The Picayune Housing Authority is working to respond to complaints of bed begs at The Pines apartments.
“We had a report of maybe one apartment or so, but we’re on top of it,” Picayune Housing Authority Executive Director Ruby Upton said.
The housing authority deals with these issues on a case-by-case basis, Upton said. She said bed bugs are not a rampant issue at The Pines.
Exterminators are scheduled to treat the affected apartment and inspect the rest of the building, she said.
As a precaution, other buildings will also be inspected, Upton said.
“We take care of our apartments and try to caution our tenants,” she said.
In the past, the housing authority held classes with tenants and exterminators to inform residents about measures to prevent infestations. Prevention starts with letting maintenance workers inspect and treat furniture before bringing it into the building, Upton said.
That’s one of the more common ways these problems can occur, she said.
Affected tenants may be required to stay out of their home for a few hours during the extermination process, but there won’t be serious disruptions, Upton said.
“I would think it’s no more severe than spraying for roaches,” Upton said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there is no quick solution to getting rid of bed bugs, which can cause public health issues.
The EPA website states bed bugs are generally the size of an apple seed. They often hide in the seams of chairs and couches or in small nooks around the home.
Removing an infestation takes time and a combination of chemicals and other approaches, the EPA website states.
For those who live in a multi-family home, the agency recommends installing door sweeps and sealing cracks around baseboards, light sockets and other areas where bed bugs could nest.
For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs.