Bed bugs have been a problem at the Jefferson City Housing Authority's Dulle-Hamilton Towers for nearly two years, but Housing Authority Executive Director Allen Pollock said the problem has recently escalated.
"Two months ago, it was one or two (housing units) a month, and now we're treating on a daily basis," he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs are "small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep." They are reddish-brown, wingless creatures.
Greg Carter, a 25-year resident of the apartments, said his apartment was treated for bed bugs about a year ago, but the insects recently returned. He had his apartment treated again last month.
He said he replaced many of his belongings in an effort to rid his home of the parasites.
"They were eating me alive," he said. "It's terrible. I had bites all over me."
Pollock said the Housing Authority is treating the bed bug infestations with a plan set forth by the experts.
"When we treat one unit, we typically treat the unit on either side, sometimes across the hall and above and below," he said. "So, any time one unit is being treated with the heat treatment, there's a minimum of four adjoining units being treated with the chemical treatment, unless those are infested bad enough that they need the heat treatment, also."
He said the Housing Authority pays for treatments from its operating fund, and they are considered building maintenance.
"When this first started, there was no money budgeted," he said. "We had to take it (money) from something else to pay for it."
He said he's unsure exactly how many units are infested with bed bugs, but there is a waiting list for treatment.
"Obviously we're trying to get on top of it, but we can't guarantee no bed bugs in our units any more than a hotel can't guarantee no bed bugs in a unit they rent you," he said.
He said it's a matter of educating residents that they're the ones bringing the bed bugs in and spreading them around.
"Theoretically, if you treat every building, every apartment in every building, and the common areas one time, you could have bed bugs again two days later if they come in on someone's clothes," he said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers several tips for bed bug prevention:
• Check second-hand furniture, beds and couches for signs of bed bug infestation before bringing the furniture home.
• Use a protective cover that encases mattresses and box springs and eliminates many hiding spots for bed bugs.
• Reduce clutter in your home to reduce hiding places for bed bugs.
• In hotel rooms, use luggage racks to hold your luggage, rather than setting it on the bed or floor.
• In hotel rooms, check the mattress and headboard for bed bugs before sleeping.
• Upon returning home from travelling, unpack directly into a washing machine and inspect your luggage carefully for bed bugs.