A SOUTHAMPTON woman has bought six beds in the last nine months due to a bed bug infestation that’s plaguing her home.
Amy Bailey, 31, has been sharing her Lyndgate Road home with some unwelcome visitors for the past two years.
In that time the six-legged insects have made their way through tiny cracks in the wall, populating Amy’s two bedrooms and front room.
She told the Echo: “It’s out of control, it affects my everyday life.
“I’ve been throwing beds out as it’s impossible to sleep. I’ve gone through six beds in the last nine months.
“The most recent one was £800, and I don’t have the money to replace them anymore.”
Amy has spent hundreds of pounds on furniture as a result of the infestation as she’s been unable to secure a move from her flat, which she rents through housing association, Vivid.
READ MORE: Mum 'desperate' as house teems with bed bugs for more than a year
“I’ve contacted them a number of times, but I just get told I’m not eligible for a move,” said Amy.
“Well, what am I supposed to do? I’ve tried getting rid of the bugs, I’ve tried killing them, I’ve tried replacing furniture.
“The houses below me seem to be throwing furniture out every other day and I get blamed for it.”
Bed bugs tend to live in furniture or bedding and feed on blood. A bite from a bed bug can result in skin rashes and blisters.
Amy added: “I’m worried if I go outside, I might pass it on to someone else.
“My best friend has two young children and I tell them they can’t come round as I don’t want to inflict this on them.
“My stepdaughter lives with me, and she doesn’t feel comfortable going to bed at night.
“I just feel so bad about it, but I don’t know what to do, it’s so frustrating.”
READ MORE: Mum reports bed bugs 'crawling in baby's Moses basket'
Alex Nagle, Customer Service Director at VIVID said: “We understand the impact this has had on our customer, and we’d like to offer our reassurance that we’re doing all we can to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
“Whilst pests inside of our homes are the customer’s responsibility, we’ve been working with a specialist contractor to attend and treat the home since we’ve been aware of this. Following a recent survey, we’ll be returning to treat the customer’s home on 5 September.
“Our priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our customer and we’ll continue to work with her to resolve the matter.”
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