RIVERSIDE, Calif. () — Residents of Mount Rubidoux Manor, a downtown Riverside apartment complex for low-income seniors, say they have been dealing with a bed bug infestation for the past five months and are frustrated by what they describe as an ineffective response.
From the outside, the high-rise building appears clean and modern. Inside, however, residents say many units have been affected by bed bugs despite ongoing treatment efforts.
Larry Blackburn said he has been bitten at least 30 times.
“It’s like having a hot screw board into your leg, and it itches so bad, you can’t stand it,” Blackburn said.
Several residents recently protested what they characterized as a lack of action by building management.
“Now it’s out of hand,” said resident Starr Johnson. “People have walked where they’re falling off them. We found them in hallways. They came, they’ve been spraying, they got heat treatment, but nothing’s working.”
Johnson also said treatment efforts require residents to move their furniture when units are serviced.
“I don’t have them in my room, but I stay locked up almost 24-7 because I’m afraid to go outside, and I don’t want my little dogs to get them. So I’m staying locked up so I’m moving out. I feel like I’m in prison,” Johnson said.
Riverside city code enforcement officials said they have been in contact with building management and are scheduled to re-inspect the property next week.
In the meantime, residents said they remain uncertain about what steps to take.
“They keep coming back,” resident Vernon Davis said. “They keep coming, and it’s ridiculous, man.”
Davis called on management to take additional action.
“Do something about it, management, fumigate the building. I know it’s going to be expensive, you know, but you’ll come out cheaper fumigating the building than to have a class action lawsuit,” he said.
Building management provided a statement in response to questions about the infestation.
“We understand residents’ frustration, and we share their goal of returning the community to a bed-bug-free environment. Bed bug remediation in a multi-unit community is a methodical process, and we have been working with a professional pest control partner using K-9 detection inspections to identify activity precisely.
We are making significant progress with the treatments and are clearing units for safe return as soon as possible.
We have temporarily closed the Community Room out of an abundance of caution to prevent any further spread, and our team is working one-on-one with affected residents – and their neighbors – to understand each person’s needs and provide hands-on support.
We are grateful to our residents for their patience as we work to fully resolve this as quickly and effectively as possible.”
Residents said they hope the upcoming city inspection and ongoing treatment efforts will bring a resolution to the problem.
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