Bedbugs infestation

[moonpin 12]

Recently I moved into a furnished apartment where my good and kind landlord has supplied me with a bedbug infested second hand mattress in an otherwise really excellent house. Initially I didn't even know what was causing me the agony until one day I checked close enough.

The problem is, there is no option for me but to stay put in this house and get rid of bugs somehow without getting a hole in my pocket. I have heard pest control can be very expensive and definitely my landlord cannot be approached on this matter owing to his super nice mood.

 

Is there any special pesticide or chemical available in supermarkets or some effective home remedy to get rid of the menace?

I will be very thankful for any help from you guys.

[Chat Noir 1,958]

The best thing you can do is to get rid of it.

Aldi has a matress for sth like 50 euros.

[Mariposa 1,281]

Buy a new mattress. Even if there was a poison you could use, you do not want to spray that on the mattress you spend 6-8 hours lying on every night. The cheapest mattress at IKEA is €39. I don't know if it's any good but probably better than one with bedbugs or pesticides in it.

[Beuel 4,945]

if you have rented a furnished apartment the landlord has to give you a bugfree mattress. I guess he didn't knew. Just tell him, if he does not want to buy a new one and you don't want to quarrel you can still buy a new one yourself.

[leeza 1,894]

The thing with bedbugs is, despite their name, they don't live only in the bed. They can live in carpets, upholstered furniture, linens, curtains, clothing, even behind wallpaper. So just getting rid of the mattress won't solve your problem. You need professional fumigation. These little monsters are notoriously hard to get rid of. There's a huge epidemic in the States at the moment, particularly NYC, you can google it to read more.

 

But don't just buy a new mattress and think you're done - all that will accomplish is a cozy new home for your unwanted guests. I think you definitely need to get the landlord involved. Profi fumigation is NOT cheap!

[spouse 2]

Maybe you dont need to buy a new mattress. You can zip the mattress in certain kinds of encasements and the bugs inside will die. If you drag the mattress around when youre going to dump it, the bugs could drop off around your apartment, which could make things worse

 

You could call a pest control company and see what the charge is. Would be most efficient way to deal with problem and then you dont have to mess with hazardous substances.

[galloping clogs 105]

We had bedbugs in a hotel I used to work at... kindly brought over from guests from a far off land... anyway, we had to fumigate all the affected rooms, as well as rip out all the carpets, curtains and throw out upholstered furniture like the sofa and chairs, duvets, pillows,and bedlinen as well as the mattress to make sure they were definitely gone. I have no idea how much it cost or whether the landlord is responsible for fixing the problem since he could say that you brought the little bugs with you!?!?! All I know is that just changing the mattress won't necessarily solve the problem.

[Beuel 4,945]

 

Mietrecht: Ungeziefer

 

Ungeziefer (Beispiele: Ameisen, Kakerlaken, Spinnen usw.) stellen dann einen Mangel der Wohnung dar, wenn die Belästigungen durch die ungebetenen Gäste über eine bloße "Unannahmlichkeiten" hinausgehen.

Vermieterpflichten:

 

Der Vermieter hat dem Mieter die Wohnung in einem zur Wohnzwecken geeigneten Zustand zu überlassen und während der Vertragsdauer in diesem Zustand zu erhalten. ( § 535 S. 2 BGB) Dazu gehört es auch, die Wohnung frei von Ungeziefer zu übergeben und so auch zu erhalten.

Es ist deshalb im Mietrecht grundsätzlich Aufgabe des Vermieters, während der Mietzeit etwa auftretendes Ungeziefer zu bekämpfen bzw. auf seine Kosten bekämpfen zu lassen.

Folgen des Ungezieferbefalls:

 

Ungeziefer stellt in aller Regel mietrechtlich einen Wohnraummangel dar, der den Vermieter auch zu Schadens-ersatzleistungen an den Mieter verpflichten kann. ( siehe auch >>> Schadensersatz) Kostenersatz für Unge-zieferbekämpfungsmaßnahmen kann der Mieter nur dann fordern, wenn der Vermieter mit der Mängelbeseitigung (Schädlingsbekämpfung) im >>> Verzug ist (AG Bremen Az. 25 C 118/01).

Führen Ungezieferbefall und fehlerhafte Schädlingsbekämpfung des Vermieters dazu, daß der Aufenthalt in der Wohnung unerträglich wird, kann die Miete bis auf "Null" gemindert werden (AG Aachen, Urteil vom 3. Dezember 1998 , Az: 80 C 569/97). Regelmäßig ist eine Mietminderung nur möglich, wenn eine erhebliche Beeinträchtigung vorliegt.

