Some very small insects are said to be causing some big problems at a high-rise apartment building in downtown Meriden. Many residents who reside at 80 Hanover Street said they are dealing with a bed bug infestation. Some residents are reaching out to city leaders for help.
“I just picked one off the other night off of my bed," said Archie McCoy, outside the apartment building on Tuesday. “I’m bit up and down my arms, my thighs, my legs," he said, displaying what he said was skin irritated by bed bug bites.
Mayor Kevin Scarpati told NBC Connecticut that his office had received several complaints in recent days from people claiming they were constantly being bitten by bed bugs at the Hanover Street building. The mayor said it appears that at least a dozen apartments - likely more - are infested.
“It’s ridiculous and I’m sick of it," said Jean Stajos, who has lived in the apartment building for a decade.
Stajos said bed bugs have been a persistent problem at the building. She said the insects are frustrating, painful and they are even impacting her finances.
“I’ve gone through more beds and more couches, all because of the bed bugs," she said. They put a band aid on it and it doesn’t go away," said Stajos.
The complex, made up of more than two hundred units, is privately owned by 80 Hanover Management, LLC, according to government records. NBC Connecticut made multiple requests for comment, but the management company had not immediately responded.
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Mayor Scarpati said the city wants to work with the landlord and the tenants to find a solution. He said that the goal is to educate the residents themselves about beg bug prevention and treatment.
Bed bugs feed on human blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control, with infestations typically occurring where people sleep.
“They have exterminators coming in constantly to spray your apartment but they keep coming back," said Harold Mackay, who had had exterminators dispatched to his unit in the past. "They never go away.”
