“I need help. Big time.” Off work and back on an exterminator waiting list, Alice Hampton is calling on more in-town pest control services – and calling out property management for offering little help in removing unusable furniture.
Just like the unusable mattress that sits lopsided in her Aurora Pointe apartment living room, Alice Hampton's life has been turned upside down – all thanks to some unwanted house guests.
“I feel insecure, frustrated and stressed out,” said Hampton.
After waking up to bites and welts in mid-January, Hampton knew bed bugs had moved in at 42 Con Rd. She called her landlord, who she says told her she'd have to wait two weeks before a specialist – based in Edmonton – could remove the infestation.
There are no exterminators based in Yellowknife and contractors are usually brought in from Hay River or Alberta.
On Jan. 30, after a 14-day wait, the exterminator sprayed her apartment. Now, a week later with additional spraying needed, Hampton's back on the waiting list, and out of patience.
“There should be one locally,” Hampton said. “Because it's a big issue here in Yellowknife.”
After the initial outbreak, Hampton was told to leave work after she admitted to her employers she had bed bugs at home. She left for two unpaid weeks before returning to her cleaning job on Monday. The next day, Hampton said her boss informed her she'd have to leave work again.
With no paychecks coming in, Hampton said she's exploring options in the event she can't make next month's rent. February is covered, she said, but March is looking “dim.”
“I don't want to live out in the snow,” said Hampton.
With the clock ticking and a two “contaminated” pieces of furniture – the mattress and a chair, both wrapped in protective plastic – cluttering her living quarters, Hampton said she's becoming increasingly frustrated. With little help from her landlord, she said she “feels abandoned.”
“I get no help from the landlord in removing my old bed and chair. Absolutely none,” Hampton said.
While the the building owners have arranged for the extermination and will foot the bill, Hampton said she's sought help from the property manager in getting the furniture from her apartment to the dump, but to no avail.
“I'm a paying tenant and (landlords) are supposed to look after us. I assumed they always would,” she said.
While Northview Apartments has agreed to cover the extermination costs, Hampton said she must adhere to certain stipulations, including that her room be “prepped” for spraying, or she'll be forced to pay the full amount of the services provided.
Northview Apartments didn't return a request for an interview by press time.
Facing another week before the second round of spraying, Hampton is not only back on the wait list, she's off work, too.
Hampton's dire predicament isn't widespread, but it's not isolated incident either. Yellowknifer spoke with another tenant down the hall from Hampton whose apartment was recently sprayed for bed bugs as well.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, wingless and reddish insects that are about as big as an apple seed.
Bed bugs feed on human blood, usually taking a bite out of humans as they sleep.
Anyone can get bed bugs.
Do they pose risks?
While an irksome pest, bed bugs are mostly harmless, as they don't carry diseases.
Their presence, however, can cause anxiety for humans sharing living quarters with them.
How to spot bed bugs
Signs of their arrival include blood spotting on bed sheets and body bites. Some don't even feel bites, while others get red blotchy marks.
How to find them?
Check near your bed. Between the seems of mattresses and the box springs, under the check and along the baseboard.
How do they get inside?
Be weary of bringing used furniture and clothes into your home and inspect before doing so. Ensure the critters haven't hitched a ride in your luggage on your way home from vacation.
How to get rid of them?
Seek out their hiding spots and use a dry vacuum to kill bed bugs with heat. Seal any cracks and crevices they may be hiding in. If they persist, consider calling an exterminator.
For more information call the Yellowknife Environmental Health Services offices at 867-669-897.
Source: Chief Environmental Health Officer/GNWT Department of Health and Social Services