Der Vermieter ist dem Mieter gegenüber schadensersatzpflichtig, wenn er bei der Mietvertragsanbahnung verschweigt, daß die Wohnung von Schädlingen befallen ist und daß seine Schädlingsbekämpfungen erfolglos waren. Anmerkung: in dem der Entscheidung zu Grunde liegenden Fall hatte der Vermieter die Wohnung zusätzlich mit "Holzwurm-EX" behandelt. Dieses Mittel kann in Wohnräumen zu Gesundheitsschäden führen (AG Aachen a.a.O. sihe nachstehend).

 

In short: Tell your landlord. He has to take care of them and if you can't live in your apartment during the procedure you have to pay no rent.

But the problem with bedbugs is indeed that you could have brought them with you, they seem to change suitcases in planes. They were nearly eradicated but they seem to come back to germany. And again it would be good to join the mieterbund.

 

Edit: and better tell him asap because they will spread all over the house and we wouldn't be very happy to pay for pest control for the whole house.

[westvan 9,696]

Understanding and Controlling Bed Bugs

 

There have also been a lot of infestations in the U.S. and Canada lately. Seems to be on the rise.

 

I guess it would be difficult to prove that the OP didn't bring in the bugs, but it would be worth a try. Maybe a polite letter to the landlord and the mention of having the place fumigated.

[Beuel 4,945]

You should not even mention the possibility of bringing them unless the landlord tries to avoid the costs and sais something like that. It is his duty to keep the apartment free from pests and you pay for that. This is business and part of the contract according to german law, so don't write as if he was doing you a favor. Politeness is always nice but don't be hesitant about it.

[Chat Noir 1,958]

Are we talking about dust mites?

[Beuel 4,945]

 

, wenn die Belästigungen durch die ungebetenen Gäste über eine bloße "Unannahmlichkeiten" hinausgehen

No, they are nearly unavoidable and most people don't even realise they are there. If you are not allergic pesticides would be more dangerous to your health than dust mites i guess.

And it doesn't apply to occasional ants or the usual amounts of spiders, flies or something that comes through the window. Just the sort of pest that causes real trouble or transmit illnesses.

[westvan 9,696]

Chat Noir- bedbugs are different than dust mites.

[Chat Noir 1,958]

Thanks westvan

 

I remember my brother had a problem with them in the army and they used petroleum to disinfect the frame of the bed but the little b... would crawl on the ceiling and then drop themselves on the bed!

 

Talk to your landlord asap.

[Guest]

Can't you freeze them dead? Not sure what equipment you use but I think that's how you kill them off, although if it's a matress from someone else I'd just buy a new one :blink:

[keepingtime 3]

If you can find it use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. It should help and is a natural product. Nonsynthetic.

[ShaggyMame 363]

From The Awl: "How I Fought Bedbugs and Won".

[Mariposa 1,281]

 

But the problem with bedbugs is indeed that you could have brought them with you, they seem to change suitcases in planes.

 

That's it. I'll have my suitcases shrink wrapped from now on. Gross!

[ShaggyMame 363]

Let the magnificent Isabella Rosellini explain how bedbugs get it on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MakIB_IJnu0

Kinky.

[Guest]

Bedbugs are serious I would not want to be you right now. I come from NYC, one of my friends got them from furniture he bought from craigslist in Brooklyn. A bedbug needs to feed just once and then they can reproduce for the rest of their lives. They lay on average 5 eggs a day, and they can go for months and months without a meal (that would be you). So that means every day the problem is getting exponentially worse. Tell your landlord TODAY. In NY, it would be his financial responsibility, regardless of how they got in the apartment, it probably is here too. Getting rid of the mattress will not solve the problem, on the contrary you'll make it worse because they'll spread all over the house. Likewise do not start sleeping on the couch for the same reason! They will find you and then you will have them in two places.

 

My friend in Brooklyn had to put all of his clothes in bags and put them in the dryer for an hour. Everything he owned he had to put in bags or throw away. For the next few months he had to keep all of his clothes and possessions sealed in bags when he wasn't using them. He tried the natural stuff, steam cleaning, diotomaceus earth etc... all it did was waste time and give the buggies more time to reproduce. They ended up spreading to the other two tenants' apartments in his building, one who had a baby. Needless to say, he was Mr. Unpopular, not for getting the bedbugs, because it can't be helped, but that he waited until it was out of control to get help.

 

You need a professional with chemicals and you need to start bagging your clothes and everything else you own. Even if you want to move now, you should do this or you may move them with you. Believe me that this is no exaggeration. They can live in alarm clocks, baseboards, computers, anywhere. If you live in the same house as other people, you're gonna have to tell them too. Good luck :(