Nearly 15 Cases of Bed Bugs Reported in Decatur High-Rise

For the past two months, the Decatur Housing Authority has responded to about 15 cases of bed bugs eating away at the one it's high-rise buildings, The Lexington Apartments.

"They started to eat me up," said resident, Robert Allison. "And I thought it was just mosquito bites and stuff. And I just had spots all over my arms. I had them all over my arms and my back. All over my legs."

Robert Allison has been dealing with bed bugs for months. Building managers have bug-sprayed his unit 3 times, but that didn't fix the problem.

"The fourth time I went down there and told him," said Allison. "I said, man, we got to do something. Because this is just eating me up. And he said, well I'll get an exterminator."

Decatur Housing Authority's executive director, Jim Alpi says that's just what they did.

"We've used contract exterminators, and we've done some of this work with out own trained forces." The Decatur Housing Authority made sure every unit with an issue was treated. Allison says he's now bed bug free, but his neighbor, James Harper, is still suffering.

"They send folks in to spray, but the thing is, if you don't spray them all at one time, all they're going to do is trap them," said Harper.

Alpi says he's working diligently on the issue and urges residents to watch what they bring into the building.

"One of the big sources has been used furniture, and used mattresses coming from charities, and thrift stores and so forth," said Alpi.

Harper's case is so bad he has already thrown out his bed and is now living on an air mattress.

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Nearly 15 Cases of Bed Bugs Reported in Decatur High-Rise