Halmrast Senior's Manor in Lethbridge

By Lara Fominoff

Extreme cleaning

Bed bug infestation at senior’s residence prompts Lethbridge Housing Authority to take extreme measures

Oct 24, 2019 | 4:09 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – 142 units at Halmrast Senior’s Manor in Lethbridge are being systematically cleared out, extensively sprayed, and completely cleaned, after a massive bed bug infestation took hold at the residence over the last few months.

Lethbridge Housing Authority CAO Robin James says the infestation began in two units in the building, but the residents in those units didn’t tell anyone about it until it spread throughout the building.

“Generally speaking, most people would notice a rash, or you know something would cue them like little droplets of blood on the bedsheets would cue people to know that something’s wrong. But unfortunately, some of the people we serve struggle with mental health or addictions or cognitive impairment so a lot of times those cues just aren’t there for them, or they ignore them or they have a fear of repercussions. So, they don’t come to us. And as a result, it turns into a big infestation.”

Cleaning, hauling and maintenance crews are throwing out any material that may be infested

Over the last few months, LHA began spraying the building once a week and they thought they were on top of it. But that didn’t turn out to be the case.

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“We did an inspection of the entire building, at which time we realized that they were living in behind the drywall and whatnot. So, we knew we had to take a really extreme approach with them to eradicate them.”

A Calgary company has been hired to spray every single unit, including common areas on all 10 floors of the building to make sure the bugs are killed.

James says a local cleaning company and a hauling service have also been hired, along with the LHA maintenance crew to help tenants bag everything and throw out anything that may be infested.

“Anything that tenants need help with, we’ve been able to provide those services for them,” she explains.

Residents on certain floors have had to clear out of their units for several hours at a time, however, they all go to a central location where meals are provided for them. James says everyone living there deserves to have a safe and healthy environment – and even though some people aren’t happy they have to move out for the day, they have a responsibility to everyone else that lives there.

“These are social housing units and we want to make sure people that live in social housing live with dignity. So, they shouldn’t be exposed and having to live with bugs around them.”

Crews will go back through all the units in one week to spray where they need to make sure the bugs are gone.

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