I can take a lot of things, but bugs in my home are not one of those things. When I relocated for the first time to the East Coast from California a decade ago, I was not prepared for those legendary aspects of Manhattan living. Y'know, things like cockroaches and rats and *sigh* bedbugs. These are trappings of large city apartment living and the past two weeks have revealed a big city problem has come home to roost in my cozy home.Well, not in my home specifically, but most definitely in the building. Of the 222 apartments in my building, 15-20 apartments have apparently been infested with bedbugs. To their credit, the building management has gone to great measures to stave off further infestation. The fact that these blood suckers are even IN the building is almost too much for me.
That speaks to me of poverty and turn of the century tenement conditions. When I imagine that I spend one day a weekend on my hands and knees scrubbing floors to keep my living space pristine, I want to recoil with horror. It has nothing to do with cleanliness, obviously. It has to do with people living in close proximity and in such condition, things like this spread viraly. It's unavoidable.
I dealt with the cockroaches (and here I inject a silent, horrified scream). That's why I pay Orkin several hundred dollars a year to keep those nasty bastards at bay. I deal with the rats in the subway. And there, they must stay. But bedbugs? These fuckers are furtive and nocturnal and a freaking scourge. I am, on a daily basis, obsessively checking my skin for bites (and checking Fang's skin for bites), checking our sheets and checking every nook and cranny for evidence. None thus far is forthcoming. But trust me, I am not complacent. This is war.
As I announced imperiously to Fang last Friday, if there is evidence of bedbugs in this apartment, I shall burn every last possession, hail a cab and move to Connecticut. Fang gave me his usual eye-roll, but this time I mean it. A bedbug infestation is, for me, the final nail in my New York coffin.
Yes, I'll be at the shareholder meeting tomorrow night. And if the Board Members waffle one iota, mama will be opening a fresh can of whoop ass...and packing.
4 comments:
I understand your concern. I always thought that the pesky little devils were relegated only to seedy hotels, but no. I saw a special on them---gack! I know you have your bases covered so all the advice I can offer is:
Remember to buy new pillows every 18 months....
Bed bugs spread by contact. You sure you want to be in the same confined space with people who may have bugs in their apt? Just saying.
Coincidentally, a friend of mine just had to cancel some upcoming plans because his building was infested with bedbugs. He said he may have to abandon most of his belongings. I thought it was just hype. (How do you know you have them?) Yeesh.
OMG, yeah, bedbugs are just plain horrific. Keep us posted on this....I cannot even imagine having bedbugs.
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