Bedbug-plagued residents of a high-rise block in Brighton have reacted to a comment that appears to suggest that their landlord, Brighton and Hove City Council, only learnt about the infestation in August.
According to the tenants of several flats in Kingfisher Court, in Albourne Close, Whitehawk, they have had repeated bedbug infestations since 2020.
Many of those who have spoken out have asked to not be identified because they are trying to move out of the building and fear repercussions.
Meanwhile, the council’s new director of housing, care and wellbeing, Genette Laws, visited Kingfisher Court with members of her team on Monday (18 November) and heard about the bedbug infestations.
One resident was in tears as she spoke to Ms Laws about the bedbug problem.
Yesterday (Tuesday 19 November) she said: “I want to cry. We came home and they’re crawling up the walls and on the ceiling.
“They’re all over the place. Basically, all the places that were sprayed, they’re now on.
“I went around killing them then threw the shoe out the window so need to retrieve that from the car park eventually – when I’ve calmed down.
“My father-in-law is on his way to tip my beds and mattresses because they cannot stay. I’m so angry.
“My next-door neighbour had them two years ago and had to throw away everything.”
Another resident shared an email from Labour councillor Gill Williams from August 2020, confirming that pest control were carrying out a bedbug management programme at that time.
Councillor Williams reoresents Whitehawk and Marina ward and is the council’s cabinet member for housing and new homes.
The tenant said: “Contrary to what the council said, they did not find out about this issue in August.
“I have emails going back to last October (2023) telling them the beta-pest man told me the bugs are in the fabric of the building so we will never be free of them.
“Now they say there’s an issue, when I’ve been on high anti-depressants and had counselling, my daughter has been hospitalised for breathing problems and my other daughter has physio for her shoulder from sleeping on the sofa.
“If they checked their records, they would see mine and my neighbours’ homes have been sprayed going back to 2020.”
Councillor Williams said: “We are fully aware of the long-running issue with bedbugs in this building and how frustrating this must be for residents.
“We know this has been an issue since 2020 and our records show we have carried out 11 separate treatments on five different homes in this building since 2022.
“By the end of this week, we will have carried out a further three.
“We have recently contacted every home in the building letting residents know what to look out for and who to contact for help and will do so again this week. We have also been providing additional support for tenants where possible.
“This is an awful situation for those residents whose homes are experiencing an infestation or who have previously had one and are concerned they may reappear and our sympathies are absolutely with these residents.
“Bedbugs can be incredibly difficult to remove from a property but we are doing all we can to help.”
To read our earlier report, click here.
We had them once. I found flea spray and hoovering twice a day, under mattresses and cabinets etc, and not having carpets got rid of them, but it did take a while. The spray does not kill them but leaves them sterile. Nightmare.
Indeed, which has no effect on the eggs, hence you sometimes need two treatments several weeks apart.
The thing is, bed bugs have become resistant to the pesticide (permethrin) used to get rid of them, so spraying them can sometimes only have limited effect.
Bedbugs have got to be like Fleas, they get everywhere don’t they
Carpets
Bedding
Laminate Flooring
Skirting Boards
Mattress, soft blankets
Clothing
But you miss 1 then that’s it, breed like anything, does that work if you treat it, and then again in 2 weeks afterwards, it’s got to be done more than that surely-Tenants will constantly be Hoovering.
But just out of intrest when are the Council knocking the 2nd Block of Flats down up by the Racecourse-and start re-building the New Flats.
Anything that’s a soft furnishing. Mostly come out at night because of the increased CO2, hence their name.
The flats you refer to are owned by the Guinness Trust so it’s down to them to rebuild, presumably they received insurance money. You do make a fair point, this should have been fixed by now, but not a Council issue.
I agree, and on a more general tone, push landbanks to be developed rather than just sat on.
Beta-Pest are not very good with bedbugs. Four spray sessions but no real advice re. repeated hoovering, steaming, bagging up bedding (they missed a massive colony in curtains behind the bed). They are a nightmare and they can be spread easily on public transport. WAKE UP GUINESS TRUST, BRIGHTON COUNCIL AND BETAPEST. It could be you next…