Advertisement Greenville apartment tenants 'fed up' as bedbugs infestation continues Towers East residents say bug infestation beyond their control, they're not to blame Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Some Greenville apartment dwellers say despite following exterminators' recommendations, bedbugs continue to invade their apartments.Towers East is a low-income housing development on North Main Street.Many of the tenants, like Kathryn Aldredge, have lived there for decades."When I first moved into this building, it was 1988 and I was 24 years old. That’s going on 30 years and this place was a decent place to live," Aldredge said. "They wont heat treat , they’ll only spray and I can't get them to come up and spray anymore."Aldredge said despite the complaints from tenants, the bugs keep reappearing."I'm fed up and I want something done," Aldredge said. "I'm really angry with management. I'm really angry."Sharon Whiteside lives a few floors above Aldredge. She carries a bottle of rubbing alcohol with her to keep the bedbugs off of her."We spend $50 or more a week on alcohol, then we do a do-it-yourself pest control. We spend anywhere from $30 to $50 or more trying to get rid of the bedbugs that they're supposed to get rid of," Whiteside said. "I'm not trying to cause problems. I just want my house the way I want it or need it to be."Whiteside said the apartment manager has had exterminators spray multiple times but the problem keeps reoccurring. She said she's been threatened with an eviction notice because the bugs keep appearing in her apartment."Everybody should be able to sleep without worrying about bugs crawling and you might get them in your ear or your nose or your mouth," Whiteside said. "We shouldn’t have to get rid of our furniture because of a place that’s infested with bugs."The apartment's management refused to comment or speak to our WYFF News 4 crew. However, the company that owns Towers East is LHP Management in Knoxville, TN. A representative for their company said they know bedbugs are an issue at the complex, but said it is also a problem nationwide. The representative said they have integrated pest management which treats the complex monthly for bugs and they will continue to treat as long as it's an issue.In a statement to WYFF News 4, the president of LHP management said in part, "Towers East is professionally managed and professionally staffed by LHP, a national leader in affordable housing and a respected organization known for excellence, quality and integrity. LHP’s integrated pest management program meets all federal housing authority standards. Each month, a member of management and a professional pest control agent are in every apartment unit to provide routine exterminating services. During the service, a visual inspection is conducted to look for possible bed bug problems. Units are immediately treated if there are any signs of current or prior bed bug activity. Finding bed bugs early is key to preventing their spread. Since treatment involves resident cooperation, staff members provide educational materials and a pre-treatment checklist to guide them through the steps necessary in order to effectively treat their apartment. However, we also recognize that given the ease in which bed bugs can travel from one home to another or one person to another, bed bug prevention in a multi-unit apartment complex is an ongoing battle. Working with Orkin, our staff members work diligently to educate residents about how to prevent from bringing bed bugs back into the property."The representative said no tenant can be evicted for the infestation.