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bedbugs

By tilthe

I have bedbugs. As soon as I realized I had them I did a major clear out. i found 2 live bugs while I was cleaning, one while I was sweeping and the other in my bedsheet. I killed them both but unfortunately did not keep them. i wish i had checked some online forums before the clear out. I bought everything you can think of to get rid of them. Covers for my mattress and pillows, raid bedbug spray, 91% rubbing alcohol, eucalptus oil diaetomous earth. Sprayed my bed frame everyday with rubbing alcohol and eucalptus oil but I was still getting bitten.

Finally called the landlord for fumigation. They made me sign an agreement which really I did’t read in full. Apparently it included a clause which says if the fumigator does not find bedbugs i will be liable for the cost of the treatment – $150. He came apparently could not find any bedbugs. I didnt have any welts or swellings from the bites. Seems like I am one of the people that don’t react to it like that and also I wake up soon after I have been bitten and to soothe the itching I always use a rub with antihistamines in it. It works fast with stopping the itching. 2 weeks later the bugs are back and I recieve a bill from the agents for $150 dollars. I told them I still have bedbugs, probably from the eggs hatching and I am not paying the bill, rather they would have to fumigate again. And really with bedbug treatments, there should be a follow up treatment because of eggs that hatch later. 
They said I probably have allergies and I should see a dermatologist or maybe they are dustmites. I am only bitten when i sleep in my apartment. When I sleep over at friends, no bites. I changed my washing liquid to arm & hammer for sensitive skin . I thought I was going crazy think my cleaning lady was bitten while she was in my apartment. She is light skinned so it showed up clearly on her. 
I can’t sleep and they are trying to charge me $150. I can’t find any more of the bugs probably because the have found better hiding places. I have already told the landlord that they are probably hiding in the wood floor which of course have small gaps that they can hide in. I suggested the actually use sniffer dogs but of course they refused. I am like if you want to put such a clause in your agreements, then you need to do your due diligence to make sure you are correct. Can anyone tell me what my options are because they are literaily driving me crazy. My clothes have been in black bags for the last 3 months and they are in the kitchen because I dont want to take bedbugs out of the house with me. The only clothes that are in my room are what i sleep with and that stays in the room until wash day over the weekend.  It is driving me absolutely mad! I am short tempered now and it gets even worse when the period is coming around. I literarily bite people’s heads off! And I can’t move till the bugs are gone. 
Sorry for the long post but I just had to vent!
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Edited on: Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 8:50 pm
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bedbugs

By Shanee Baumgartner

, so I moved in Sept 2nd and they didnt tell me the room next to me was infested with bedbugs. they got rid of the mattress and sprayed and thats it. then they moved me into another room where the infected mattress was to begin with. I started getting bits and seeing these bugs on the wall. an exterminator came out and said it was infested. I had already paid octobers rent and they dont want to do what the exterminator suggested they are going to do it the cheapest way they can. I moved into a motel. I dont want to move back there because i would have never rented from them if i knew there was a problem to begin with and then they didnt tell me they had never treated the room that they were moving me into. I want my october rent back, and the difference it cost me to stay here at a motel. not to mention i work and go to school full time i am behind on my school work because of this i have to wah all my close. I feel because they didnt disclose that there was a problem they should give me back my september rent also

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Holy Cow, we couldn't find any other related post. Sorry. :(

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Edited on: Monday, October 14th, 2013 8:54 pm
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bedbugs

By Courtney

In may my boyfriends parents moved into a rental house the landlord was spraying for bedbugs at the time and did not let them know it was infested. Before wefigured out it was infested my boyfriend moved into my house it is now infested with bedbugs. We told my boyfriend’s landlord and she had people spraying she then refused to continuing the spraying and we have more than ever help

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Holy Cow, we couldn't find any other related post. Sorry. :(

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Edited on: Saturday, January 12th, 2013 11:29 pm
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Bedbugs

By Cheryl

I live in an apartment that has bedbugs.  It’s not a severe case but I have them nonetheless.  I’ve tried bombing the place with a bedbug bomber, but that didn’t work.  So I notified by landlord about them.  Now they’re making me pay $250 to have an exterminator come.  I have to basically bag up and move my whole apartment to prepare for the exterminator.  I’ve told the landlord it’s not a severe case, but she said that when I was inspected by the exterminator, they told her it was almost catastrophic.  I feel they’re just doing this to get money out of me… money I don’t have. We don’t have bites on us.. we occasionally see one on the wall but it’s nothing major. I’ve told the landlord I don’t want to do their treatment, since I don’t feel it’s bad and I really just don’t have the money, but now they’re forcing me to do it saying it’s a health risk.  I have a very basic lease agreement, there’s nothing in there about bedbugs. And we’ve been treating them on our own but the landlord told me to stop treating myself and let the exterminator handle it.    I guess I just want to know what my rights are.  I live in Virginia and have been unable to find any information on renters rights regarding bedbugs.  Do I have to do their treatment now?  Or can I refuse?  Is it my responsibility to pay for this?  If I break the lease agreement and just move, can they still expect me to pay for their bedbug treatment?  Any help would be much appreciated.

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Holy Cow, we couldn't find any other related post. Sorry. :(

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Edited on: Sunday, June 27th, 2010 10:21 am
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One Response to “Bedbugs”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Randal

June 28th, 2010 2:35 am

Cheryl,
Your BedBug infestation is probably quite severe.  The fact that you’ve seen them crawling on your wall indicates a large problem.  Bedbugs in nature are very elusive and rarely spotted.  Not to scare you, but I promise you that you are being bitten by bedbugs every night.  (Probably dozens of times, if not hundreds)  You see, you are lucky because only 50% of people are allergic to bedbugs.  What that means is that you are being bitten, but because you are not allergic to the saliva or anticolagunt you do not show the red itchy spots that the other 50% of people do.
I mention this as I noticed your comment states that you you have a minor problem with bedbugs.  When in reality, if you have bedbugs– its never minor!   I would not agree to pay the $250 unless you can get management to sign a document stating that you will not be held to any further cost associated with bedbug treatment.   I mention this because if they are hiring an exterminator for just $250, it means they are using a non-effective chemical treatment.  Havard University did a study on chemical treatments and was able to prove that the chemical sprays are only effective on adult bedbugs and do not kill eggs, further they were able to find that after multiple treatments the bedbugs became resistant to chemical treatments.
I can understand your concern about paying for the treatment, in fact that responsibility may not be yours at all.  Honestly, I don’t know the legalities behind whether you can be held responsible for bedbug treatment or not– I do know a ton about the little critters, just no the legal stuff.  

Hope that helps,
 
 
 

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