14th floor Hougang resident claims bedbugs bit her, traced them to mattresses discarded downstairs

A Hougang resident alleged that she was bitten by bedbugs following a supposed infestation at her block — and traced the source of the insects' presence to mattresses discarded downstairs, which were not cleared for days.

The apparent infestation took place at Block 693 Hougang Avenue 9, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Infestation

A 62-year-old resident, Wu (transliterated), told Shin Min she first noticed the discarded mattresses in April.

The 14th floor resident claimed they were left on the ground floor for over a week.

She said she initially did not think much of it until early May, when the skin on her arms became red, swollen, and itchy.

Bedbugs at home

She then claimed that she discovered bed bugs when changing her bedsheets at home.

Upon closer inspection, Wu noticed that there were bed bugs on the exterior walls of the block.

She apparently followed the trail and found that the bedbugs originated from the mattresses downstairs.

She reported the matter to the town council who sent people to clean the walls and floors on May 7.

Bites

The resident claimed that the bed bugs bites kept her awake at night.

A doctor prescribed her with cream to soothe the itch.

The resident also purchased an insecticide from the supermarket and used it at home.

She has not seen any bedbugs since, she said.

She added that the redness and swelling from the bitemarks have almost subsided.

Not isolated

A couple who lived on the sixth floor told Shin Min that their son had apparently been bitten by bed bugs too.

The bites left his arm and back swollen and itchy.

The couple initially thought the marks were caused by mosquitoes.

They burned incense and fumigated their place.

Other residents, on the other hand, were unaffected.

Town council response

In response to Mothership's queries, Ang Mo Kio Town Council said its teams removed the discarded mattresses upon receiving feedback.

The block was cleaned on May 7 to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the affected block.

The town council’s pest control operator was engaged to conduct follow-up misting treatment as a precautionary measure.

Residents were also encouraged to dispose of bulky items, such as mattresses, at the designated bin centres or contact the town council to arrange for bulky item removal.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take necessary actions to maintain the cleanliness of the estate,” the town council said.