Hello, I have browsed and searched the forum on this topic but have specific questions still. My partner and I live in NYC in a rent stabilized apartment building with over 60 units. We live in a great neighborhood we love and pay very little - which is hard to come by in NYC. Since 2009 our apartment has had to be treated 3 times for bedbugs. We long suspected issues with our neighbors below. This past fall when we found bedbugs again, we finally went downstairs with a pamphlet on bedbugs and asked if they had bedbugs. The neighbor said, "Oh yeah! We had those bugs a few months ago. I threw out my mattress and sprayed something." We believe they have been self treating and driving the bedbugs into our apartment. We explained that was the worst thing to do and that management had to pay for treatment by law. We called management who got very upset when they learned about the self treatment. They brought in a PCO (that is not high quality because management is cheap and we have tried advocating for them to hire reputable renowned PCOs but they won't budge).
We have done multiple things to advocate for the best treatment with management and to make a long story short, their PCO inspected and did treatments on our apartment, the one below, and the one below that. They also inspected and did preventive sprays for apartments adjoining our cursed line. We also learned that the apartment two floors right below us had had bedbugs earlier this year. Our line is clearly infested. The person who lives in the apartment 2 floors below us is an elderly man who can barely see.
After our treatments we caulked and sealed our apartment. We discussed moving because we don't think this is over. The neighbors below us are clueless and inconsiderate. They have an enormous amount of clutter in their apartment. They also have people from all over coming in and out of their apartment, staying with them. It is like we live above a hotel room. We don't know if they even did the prep right. And then the elderly man who lives below them on our line is also at risk.
Last week I ran into the PCO in my building. She told me she was "not allowed" to give me info but said she wanted to take a look at my apartment and do a preventive spray around the perimeter. I found out from our super that the apartment 3 floors below us (right below the elderly man) has them and the PCO treated their apartment. The PCO did promise me that "if it was really bad I would tell you." But that is small comfort.
We really don't want to leave this apartment. We love our neighborhood. We love our rent. We would not be able to afford anything in this neighborhood again. Plus it is NYC and we could end up moving into a similar situation.
I have seen enough posts to know there are strong opinions from pros who post here against DE, Cimexa, sealing and caulking etc. But for those who are not opposed to those things for prevention in a multi unit building with a known issue (and we have been educating as many of our neighbors as possible) what are your thoughts about:
- a light dusting of Cimexa around the perimeter (using the recommended respirator mask) in addition to the Interceptors we use?
- Is it pointless, wasteful, and carcinogenic to get a professional to do a preventive chemical treatment once a month?
- Is it worth it to get our hardwood floors waxed (which would be expensive and time consuming)?
- What are the better preventive steps to take in a situation where you do not want to move but live with the conditions I described?
I am fully aware that when it comes to prevention nothing is fail proof by the way. But if I wanted to have a higher percentage prevention rate without getting cancer or spending an enormous amount of money (still would be less money than leaving our long time rent stabilized situation and trying to rent another comparable apartment in NYC) would any of the above offer some protection?
Thank you.