Mold and Bedbugs Have Maryland Renters Up in Arms

July 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Last month, tenants from three apartment complexes in Langley Park, Maryland voiced their concerns over bedbugs, mold, rats and cockroaches.  At a town hall meeting with the management company, residents demanded action be taken to improve their living conditions.  Approximately 100 residents were in attendance with some asking that authorities from Prince George’s County step in to manage the situation.

The situation has gotten so bad that one resident claims he had to sleep in his car to escape the bedbugs in the complex.  Another resident talked of a water leak under her kitchen cabinets that occurred years ago and has resulted in mold growth in the kitchen.  Residents state that they have asked for help from the property management, but that the conditions remain.  

Bedbugs feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans, often while they sleep. Adult bedbugs grow to a size of 4 to 5 millimeters.  Due to their size they are difficult to identify and their tolerance for various environmental conditions makes them difficult to eradicate.  Recently Canadian scientists have discovered Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on bedbugs.  

When maintenance is postponed or ignored in properties it can result in mold growth.  Any excessive moisture, leaking pipes or standing water can also begin causing cosmetic and structural concerns.  Within as short as 24 to 48 hours, mold can begin to take hold in these properties.  

“Families have the right to live in places that are free of rodents, bedbugs and mold contamination,” stated Susan White, Ph.D., CMC, President of Sussex Environmental Health Consultants (SEHC), a Delaware based environmental consulting firm.  “Unfortunately all too often with see cosmetic fixes done to make it appear that the problems have been resolved.  Many times this just makes the conditions worse over the long term.  At SEHC our environmental consultants not only look for poor indoor environmental conditions, but we also offer solutions to quickly and efficiently resolve them,” she continued.

SEHC has sponsored a public outreach video about biological contaminants in the home. It can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4vkJ_Pjimo



To learn more about SEHC’s IAQ, environmental, or health and safety services, please visit http://www.sussexenvironmental.com, email susan.white@mchsi.com or call (302) 947-1810.

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About Sussex Environmental Health Consultants, LLC
SEHC is a certified woman owned business that provides environmental and health and safety consulting services. The company is located in the Mid-Atlantic and services customers nationwide. SEHC provides solutions to clients ranging from homeowners to international Fortune 500 corporations.