bedbugs coming in from neighbours

[steppemum]

My friend lives in a council house.
She has bed bugs coming through form the house next door.
The council fumigated her house about 3 weeks ago, and she had to replace the kids bunk beds.

Today she's just sent me a photo, the bugs are back.

When she was fumigated the council went next door, but they refused to allow the house to be done. The council guy said next door was crawling, whole house heaving. There is a child (don't know what age) living there.

She is desperate. Does anyone know if there is anything she can do?
Does the council have to do anything about the house next door?
Is this a SS issue? (I think so, but how come the council haven't referred?)

Thanks

that sounds really vile, I’m surprised they can’t force access for that kind of thing?

Can they force the council to move them?

move my friend or the neighbours?

She has looked after her house well, and if she is moved it could be one in a rubbish state.

She has a new baby too.

Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of.

The council in our Borough were not 'responsible' for it.
Fumigation is not enough.

Your friend will need to start doing her own extensive research and make her place bed bug proof. Filling every gap (I did this with sawdust and PVA glue) metal beds are best as they don't like it/can't hide.
They can live in wallpaper, climb ceilings and drop down, live in tiny cracks and bury themselves into fabrics and are practically invisible.
I gave up a house I was renting and took my landlord to court over this issue.
I lost so much property as I could not trust there were no eggs in it.
Bed bugs can live 18 months without food (blood).
They will travel to different rooms over days and weeks if the food source is in a different room.

For you OP, do not visit her house. Bedbugs can hitch hike on people. On their clothing. Do not have your friend to visit either.
I know this sounds awful but you do not want bed bugs.

My experience sent me insane, the lack of sleep, the paranoia.
On a train, I asked someone to move from me in case I had them on my clothing.
It was a nightmare. I still have scars.

Oh and diatomaceous earth dusted around dehydrates/kills them by cutting their shells. But not the eggs.

oh no

She needs to clear, tidy and declutter the affected rooms, but don't throw out anything valuable and replace it... it could easily get reinfested again, so it's just throwing good money after bad.

Deep clean the rooms with a powerful hoover, then immediately dispose of the hoover bag/decontaminate the dust collection chamber.

Steam clean with a dry vapour steamer if possible. Including taking apart furniture and steaming all the crevices.

Washing as much as possible all clothes and bedding on 60C + and/or tumble drying on the hot cycle.

Anything that can't be washed & tumble dried could be put in the deep freeze for a few days.

Get some Cimexa (might need to import it from American ebay/amazon). It's non-toxic dust, but it's a lung irritant, so a respiratory dust mask is necessary (the plastic kind with a valve, not just a light decorating mask). It works by putting statically charged dust on the exoskeleton of the bugs, which draws out the moisture in them and they desiccate to death... what's great is they also take it back to their nests and contaminate the other bugs with it as well. Once it has settled, it's completely inert and can be left for several years. Dust all the joins and nooks and crannies around the room, furniture, skirting boards etc etc... especially on the walls adjoining the neighbours.

They are a nightmare to get rid of. Fumigating once won’t do it. We had to have the house sprayed three times, plus sprays weekly on mattresses, hoovered daily, used a steamer on carpets, furniture, carpets, curtains etc. They can live up to a year without feeding. Ours came from hospital or from a dodgy hotel room in Czech Republic.

Your friend needs to buy some sprays (you can some that are okay around children). Buy a steamer too as they can’t stand the heat. We got ours under control in about 3 weeks and have been bedbug free about 18 months now!

Also I would be inclined to contact SS if a child is living in there and it’s that bad.

I would absolutely be calling social services. That poor child. I remembere backpacking and staying in some skanky hostel where there were bed bugs. Luckily I wasn't bitten but some of the other girls were covered in bites and it was irritating and painful. Please report this.

*remember

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UCFBZAM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_K862410NR0HFADBE1DRJ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Link to the dust we are discussing on here.

They're a nightmare to get rid of, it will be a very long tedious job.
For a bit of peace of mind at night, We bought silk sleeping bag liners for backpacking as they're so tightly woven the bugs struggle to get inside, she could try that. Deet bug spray also works I think but it's nasty stuff.