Steve and Catherine Hanson have felt the trauma of a bed bug infestation in their apartment.
The elderly couple live on South Court Street and found the parasitic insects in their washroom about two weeks ago. They discovered the bugs after hearing rumours of a bed bug infestation in the building in the hallways.
"That was when we became alarmed," said Steve Hanson.
"We started checking our apartment here and we did find some in our washroom. They seemed to be coming out from under the tub," he said.
The Hansons haven't come across any more bugs in the apartment for the last four or five days but their apartment is still set to be fumigated.
The couple has been prepping their apartment for the procedure for days, washing clothes, bagging them and moving furniture.
It's been a lot of work for the couple; Steve is 85 and Catherine is 80.
"It was really hard for us," Steve Hanson said.
"Stressful and nerve-wracking," said Catherine Hanson, noting she can't help her husband move their things because of a bad back.
"I felt sorry for my husband because he's doing all this, going up and down the stairs," she said tearfully.
"I feel like screaming. I feel like screaming at somebody."
The Hansons said they heard the bed bugs had been found in the building as early as the August long weekend.
Public health inspector Etrick Blackburn said the building does have a bed bug infestation and they were alerted to the situation on Aug. 12 after receiving complaints.
"We are the ones who called the landlord," Blackburn said, adding the landlord is working with the health unit to eradicate the problem.
Poli Rentals, the company that owns the building, issued a release Tuesday stating Canadian Pest Control has been on site at least four times to control the situation.
"When the management was advised of the problem, we contacted the pest control company immediately and advised them to take the necessary steps to eliminate the problem," it states.
While CPC has been to the building to begin getting rid of the infestation, Blackburn said it could take months or even a year before it is completely gone.
"They are a very, very pesky parasite," he said. "They just don't go away overnight."
There are health risks associated with the bugs. They can bite and there is risk of secondary infection if they're scratched and are contaminated with other bacteria.
And there are psychological and social trauma risks, Blackburn said.
"You can't sleep because these little critters are in your bed biting you; you imagine that," he said. "In addition to that, there's the social stigma associated with it."
