Bed Bugs in the flat :(

[piggeh]

Bloody (sic) annoying things they are too.

Moved into this flat in August, got the occassional bite but nothing major, expected it to be mosquitoes or something as the flat has two patio doors onto the balcony. Anyway more recently I've been bitten LOADS. Got about 30 bites on each foot, last night got bitten on my hand 15 times or so (I tried using a sleeping bag to stop them biting my feet for the night!). The biggest one I've found so far has been about 5mm long, which wasn't pretty. Nice to see what is crawling over you at night. I woke up at 6am and managed to kill about 12 of the blighters. I'm sure there's plenty more ready to take their place though. Here's some I drowned earlier..

Usual advice being taken - wash everything at high temps, hoover lots, continuously change bedding, ordered sprays, powders, will be ordeirng mattress encasement, etc.

My sticking point is that the flat is rented. I phoned the managing agent to ask them to replace the mattress, and they refused to do anything, saying I should have reported it earlier and that they could not be sure I hadn't brought it in. My tenancy agreement states the tenant should sort any infestation unless it was there prior to tenancy starting, which I believe it was, just not as severe.

Any advice on what to do? The flat itself is nice otherwise and probably about £100 lower a month than a similar sized flat in the local area.

 

[Biohazard]

I have no advice other than to say... eew yuck!

Torch the place.

 

[Tibbz2]

Kill them with fire.

 

[Turambar]

Get a cheap Steam Cleaner. Steam the mattress and carpets.

 

[weescott]

Just got advice from my step father who works for a well known pest control company.

Burn the mattress. Get the landlord to sort it out. If he doesn't then get Environmental health in and they will make him sort it out.

 

[joxang]

Call the council. We had fleas in our first student property, it was really bad. The previous tenants had a cat. The landlord stalled for ages, told us to buy sprays etc etc, accused us of bringing the fleas in. Council got in touch with him and a guy came round to replace the mattresses and steam clean the carpets and upholstery the next week.

 

[j.col]

Just got advice from my step father who works for a well known pest control company.

Burn the mattress. Get the landlord to sort it out. If he doesn't then get Environmental health in and they will make him sort it out.

this seems like good advice, i would follow it

also the thought of them, YUK!!

 

[ToxicTBag]

Forget taking advice and tipps from here and there, if you value your health catch a few of the blighters and get yourself down to environmental health asap. Doesn't matter wether your a tennant or your status have seen unbelieveable infections and complications from just "a few bites"

 

[Mr Jack]

Bedbugs are enormously hard to get rid of. You will need professionals to do it. Chances are also good that if it's a flat, the neighbouring flats are also harbouring the little blighters which means that dealing with them in your flat alone may only temporarily relieve the outbreak.

BTW, bedbugs have fascinating sex lives - see traumatic insemination.

 

[Mr Jack]

Doesn't matter wether your a tennant or your status have seen unbelieveable infections and complications from just "a few bites"

There are no known diseases which are transmitted by bedbugs, so they're not as bad as some other blood drinking parasites on that front.

 

[J-FRO]

Kill them with fire.

 

[piggeh]

Forget taking advice and tipps from here and there, if you value your health catch a few of the blighters and get yourself down to environmental health asap. Doesn't matter wether your a tennant or your status have seen unbelieveable infections and complications from just "a few bites"

I did catch a few, that's why they're currently living at the bottom of a bowl of water. Oh and I squashed the others I found - they leave ghastly blood smears though..

I guess I will try and treat with what I have on order and get Environmental Health involved. I heard they can easily travel throughout a block of flats. I'd imagine if I moved I'd have to dump half my clothes as well to avoid the chance of any travelling.. and that traumatic insemination thing sounds lovely.

Anything I can do to minimise it in the meanwhile?

 

[4T5]

Kill them with fire.

This is one example where a meme is all that will do.

 

[ToxicTBag]

There are no known diseases which are transmitted by bedbugs, so they're not as bad as some other blood drinking parasites on that front.

Agreed Mr Jack but if there are bugs present then i dare say they are not alone and unless its dealt with pretty quickly there could be other "lodgers" moving in

Wash and hang all your clothes, set off some kind of fumigator to work while you are out for a good few hours and see if that helps .... am itchy now

I guess a visit to boots explain your problem and let them reccomend some kind of topical solution for your skin

 

[Fuzz]

Burn the flat down.

 

[ToxicTBag]

Burn the flat down.

"its the only way to be sure"

 

[weescott]

Anything I can do to minimise it in the meanwhile?

They love soft furnishings. Treat them first if you have bought stuff for it already. Bear in mind that the professional chemicals used to treat bed bugs mean you can not be in the room for 24 plus hours (more like 48 plus). So you may need to seek alternative accomodation while fumigation is being carried out.

 

[piggeh]

.... am itchy now

yeah, same here

Got some benadryl and a Eurax lotion. Lotion doesnt seem to be too effective, benadryl helps though.

 

[R.C.Anderson]

 

[piggeh]

They love soft furnishings. Treat them first if you have bought stuff for it already. Bear in mind that the professional chemicals used to treat bed bugs mean you can not be in the room for 24 plus hours (more like 48 plus). So you may need to seek alternative accomodation while fumigation is being carried out.

24 hours?! Blimey. I guess I can find somewhere to stay for a few nights though. Cheers.