Bed bug problem emerges at LV complex
was still finding bites; his apartment was scheduled for a follow-up on Friday.
He said he has no complaints with how management responded after becoming aware of the problem.
Resident Carol Rehm agreed. She said she has lived in the building for about four years and never encountered a bed bug until January. When she did, she said, she reported the problem and management sent someone to her apartment to spray within a couple days.
Jerry Nowlan, who manages the complex for the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, said the complex has had recurring bouts with bed bugs, despite the best efforts of exterminators to get rid of them.
“I’ve never seen it this bad anywhere. Ever,” said Nowlan, who has managed rental properties for 20 years.
Nowlan said some residents con- tribute to the outbreaks by failing to report infestations because they are embarrassed, feeling like they somehow contributed to the appearance of the pests. That, in turn, puts their neighbors at risk.
“One apartment could affect the whole floor,” he said.
He’s had representatives from Terminix, the company that handles pest control for the Housing Authority, try to educate residents on what it takes to fight bed bugs.
Resident Sandra Pecorino, who has lived in the building for years, doesn’t buy the reluctant resident explanation and questions whether an all-out effort to exterminate the pests has been made.
“Nobody wants to live with bugs,” she said.
That may be true, says George Botta, who exterminates bed bugs for Las Vegas Pest Control, but correcting public misconceptions is an important part of his job.
He said people shouldn’t be embarrassed if they experience an outbreak, as poor sanitation doesn’t attract bed bugs. Excessive clutter, however, makes it difficult to find and kill them, he added.
And the pests don’t disproportionately affect low-income housing, Botta said.
“They’re in every ZIP code in Vegas,” he said. “They’re here to stay.” Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.