Neighbors have bedbugs, how to protect your apartment, can bedbugs spread from neighbors?

When bed bugs first appear in people's homes, a reasonable question always arises: where did they come from? The big disadvantage of apartment buildings is that insects can enter the apartment from neighbors. And this is one of the common ways bedbugs get into a home.

If bedbugs infest one apartment, all neighboring apartments are automatically at risk of infestation. Therefore, it is useful to know how to act in a situation where your neighbors have bedbugs - how to protect your apartment and where to turn if the residents of the hotbed apartment do not take adequate measures.

First, let's figure out in what ways and why bedbugs can come from the apartment next door.

How to protect your home

If your neighbors have bed bugs, the question arises about how to protect their apartment, because treating your own home is not enough. Bloodsuckers move from one room to another and soon the parasites will come again. To protect yourself when your neighbors have bedbugs, you can join forces; this is the best option for eliminating insects.

The more quickly the actions are carried out, the more likely it is to get rid of bloodsuckers quickly . Bedbugs multiply rapidly; delay will give a head start to infecting a large area.

Harassment is carried out with purchased funds or by calling in the appropriate services. For disinsection, drugs are purchased that kill parasites. Insecticides will solve the problem in a matter of days.

Repellents help in the fight against enemies, but their drawback is that the drugs are not able to destroy bedbugs; they are designed to repel insects and they may return after the product wears off.

It is advisable to take repellents for prevention after mass persecution with insecticides. Spicy herbs are ineffective. Their task is to repel bloodsuckers, but when the aroma weakens, the parasites return.

How to force neighbors to poison bedbugs

If you can't solve the problem on the spot, you may need information on how to get your neighbors to exterminate you. This can only be done through official bodies. You cannot force your neighbors to do this themselves through other legal means.

Housing inspection

It is recommended to file a complaint with the Housing Inspectorate. These complaints can range from your neighbors who have bedbugs to unscrupulous property management companies who ignore reports of bedbugs. The system of official pressure is such that, ideally, such problems should be resolved by the nearest responsible body, but, unfortunately, everything does not always go as it should. The higher the authority, the more extensive and complex the process of filing a complaint with it.

Rospotrebnadzor

To hold your neighbors accountable, you can complain to the Federal Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor). Again, the complaint must be filed collectively.

Court

Filing a complaint to court is a last resort that can be used in the fight against unscrupulous neighbors. This option can require evidence, require expert testimony, is time consuming and generally takes a long time, so there is no point in using it if you only suspect that your neighbors may have bedbugs.

Appeals and complaints always require a certain amount of time to be reviewed and resolved. It is likely that you will still have bedbugs during this time. To stop them, you need to take action as soon as you notice the first pests.

Effective insecticides

To eliminate infestations at home, powerful insecticides are used. These measures allow you to quickly eliminate parasites. But the question arises about protection from bedbugs if they have settled with neighbors, because then the disinfestation of one apartment does not guarantee a 100% result. It is best to come to an agreement with your neighbors and carry out the persecution at the same time.

The choice of insecticides is huge; you can purchase preparations in the form of a spray, aerosol, chalk, powder, emulsion, or in the form of a trap. Sprays and aerosols are popular. This is due to the way the chemical is supplied.

Thanks to the extensive spraying of microparticles under pressure, even the most difficult-to-reach substances are processed.

Drug Executioner. Kills adults and their eggs. The disinfectant does not require re-treatment; one episode of bullying is enough. To prepare the solution, the concentrate is diluted with water in accordance with the instructions. The resulting mixture is sprayed near sofas, mattresses, beds, around baseboards, and cracks in the floor. The executioner attracts pests with its smell, provoking them to come into contact with particles of the drug. Fenthion contained in the composition affects the nervous system of bloodsuckers and kills insects. Before using an insecticide, you must protect yourself by wearing a respirator, gloves, and safety glasses. During treatment and for several days after, there should be no residents of the house or pets in the room.
Cucaracha. The drug is recognized by pest control services. It is very toxic, so when processing the body must be wearing a respirator, goggles, gloves, and household members must leave the home for a while. Cucaracha is found in the form of an emulsion or powder. The liquid preparation is intended for preparing an aqueous solution, and the dry one is distributed throughout the apartment in its original form. When disinfesting carpets, the powder is left for several days, after which the pile is vacuumed. Wet cleaning of the apartment is done after 6-7 days.
Get suspension. The main substance is chlorpyrifos. Small granules fall on the body of the bug and poison not only the carrier, but also other parasites that happen to be near the victim. To obtain a solution, the suspension is diluted with water 1:14.
Battalion commander Pyrethroids in the drug cause paralysis and death in bloodsuckers. All possible locations of bedbugs are treated with an aerosol. The insecticide has low toxicity for humans. The disadvantage of this choice is the high cost of the product.
Fufanon. The emulsion contains malathion. The diluted preparation is sprayed on all bedbug habitats. The product is cheap and effective.

