Landlord Taking Pest Control Into His Own Hands Causes Toxic Situation

Bed bugs invading a home or apartment are a horrible situation to deal with.  These pests hide in the cracks and crevices of floorboards, carpets, furniture, cabinets, or any other location that will make them hard to find.  In apartment buildings they are even more difficult to deal with as a unit can be free of bed bugs one day and infested the next as bed bugs can easily move from unit to unit through the walls as they travel on the pipes and electrical wires.

Fox17 reported on September 13, 2012 that a grandmother who is caring for her grandchildren moved into an apartment in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Within a week of being in her new home, she discovered that bed bugs had invaded her apartment.  She claims that when she advised the landlord of situation, the real nightmare began for this desperate family.

Dawn Shelton, the grandmother, claims that instead of hiring a pest control professional, the landlord decided to treat the apartment for bed bugs himself.  She claims the he sprayed the apartment with alcohol and poured toxic roach powered over everything that she owns.  It should be noted that the toxic power is not approved for use on bed bugs, so the pests persist.  It should also be noted that the pesticide that was used and spread on all of the children’s toys, the furniture, the clothing, and all of their belongings, is labeled as “hazardous to humans and pets”.  Her apartment was left in shambles covered in the white toxic pesticide after the treatment by the landlord. The pesticide that was used is labeled to kill cockroaches, ants, fleas, silverfish, and earwigs.  You can view the shocking video here.

The family has had to move into a motel due to the toxic conditions.  The landlord has filed paperwork to evict the family despite the landlord being cited for violations and fines by Code Compliance.  According to the law, the landlord is required to hire a licensed pest control professional to kill the bed bugs.

This is a nightmare for the family in this story!

Two Women Sue Over Chicago Bed Bug Attacks

Chicago is known for their deep dish pizza, recent teachers strike, Obama ties, and now the Windy City will also be known for a new bed bug lawsuit!

The Chicago Tribune reported on August 21, 2012, that two women have filed a lawsuit against Marriott International, Inc.  They claim that their stay at the now closed Lisle Marriott Conference Center from August 6th to August 15, 2011, was marred by the bed bugs that attacked them each night during their stay.

They accuse the hotel of “failing to provide guests with sanitary rooms, failing to inspect and exterminate rooms and failing to recognize signs of bed bug attacks, among other claims.”

One woman claims that she did notice bumps and bites on her child while staying at the hotel.  She claims that when she spoke to the manager about the bite marks that she was asked if she had a made a request for clean sheets.  Having clean sheets placed on the bed prior to checking into the room is standard protocol (or at least should be!), so this seems like an odd statement.

After checking out of the hotel, both women and their children were diagnosed with having “numerous bed bug bites from a significant infestation”.  Reports are that an adjuster for Marriott confirmed that bed bugs were present in the room that the women and children were in.

The five count lawsuit claims that the hotel was negligent.  The plaintiffs are seeking at least $250,000 in damages and reimbursement for medical costs. Businesses must make bed bug eradication a top priority or face the grim faces of the bed bug victims in court report NYC bed bug specialists.  Using a bed bug sniffing dog, bed bug monitors, bed bug traps, and mattress encasements are some of the ways that hotels can help to protect patrons against bloodsucking bed bugs.

Not A Good Way To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs!

Bed bugs are horrible pests and everyone certainly wants them dead, but if you are trying to get rid of bed bugs, it is not a good idea to burn down a building!  Heat does kill them, and revenge certainly is sweet by killing them with fire, but when it comes to a person’s home…or rather…sixty six homes…people are likely to become extremely upset if you burn the building down because the critters have hitched a ride indoors.

