FAQs - bed bug treatment
Will I be evicted if I don’t take part in the treatment?
No. It’s your home – you decide. If you don’t want the treatment, that is fine. This is why we are consulting.
I won’t be able to vacate my home for the time you’ve requested.
Let us know your individual needs via the survey or by speaking to one of our team, and we will see how we can assist you if the proposed treatment goes ahead.
I’ve heard the treatment is toxic to pets and those with allergies.
The treatment is widely used and perfectly safe, containing fewer toxins than a common over-the-shelf fly spray. In this survey, you can tell us about any allergies or pets you have. We can then work with you to find a suitable solution if we proceed with the treatment.
I’ve been told treating the infestation with heat or steam is better for your health and more effective.
Our pest control experts advise otherwise. While alternative treatments like heat or cold have some effect, they don’t tackle the life cycle of the bug as effectively as the treatment we recommend.
We are being forced to have this treatment even though we don’t have bed bugs.
We believe the best way to tackle and prevent future infestations is to treat all homes once. We’re asking for your opinion and it’s for you, our residents, to tell us how you would like move forward.
What form will the treatment take?
Details of the treatment are enclosed with the survey. Your home will need to be sprayed three times over six weeks. Each time, you will need to be out of the home for five hours. We recognise this will be inconvenient for some, but we believe it is the most effective way to treat and prevent the spread of bed bugs.
If we don’t agree to this treatment, what will you do to solve the problem of bed bugs in the Four Courts?
Bed bugs are very difficult to treat, and we believe this is our best shot. We would need to discuss the next steps with local Councillors and the Residents' Association before coming back to you in greater detail.
Are you charging us for the treatment?
Southern Housing is offering to pay for the treatment of all homes in the Four Courts, whether they have bed bugs or not. In the future, treatment costs may be included in your service charge, as outlined in your tenancy agreement.
What happens if some people want the treatment and others don’t? Will you treat the ones that want it and leave the others?
We have currently been treating all the homes that have contacted us about bed bugs (approximately 35) along with communal areas. We will continue to do this at our expense until a decision is reached on what to do next.
What is the meeting on 13 December 2024 about?
It’s another opportunity for residents of the Four Courts to ask questions about the proposed treatment. We hope to share some headline results from the survey, but no decisions will be made at that meeting. We will write to everyone with our next steps once we’ve considered the responses.