Where do bed bugs come from?

Let's find out exactly where bed bugs come from. Insects can appear wherever it is convenient for them to live, reproduce and feed. These are the living conditions that most attract bedbugs:

Carpets on the floor or on the wall . This is an ideal home for insects. We rarely have to lift the carpet and clean it thoroughly. This is why bed bugs breed in these quiet and safe places.
Any damage to the home . Bedbugs are attracted to cracks in walls, old wallpaper and crevices in the house. These are ideal places for them to live and move between rooms.
Dust and dirt . Bed bugs are attracted to unsanitary conditions in the home. They can easily live in dusty and dirty objects. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly carry out wet cleaning and get rid of excess dirt.
Uniform air temperature . Bedbugs simply cannot tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, we recommend frequent ventilation and drafts. Then the insects will feel discomfort and can easily leave it.
Presence of people or pets in the house . The most important thing is to have a source of blood. Having a cat, dog, hamster or even a parrot in your apartment is an ideal place for bedbugs.
Lack of light . Insects simply cannot stand sunlight. Therefore, they mostly hide during the day and go out hunting at night. If your curtains are closed 24 hours a day and your apartment is dark, bloodsuckers will be even more active.

We found out where bed bugs come from and where they prefer to live and breed.

Prevention of occurrence

When treating for bedbugs, do not forget what must be done to prevent infestation of the home.

The risk of parasite penetration cannot be completely eliminated, but if a number of rules are followed, the return of insects is minimized.

During the trip, the sleeping place is checked. Upon arrival, disassembled items are washed, suitcases and bags are left in the sun or frost.
Drops of essential oils are added to luggage with things. The bright aroma repels pests.
Prevention of parasites includes inspection and disinfestation of ventilation. Place a container with essential oil there or put a bunch of tansy or wormwood.
A bunch of herbs are kept under the bed to repel bloodsuckers.
To prevent pests from entering the apartment, place a saucer with essential oils on the owner’s things in the hallway.
When bedbugs crawl from neighbors, repairs need to be made, cracks and possible paths are sealed with sealant or mortar, which will not allow the bloodsuckers to overcome the barrier.

Are the neighbors really to blame?

Of course, not every neighbor will admit to you that it was from him that insects began to scatter around the entrance. And if you are not allowed into a nearby apartment, this does not mean that there is a breeding ground for these bloodsuckers.

Considering that bedbugs primarily inhabit bedrooms, it is not right to violate its integrity.

To understand whether bedbugs can pass from one or another neighbor, it is necessary to exclude other methods of transmission.

You can:

Bring from a business trip, travel, trip. Remember the last 4 months, maybe you or your household spent the night somewhere outside the house?
Receive from visiting guests. Hospitality can be fraught with such consequences
Get it from walking pets. The fur of a cat or dog is an excellent travel destination for parasites or their eggs.
Purchase together with furniture (especially not new), bed linen, etc.

When the smell of chemicals began to spread through the entrance, the neighbors started fighting like they were fighting cockroaches. Soon the bedbugs will go looking for a new home. The path should also be wary of insects. Or traces from the movements of bedbugs: these will be scales, eggs, spots from excrement. In this case, we begin to act without delay.

Can they come from neighbors?

When wondering whether bedbugs can move into an apartment from neighbors, it is worth considering that insects crawl on walls and ceilings and there is a possibility.

The ways for bloodsuckers to enter a home are:

Introducing parasites by pets.
Buying old things.
Crawling through an open window in summer.
Moving bedbugs in luggage while traveling.

Parasites may remain in the home from the previous owners. If the bloodsucker does not have food, it is capable of falling into suspended animation and can emerge from it years later, when a victim appears on its territory. Therefore, before blaming your neighbors, you need to make sure that the infection arose because of them.

What's the best way to negotiate with your neighbors?

When you know that there are bed bugs in your neighborhood, you need to remember that you cannot influence your neighbors. You can't force them to compromise, it will lead to conflict. If your neighbor does not want to eliminate bedbugs and denies the problem, there are several possible solutions:

Explaining the dangers, informing about the consequences of infesting an apartment with parasites, sometimes people know little about bedbugs, they think that sooner or later they will disappear, but this is an illusion that should be carefully conveyed to residents;
You can pay for the service of calling exterminators to your neighbors - not everyone is ready to do this (they don’t want to pay for treating other people’s houses), but, on the other hand, if you don’t get rid of bedbugs at the very beginning of the infestation, then you will have to spend more money later (cleaning company services, treatment with expensive means, etc.).

