People living in a Saskatoon apartment run by social housing say bed bugs found in the laundry room could have been avoided.
Over the weekend, the Saskatoon Housing Authority (SHA) treated King Edward Place’s upper floors for bed bugs. During the spray, residents who had to do laundry were directed to main floor machines, according to letters posted in the building.
"They literally invited people to come down and use the main floor facility. We were very concerned we were going to get bed bugs and sure enough, immediately there were bed bugs found in the laundry room,” said Judith Ryan, a resident in the apartment.
Ryan said bed bugs were found in the dryers and sink.
The SHA said laundry is part of the bed bug treatment process.
"If they put their clothes through the dryer, the heat will kill the bed bugs. So they are being used, and that is part of the process to make sure they're not spreading. Do laundry, keep it clean,” said Ray Neale, the general manager of SHA.
Exterminator Kelly Makepeace advises against sharing washing machines when bed bugs are around.
"I've gone to places where you can see them crawling around in the washing machine, so it's not good. They just don't drown. You can't drown them. The cycle isn't long enough for them to drown. It’s the heat that will kill them," Makepeace said.
King Edward Place residents are meeting on Thursday night to discuss how to move forward with their bed bug concerns.
