At least one resident of an apartment complex in Harper Woods has experienced bed bugs in her room for months, costing her more than $1,500 to replace furniture and upending visits with family, according to her children.
Carlotta Robinson, of Eastpointe, told the Detroit Free Press her 76-year-old mom, 80-year-old father, and also her 79-year-old aunt living on different floors of the Park Place apartment building had bed bugs in their rooms for several months. After exterminations and getting rid of furniture last month, her dad seems to be clear of the problem and she hopes the same for her aunt, she said. Her mom’s room has been treated several times, she said.
Robinson said management told her a resident with bed bugs washed linens in the
laundry room and that her mom probably got them from washing after them. Robinson said she’s seen the laundry room closed on two separate weeks she brought groceries to her mom.
According to Dublin, Ohio-based National Church Residences, the parent company of the high rise apartment building at 19460 Park Drive, only one apartment was affected by bed bugs as of Thursday, Sept. 10. In a statement to the Free Press, Tricia Strahler, the director of public relations, said the resident with bed bugs used the laundry room and it closed for one weekend while it was treated for bed bugs.
“If other residents are seeing bed bugs in their apartments, we encourage them to reach directly out to the property management staff for immediate treatment,” Strahler said.
Finding the bugs
Robinson and her brother, Shawn Walton, who lives in New York, said they found out their mother had bed bugs after their nephew visited her in May or June and saw several in her sink. Robinson said her mom has glaucoma, making it hard for her to see, and also has difficulty communicating. Her mother thought the bugs were small roaches, which she had previously seen in the building, Robinson said.
Strahler declined to comment on past issues but said that “when brought to our attention in a timely manner, it is our practice to work closely with residents and our pest control professionals to make sure everyone is taking the proper steps to mitigate the issue.”
Walton said he spoke with apartment management while visiting his mother in person on June 27 about the bed bug situation and his mom’s conditions that make it difficult for her to communicate effectively, prepare for treatment and advocate for herself. Walton reached out again on Sept. 2 after his sister told him the bed bug problem was ongoing, according to emails he provided to the Free Press. He also reached out to city of Harper Woods officials, state representatives and the Free Press on that day.
“My family has been informed that bed-bug activity is affecting multiple residents and areas of the property,” according to one of his emails sent to state lawmakers. “If accurate, this warrants a coordinated investigation of affected apartments, adjoining units, common areas, laundry facilities, shared furnishings, and other locations through which bed bugs may spread.”
He said he heard back from the city of Harper Woods building department and filed a resident complaint form.
The building department did not immediately respond to a Free Press request for comment.
According to Walton’s emails, a regional director for National Church Residences told Walton she would follow up with his mother after obtaining inspection reports and reviewing the findings. He said the apartment has since been treated for bed bugs, though previous treatments have not been successful.
Bed bug treatment
Robinson said her mom’s apartment has been sprayed at least three times, with the most recent treatment on Friday, Sept. 4. A follow up was planned in two weeks, she said.
Strahler said, “to our knowledge at this time, only one apartment is affected by bed bugs,” and that it has been treated multiple times by the building’s pest control provider, Orkin, most recently on Sept. 4.
Following the treatment, “Orkin identified additional preparations that the resident needs to complete before further treatment can be effective,” Strahler said.
“Park Place of Harper Woods is an independent living community, thus the resident is responsible for activities such as laundering linens, removing items from the apartment, and preparing it for treatment,” Strahler said.
In the Sept. 2 email, Walton asked Park Place for assistance and disability-related accommodation preparing for treatments.
Asked if more than one resident experienced bed bugs, Strahler declined to comment.
Robinson said her mom’s, dad’s and aunt’s apartment have all been treated for bed bugs through the building. During treatment, residents must leave their rooms for about four hours.
Costs adding up
Robinson said her dad threw out his recliner in August and sat in his senior push chair in his living room for days before she and her family were able to bring him a new chair. Her mom has not yet thrown out her couch, though she has purchased a new mattress, bedframe and linens, she said.
“They need to move all tenants out and fumigate the whole building completely multiple times. The problem keeps spreading and they say it’s because (residents are) not reporting it,” Robinson said. “You can’t fault the tenants.”
Robinson said she’s asked if her mom can be moved to another unit while the bugs are exterminated. In his emails, Walton has asked for more information about the extent of the problem and for confirmation his mom won’t be blamed.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Residents report bed bug problems at Harper Woods senior apartments
