") given that the landlord has "violated several laws", I meant taking legal action or contacting appropriate authorities. Takesoulshine, or the neighbors, need to take this further if the landlord is not acting.

[Bondurant]

I moved into a downtown apartment in December that had bed bugs. Thankfully, the landlord brought a company in and the problem is gone. The exterminator said bed bugs were an "epidemic" in Phoenix and said they were everywhere: homes, apartment buildings, schools, libraries, jails, and even movie theaters. Apartments and dorms are the worst places, typically. He also told me part of the problem is that too many people are too embarrassed to admit they have a problem and won't report it, thus making the problem worse. That is why apartments and dorms have it so bad.

It can also be hard to maintain because once the problem is exterminated someone can bring the problem back and it starts all over again. I was also told of a local motel owner that was near tears. He spent so much money exterminating his entire place only to have a customer bring them back a few months later and the problem began all over again.

As a tip he said to always wash your clothes in hot water and dry on the hottest setting if you use public laundry, never let stray animals into your home and NEVER bring used furniture into your home unless you trust the source (never from Goodwill/Salvation Army or anything left outside).

I also learned that they are harder to kill in carpeted homes. One aspect that made my place any easy fix was that I had no carpet and nearly no furniture.

[jackdrummond]

You're right about get infected once you hit the carpet