Hugh Adami: Bedbugs have driven Ottawa Community Housing tenant to despair

Like many whose homes have been invaded by the revolting bed bug, Michelle Ruthven is an emotional mess.

Honestly, it has changed my life, says the distraught woman, who lives in a block of eight townhouses, owned by Ottawa Community Housing, in Mechanicsville.

Ruthvens situation is baffling because she has had to put up with the pests since September, despite repeated sprayings. The exterminator has been to her home six times most recently on Wednesday. Thursday morning, her son, whos been sleeping on an air mattress, woke up to find more bites on his body. Her daughter, who was visiting, was bitten, too. Ruthven figures the bed bugs first came in from an adjoining unit six months ago.

OCH chief executive Jo-Anne Poirier promises the housing authority will do what it has to do to destroy the pests. It is notifying all other tenants in the building to see whether they have the problem, too. She says there are various reasons why treatments might not work at once, even if they are applied repeatedly. For one, products used to spray for pests have to be environmentally friendly, so they might not be as strong as they used to be. As well, says Poirier, tenants often enough fail to take all necessary steps to prepare for a spraying. For example, tenants are asked to wash and dry all clothing, linens and towels to kill any possible bugs or eggs. They are then to store the garments and such in sealable plastic bags until it is determined whether spraying has done its job. Ruthven maintains she did all that work, numerous times.

Ruthven has been told bed bugs do not discriminate, are not a cleanliness issue and can invade any household, whether they are mansions or multiple-dwelling buildings. The bugs have turned up in offices, hospitals, and, last month, at the Vancouver provincial courthouse.

Still, she is ashamed of what she is going through and is exhausted by the worry and work the bed bugs have created. She even considered moving, but soon realized she cant afford to give up her subsidized unit. She inquired about a transfer to another OCH building, but was told she would need a number of documents, including a doctors letter indicating she was under duress as a result of the insects.

She feels like a leper and is isolating herself from her friends. Her close friend and neighbour, Sandra Hamilton, says Ruthven doesnt want them visiting her in case they end up transporting the tiny, flat pests back to their homes. Hamilton, whose unit was sprayed as a precaution and has remained bug-free, says Ruthven also doesnt want to drop in on people in case she brings the bugs to them. Shes afraid to come up and visit me.

Hamilton says she believes five of the eight units have received at least one treatment.

But, says Ruthven: Im the one who has been continually sprayed, and they still show up, somehow. I dont know if any of my neighbours still have them, and I havent said anything to anybody.

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Hugh Adami: Bedbugs have driven Ottawa Community Housing tenant to despair