Kennedy Court, in St Leonards. Picture: GoogleMum-of-two Ashley Richardson, 21, said her flat on the eleventh floor of Kennedy Court has made her 'very unwell and depressed'.Ashley, who had been living in a mother and baby room, took on the flat in July 2019 from a disabled man who had lived there for more than 50 years and said it had been left in a 'terrible' condition.She said the walls of the flat had been left in such a bad state it made decorating impossible, sinks were at chest height making it difficult for her son to wash his hands, an

We will be explaining all of the options you have when trying to tackle these nasty critters.Bed bugs are oval shaped creatures that grow to around 6mm, which is a similar size to an apple seed. They are often a ruddy brown colour and have strong legs, allowing them to travel vertically up a variety of surfaces. They also lay numerous eggs at a time, cementing them in cracks or crevices that are then not visible by the naked eye. This is how the infestation begins! They are also excellent at latching on to hosts (you or I!) and travelling to ma

Bed bug feeding on human skin. A new study concluded this week that bed bugs were such a problem in France that they now pose a national health hazard. The creatures have been on the rise globally but in the past decade, bed bugs have proliferatedthey are now found in every U.S. state and countries across Europe have seen huge infestations, notably Paris (which is the number one visited capital in the world). At the beginning of 2020, the French Union for Pest Control stated that, Frances bed bug problem has seen the number of cases go from 180

SASKATOON -- The owner of a Saskatoon hotel poised for closure by the Saskatoon Fire Department claims inspectors have been looking hard for any reason to shut down his business.I dont think this is right. At my age, Im 77-years-old, I dont feel good about this at all. (The inspectors) have the power to do whatever they want, when they want, the time they want and if its sunny or rainy they choose what day, John Pontes said in an interview Wednesday, which you can watch portions of using the player above.City Centre Inn and Suites, which was pr

Before coronavirus took over all news cycles in March, the world was worrying about another rapidly spreading plague: bed bugs.Paris had become so infested with them the government launched an eradication campaign, complete with an emergency helpline number. The flat, apple-seed sized bugs, which come out at night to feast on the blood of sleeping humans, are thriving in New York, too, with complaints about infestations growing so fast that the city has had to issue restrictions on how to dispose of old mattresses in order to try to curb their

How to treat a bed bug biteBedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so but there are things you can do to alleviate symptoms.The NHS recommends the following:You can also ask a pharmacist about using a mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone cream to ease bed bug bites, the health body says.If the bites are very itchy and you're unable to sleep, a pharmacist may recommend antihistamines, it adds.Once your symptoms are treated, you must tackle the underlying infestation."This can be difficult because bed bugs hide so well and can l

GETTING rid of bed bugs can be an unpleasant and tricky job which can often require the help of professionals.But what can you do to tackle an infestation, how does it occur and how can you treat bites? Here's all you need to know...3Bed bugs are small, blood-sucking insects that can be found in the joints of your mattress.They crawl out at night and feed on human blood after biting through exposed skin.Typically they are brown, dark yellow or red in colour, are flat and oval-shaped and are the size of an apple seed.Although they arent dangerou

Other signs of bed bugs include dark bloodstains on the sheets and bedding, where they've sneakily attacked you.Your skin may be itchy and irritated from the bites. If you have sensitive skin, you may have painful swelling after being bitten.Another sign to look out for is small brown spots on the bedding, where you may have crushed some in your sleep.The small insects aren't restricted to the bedroom, they can also live on furniture.DON'T MISSTypically dark yellow, red or brown, adults are only 5mm long but still big enough to be detected by

New study says that bed bugs can modify microbial communities in homes they infest, an advance that could lead to better indoor environmental quality (IEQ).Homes infested by bed bugs appear to have different bacterial communitiesoften referred to as microbiomethan homes without bed bugs, according to a first-of-its-kind study from North Carolina State University.In addition, once bed bug infestations were eradicated, home microbiome became more similar to those in homes that never had bed bugs.According to American health agency CDC, Indoor env

Julie Camden-Field, who lives in Thalia House, London Road - a block of 88 flats housing elderly and vulnerable people - has been unable to sleep in her bed since June 5 because of the bugs.She had been sleeping in her recliner chair in her lounge until July 4, when she was awoken to find eight bedbugs on her and a number of bites.Julie said she has requested Optivo - the housing association that operates the flats - allow her to sleep in one of the two guest rooms but this has been refused.She has also tried sleeping in an upright chair, but w

How can I treat bed bug bites?Bedbug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so but there are things you can do to alleviate them.The NHS recommends: Things you can do include:Putting something cool, like a clean, damp cloth, on the affected area to help with the itching and any swellingKeeping the affected area cleanNot scratching the bites to avoid getting an infectionYou can also ask a pharmacist about using a mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone cream to ease bed bug bites, says the health body.If the bites are still very painful

Julie Camden-Field, who lives in Thalia House, London Road - a block of 88 flats housing elderly and vulnerable people - has been unable to sleep in her bed since June 5 because of the bugs.She had been sleeping in her recliner chair in her lounge until July 4, when she was awoken to find eight bedbugs on her and a number of bites.Julie said she has requested Optivo - the housing association that operates the flats - allow her to sleep in one of the two guest rooms but this has been refused.She has also tried sleeping in an upright chair, but w

A PRIVATE contractor has been brought in to tackle a persistent bed bug problem in a Kilmacolm sheltered housing complex. River Clyde Homes have admitted to councillors that there is still an issue in Glebe Court despite working with Inverclyde Council's pest control team. A letter in response to concerns admitted that as of July 3 there was still an infestation in six flats - many months after the problem first came to light in October 2019. The letter said: 'RCH has been working closely with Inverclyde Councils pest control team to treat

Scabies, lice, and bedbugs dont care if were in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic.But some of the strategies weve been using to prevent COVID-19 transmission in shelter are relevant to these other, longstanding public health threats.In a previous article, I described how Bethesda Projects Church Shelter Program has been using a form of community-based surveillance (CBS) in response to COVID-19. Recently, I took a closer look at CBS initiatives in Cuba, Uganda, and Ecuador to learn how other communities in resource-limited settings creatively and