This sucks. Just got a call from my landlord. My roommate was in my room (don't ask) and showed my mattress to landlord, who says that he found bedbugs. He'll get exterminator tonight to do a test. Assuming I have them.... Anyone ever experienced this? What should I expect? I know I have to torch my old mattress, but do I also have to destroy my clothes? And is it customary for the tenant to be on the hook for this, or should the landlord pay? (The way my landlord was speaking, it's pretty clear to him that I will pay.) I live in NYC btw. Balls.
From what I understand the tenant is responsible and it is costly. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Dang! Bedbugs are a BIG problem in NYC. There is a possibility they will come back after you've extinguished them.
Bebugs are extremely difficult to get rid of and as somebody said the treatment is usually costly. I read an article a week or so ago about how bad the problem was in NYC and how local and state governments are implementing different programs to get rid of them. You might want to check if there is any type of government assistance you can get for the problem.
You should film them (on you) with a night-vision equipped camera. Then dub in some auto-tune songs about how you love your bugs, and they can sing the chorus. It'll be gold, Jerry! Joe's Apartment for the internet generation!
That sucks. Maybe it's not to bad if your body isn't covered in itchy red bites. And it's certainly not uncommon, considering you live in New York. They generally are a b**** to get rid of....so professionals are the only option. As far as paying.....perhaps there is a loop hole....but 95% chance the bill is on you.
They're getting worse everywhere. I work in pest control. We charge roughly $800/job, and we can't guarantee it. Those things are the literal spawn of Satan.
DDT would probably be a LOT more effective. Silent Spring killed those chances, though. The whole industry is scrambling right now. Different companies do different things. Some do thermal treatments (which can be pricey and sometimes don't get those that might be within walls). Some do intensive chemical treatments (which usually necessitate extra manpower and thorough application, and doesn't always hit all the areas it needs to). Others still use monitoring devices and there are even monitors being made out there that will heat to 98.6 degrees and mimic breathing to draw bedbugs to them. Things will get worse with bedbugs before they get better. If you're looking for an industry guaranteed to be in demand for the next few years, try bedbug control. Just realize that you may occasionally bring your work home with you.
You can also try diatomaceous earth powder, which is the fossilized skeletal remains of single celled phytoplankton commonly referred to as diatoms. It works by dehydrating insects through a desiccating action. The absorptive properties of the fossilized cell-walls easily remove the cuticle outer waxy layer. You can buy it here: http://www.pestmall.com/mother-earth-dust-bedbugs-powder.html?gclid=CMDeode2tKMCFVVx5Qod-gNnKQ Amazon also sell it: http://www.amazon.com/Concern-97064...TF8&s=home-garden&qid=1281633068&sr=8-2-spell Also look up Sterifab and Kleen Free. There is also a spray killer, kind of like Raid, called Pronto Plus and I know Ace Hardware sells a brand called Sprayway Good Night.
If you have floorboards in your place you could buy Drione and dust inside the cracks all around and especially at the walls. Drione is non toxic and is only a dessicant (fine silica gel). So the bugs crawl through it, have their exterior shell abraided, and then dry out and die. Clothes and sheets and such can just be thrown in the dryer. The heat should kill anything in there. The issue is re-infestation if you do it before you take care of the problem in the apartment. I would suggest drying the clothes you will not be wearing for a while and then bagging them and keeping them separate and then deal with the clothes you currently use repeatedly until it seems you no longer have them. I don't know how much it will cost or how available he would be for you, but the best person for this issue is Lou Sorkin at the American Museum of Natural History. Just because of proximity he has had to become the world's expert. Or maybe There is some of his written stuff online (his full name is Louis) that could help you out. He or anything he wrote is way better than a random exterminator company.