How to understand that they came from a neighboring apartment

If there is a problem with bloodsuckers, the owners are interested in how to find out if their neighbors have bedbugs. If there is a trusting attitude, the neighbors themselves will answer.

Otherwise, recent events are reviewed, new purchases, recent travels, and housing transactions are remembered.

If you are interested in how to determine that bedbugs are crawling from your neighbors, take into account the presence of pets or recent trips to the hospital . If all the reasons do not apply, then the bedbugs most likely came from neighbors. It is important to consider the number of bloodsuckers. If neighbors poison bedbugs, then the insects will quickly spread throughout the apartments and their number will be significant.

Apartment inspection

If you find out that there are insects in your apartment building, immediately carry out a home inspection. Do not doubt whether bedbugs can pass from neighbors. They are quite capable of this.

bed mattresses, sofa upholstery, bedding;
carpets, curtains, paintings on the walls;
books and wardrobes with clothes;
any cracks in the room.

The presence of insects is indicated by black dots on mattresses, cabinets, and books. Larvae and eggs in crevices, empty pupae and adults hiding in carpets and furniture.

Through what places in the apartment can they penetrate?

When you know that your neighbors have bedbugs, it’s worth knowing how the bloodsuckers get into your home. Typically, parasites crawl through cracks, openings, ventilation, and doors. Due to their overall dimensions, bloodsuckers crawl into small crevices.

If you are wondering what to do if your neighbors are poisoning bedbugs, you should first exclude the possibility of insects moving into the apartment. To do this, it is imperative to seal the cracks with sealant or polyurethane foam, and install a mesh with small cells in the ventilation ducts.

There they leave a trap for the bug that has overcome the barrier. You need to draw a line on the doors, walls and ceiling with the preparation in the form of a chalk, especially if the windows and balcony are open in the summer.

We solve the problem peacefully

If the owners of a “problem” apartment admit that they have a breeding ground for insects, but cannot begin to exterminate them due to financial difficulties, then you can offer them your help. You can use household products to combat bedbugs or turn to professionals. For the effectiveness of the measures taken, it is very important that all apartments in the building are treated. It is known that at the slightest hint of danger and before their death, bedbugs release special pheromones, which give a signal to the rest of the colony to escape. Only an integrated approach can help destroy them completely. And thanks to promotions for treating several premises, this service is relatively inexpensive.

If your neighbors deny their guilt and refuse to solve the problem, closing the door in your face, then you need to deal with them at a different level.

Where to complain

If you are wondering what to do if your neighbors have bedbugs and they do not take measures to eliminate them, it is worth noting that it is easier to talk to people and settle everything peacefully.

When words do not yield significant results and the question of where to complain when neighbors have bedbugs remains open, you need to write a statement to the appropriate authorities. If this is not done, then the risk of the problem reoccurring after treating only your apartment is high.

First, you need to call the local police officer; if an explanatory conversation does not yield results, he will tell you where to go if your neighbors have bedbugs. The next step is the sanitary and epidemiological station. If, after all, it is not possible to come to an agreement with the neighbors, then they contact the prosecutor’s office with a recorded violation and a collective complaint.

Unfortunately, there is no article in the code that allows us to fully regulate this issue. Perhaps conversations will be held with neighbors or they will simply feel ashamed and decide to come to a compromise.

An application to Rospotrebnadzor can help bring neighbors to administrative responsibility or pay a minor fine for violating sanitary standards. But if the tenants are the rightful owners of the apartment, then nothing else can be done against them.

What to do if your neighbors refuse to poison their bedbugs

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find a common language with neighbors. The most difficult thing is when people with a reduced sense of social responsibility (alcoholics, drug addicts) or with mental disorders live in the apartment. One can only sympathize with their neighbors. But even with healthy people it can sometimes be difficult. Some stubbornly deny that bedbugs may live in their apartment, and at the same time refuse to make contact. What to do in such cases if there is a suspicion that the insect outbreak is in the neighbors?

Legislative norms

In legislation, such issues are regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and Federal Law No. 52 “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population.

Thus, Articles 10 and 23 of Federal Law No. 52 prohibit residents from violating sanitary standards and oblige them to comply with the requirements of sanitary legislation. Articles 17 and 67 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation require owners and tenants of residential premises to adhere to established sanitary standards. And the requirements for the maintenance of residential premises in SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10 (clause 9.2) oblige timely disinsection and deratization to prevent infectious diseases.

9.2. When using residential premises, the following is required:

take timely measures to eliminate malfunctions of engineering and other equipment located in residential premises (water supply, sewerage, ventilation, heating, waste disposal, elevator systems, etc.) that violate sanitary and hygienic living conditions;
carry out measures aimed at preventing the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases associated with the sanitary condition of a residential building, to destroy insects and rodents (disinfestation and deratization).