An extermination company in Edmonton, Canada has found themselves in court this week answering questions and charges about the services that they provided a customer whose home had a bed bug infestation in July of 2011.  In a move that was referred to as “groundbreaking”, Sun News reported on September 11, 2012 that the Edmonton Fire and Rescue charged Bed Bugs Task Force Ltd. for violations to the Alberta Fire Code.  The investigation revealed that the pest control company’s attempt to debug the condominium by using outdated and improper procedures, which included propane tanks for heat treatment, sparked the $3.5 million blaze.  Five people were injured because of the fire and 50 people were displaced from their homes.  Because of the fire, a neighboring apartment building and a mosque were also damaged.  Bed Bugs Task Force Ltd. pled guilty to the charges and was subsequently given a fine of $10,000.

Picking the right pest control company can be challenging when your focus is to just get rid of the bugs that are feasting upon your blood every night.  It is important for consumers to do their homework in order to find the best pest control professional that has extensive experience with NJ and NYC bed bug control.  Stern Environmental Group is a leader in bed bug elimination.  We have a wide variety of tools available to us so that we are able to find and safely eliminate bed bugs fast and efficiently.  Call us today for all of your bed bug needs in New York City, NY, NJ, and CT.

Bed Bug Database Helps Identify Bed Bug Hot Spots

Avoiding bed bugs is your best defense weapon against the bloodsucking creatures report NYC bed bug specialists.  The problem is that bed bugs are masters at hitchhiking from place to place, on any person, at any point in time.  With our busy lifestyles, it can be difficult to stay atop of avoiding bed bugs when we travel, when we look for a new place to live, when we shop, or when we go from place to place.  One must be vigilant about looking for bed bugs at all times, which can be a difficult thing to do.

The Bedbug Registry has been providing comprehensive information about bed bugs to people in the United States, Canada, and soon they will be offering services in the United Kingdom.  Users of the website can easily search for bed bug infestations that have been reported by consumers before they travel. Bed bug victims are able to report their experiences with infested hotels and rental properties as well.

There is now another bed bug database that is available that citizens will find extremely useful.  Bed Bug Reports Database Registry Maps is a world bed bug map database.  Currently, most of the infestations that are reported on the site are located in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, with the list of other countries growing.  This website also allows consumers to report bed bug infestations at hotels or rental properties.  Additionally, pest control professionals have also listed locations where they have provided bed bug eradication services.  The website serves as a useful tool to those who are looking to travel, who are looking for a new rental property, or even a property to purchase.

Bed Bugs Attack Makes Jailed Suspect Happy To File A Lawsuit Over NYC Bed Bugs

In 2012, NYC bed bug specialists report that NYC bed bug infestations have been on the decline in comparison to previous years thanks to the efforts of NYC pest control professionals, the City’s efforts to educate the public, and legislation that has been implemented to protect the public.  Despite the decline in numbers, bed bug infestations do still pop up at various public locations due to the frequency of people that come in and out of facilities.  It is the responsibility of any business or government agency to take swift action to eradicate the bloodsucking pests so that they will not spread or be transmitted to other locations or attack humans.  Failure to act according to protocol could result in a lawsuit being filed by anyone who is subject to the attacks of the little vampires.

Silive.com com reported on September 6, 2012 that Eric Marrero (22) was arrested in June of 2011 and charges were later dropped against him.  While in custody, he claims that he was forced into a known bed bug infested jail cell as a punishment by officers who accused him of “mouthing off.”  The suspect claims that the bed bug bites began 30 minutes after he was placed in the cell and the bugs continued to severely bite him throughout the night.  He also claims that his repeated requests to be removed from the infested cell and taken to a hospital fell upon deaf ears as the officers required him to stay put in the cell with the blood thirsty pests throughout the night.

A few weeks after the incident, the holding cells at the precinct were closed down for several days due to a massive bed bug infestation.  Exterminators were called because officers were afraid that they were taking bed bugs home with them and because of the continuous complaints by prisoners.

It is likely that had the NYPD responded quicker to the bed bug complaints by hiring a NYC bed bug specialist, this lawsuit would not have been filed.  It will be interesting to see if other prisoners will also decide to file as they too were likely bitten by the pests.