Joan Tate, left, and Dogwood Manor Resident Association President Roxann Larson talk about Dogwood Manor’s problems with bedbugs outside the housing complex. Tate has been living in the complex for a little more than a year.ABOUT BEDBUGSAppearance: Bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed. The pests are reddish-brown, oval and flat.Bites: Bedbug bites usually do not pose a serious medical threat. The best way to treat a bite is to avoid scratching the area and apply antiseptic creams or lotions and take an antihistamine.Infestations: Bedbug infestations are commonly treated by insecticide spraying. If you suspect that you have an infestation, contact your landlord or professional pest control company that is experienced with treating bedbugs. The best way to prevent bedbugs is regular inspection for the signs of an infestation.Sources: Mayo Clinic website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Bedbugs hit Joan Tate’s Dogwood Manor apartment in March. Six months and three exterminations later, the bugs still are biting her, she says.
The latest extermination, conducted in September, killed some of the pests, but they’re not all gone, Tate said. She fears it’s only a matter of time before the bugs multiply and overtake her apartment again.
“It’s driving me crazy,” she said. As a result of the infestation, she said, she sees “a psychiatrist and a stomach specialist.” She was so desperate to stop the bites, she sprayed Raid insecticide all over her body, she said.
“It got better in my room (after the September extermination) but the building is infested,” she said, so the pests only move from a treated apartment to a nontreated one.