This is a follow up to my previous post about renting an apartment in what should have been a condemded building. The very next place I moved into was nice and had been recently remodeled. I found out after moving in, the reason for the renovations were due to the previous tenant having a serious bedbug infestation.
For any of those who have dealt with bedbugs you know how much of a nightmare it is. For anyone who has not dealt with this plague please take a moment to pray that you never will. If you currently have them please take the steps necessary to eliminate them so you do not spread the problem, seek help if needing.
The above plunger was left in the apartment when I moved in and I remember thinking how gross it looked. It was not until a bug was noticed on the shower curtain that the black dots on the plunger became evident. That is actually bedbug remnants which is dried blood, look at how much there is. The fact that there are that many spots on a freaking plunger in a bathroom shows the level of the infestation that was in the apartment before remodel.
I later found out a retired vet had been living in the place for years and had just been letting them feed on him. I can not even imagine what that would have been like. He eventually passed away and was discovered sometime later along with how he was living. Again, I cannot imagine what that scene must have been like.
The thought of bugs crawling on me while I slept freaked me out, a lot. So much so that I rigged up this cup and moat system around the foot of my bed. I also purchased covers for both mattress and boxsprings to trap any already living in the cracks of my bed.
Fighting bedbugs is really expensive and I found they made a better version of my moat idea online. I believe in total the cost was above $300 when it was all said and done. This is not including all my furniture that had to thrown away to not risk bringing them to my new apartment. All of my personal small items had to be heat treated for 8 hours in a box thing I purchased. This process of heat treating my stuff took forever and was daunting.
The landlord was an older gentleman and would not give me any information willingly. It was only until I was able to speak with neighbors that I learned the truth about what had happened. Even then he swore that all the bugs were removed and there was no issue.
I eventually resorted to catching them in traps to show him in person. This was an interesting confrontation and lead to me getting him to cover a lot of my costs. It was only until I threatened to go to the local news station with the evidence that his tune changed. In the end my deposit was returned and $600 was given to me to replace my stuff.
Luckily this was my first and last encounter with these creatures in my life to date. I still have a little post traumatic stress from the ordeal and worry anytime I am in a theatre, hotel, or any public area. Sleep overs with the kids is also going to be something watch out for, these bugs are making a resurgence in our area and the nation.
Feel free to share your experiences in the comments or ask for any advice on treatment. It is important to deal with this head on as it is a growing problem. Bedbugs spread because of people not dealing with the issue, whether it be social, economic, or a mixture of both.