What's the best way to act?

Although housing and sanitary standards are prescribed by law, it is by no means easy to hold people accountable for violating them. And even if guilt is confirmed, the tenant of the problem apartment faces only a symbolic fine of 500 to 1000 rubles (Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, Article 6.4). However, this does not mean that nothing needs to be done.

In most cases, it is easier to reach a solution to this problem through dialogue rather than through litigation. Before complaining to various authorities, try to talk to your neighbors.

Remember that a respectful and constructive approach in such matters works much better than indignant attacks and threats. An adequate person, if he is also interested in getting rid of bedbugs, will understand your concern, and you will be able to agree on joint measures.

If the dialogue does not work out, try talking with other neighbors whose interests may also be affected by this situation. If other residents share your suspicions about your neighbor's apartment, you can make a personal or collective complaint in writing demanding pest control. You can give it to the person personally (and have him sign on the second copy) or send it by registered mail with notification.

Management company, Housing inspection, Rospotrebnadzor

If the above measures do not have any effect, write a request to the Management Company or Homeowners Association. With collective treatment, as a rule, the reaction from these bodies follows faster.

The Criminal Code does not have the authority to punish the violator, but with the consent of the tenant it must inspect his apartment and draw up a report. In addition, representatives of this body can conduct a conversation with the resident in order to influence him and possibly provide assistance in complying with sanitary standards. For example, in cases with lonely elderly people, the management company can help organize cleaning and removal of trash from the apartment. But only with the consent of the tenant himself.

If the management company or homeowners association does nothing in response to your appeal, you can complain to the Housing Inspectorate, a government body that monitors the work of housing organizations. A written complaint is submitted to the territorial office, in which you need to indicate your data, the name of the Criminal Code and a detailed description of the essence of the complaint. The appeal will be reviewed within 30 days; based on the results of the review, you will be provided with a written response. In case of detected violations, the management company may be fined.

If it was not possible to solve the problem through the Criminal Code, you can contact the regional office of Rospotrebnadzor - come in person or send a complaint by mail or leave it on the official website. In the application you must indicate your full name, address and details of the tenant about whom you are complaining, and describe the situation in detail. Representatives of the organization are required to visit the apartment within 30 days, record violations of sanitary standards and take action.

Moreover, if a collective complaint is filed from three or more owners of apartments in the entrance, Rospotrebnadzor is obliged not only to draw up reports, but also to carry out free sanitary treatment.

Which authorities to contact?

Having figured out whether it is possible to complain if your neighbors have bedbugs in the absence of positive changes, you should start persecuting yourself. For effective treatment, use high-quality insecticides.

The most effective place to go if your neighbors have bedbugs is the sanitation service . Representatives of the sanitary and hygienic institution will help treat the affected area with special means.

Barrier disinsection with Klopoveron will protect against bedbugs, flies and other parasites. It is expensive, but the effect lasts for at least 1 year.

It is better to carry out disinfestation of the entire house or entrance, but if this is not possible, apartments are treated at will.

You can protect yourself from bedbugs creeping in from your neighbors by mass disinfestation, since if you do not treat the infected room, the parasite will return. If neighbors refuse to poison insects, a number of measures are taken to prevent them from entering the home.

This includes sealing cracks, changing the ventilation mesh, and treating possible paths of movement with repellents . To completely get rid of parasites, you should agree with your neighbors and carry out persecution together with the entire entrance.

Fighting methods

If bedbugs have managed to settle in the apartment, radical measures are necessary. Insecticides are sold in hardware stores. The drugs destroy a wide range of parasites and are effective against bedbugs.

Read the instructions carefully before using the products. The substances are toxic and require strict adherence to safety regulations. To work with them, purchase a protective suit, gloves, a respirator and goggles. After processing, close the apartment and check into a hotel for a day. Before returning, ventilate the room and carry out a wet cleaning.

Popular drugs for eliminating bedbugs:

Executioner concentrate,
emulsion or powder Karbofos,
Cucaracha liquid,
Delta Zone,
Mikrofos +,
Get
Minap 22,
Xulat C 25.

To finally get rid of parasites in your home, work together with your neighbors. Otherwise, insects will migrate from apartment to apartment, giving rise to mutual reproaches and hostility between residents.

It’s better to negotiate with people and pay for professional pest control of the entire house. This is the most reliable way to eliminate parasites and their eggs.

When bedbugs appear in one apartment, the neighbors' concern is justified. The search begins for an effective method to stop the spread of insects throughout the house.

In a situation where everyone acts alone, this war against parasites can be considered lost.