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POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -

Bed bugs, broken doors, and a moldy bathroom describes the condition that Local 10 News found some South Florida veterans living in a Pompano Beach building zoned for "heavy business" use and recently cited for renting a unit which the violation read is an improper use.

Several were stacked in a room; another veteran was sleeping in a closet.

The veterans who spoke with Local 10 said they were placed there by the Veterans In Need Foundation, which is located on the first floor of 1350 S. Dixie Highway.

Michael Janet, a Navy combat veteran in Vietnam, told Local 10 the organization is not delivering the services it promises when it solicits money from people at rest stops all across South Florida.

"These are veterans who have served with dignity and honor and deserve better treatment," Janet said. "They deserve a clean place to sleep (and) a clean mattress to sleep. Take some of that money that is given to you and give it to the veterans, provide better living conditions, doing things that you say in this brochure."

On a Veterans In Need Foundation solicitation card obtained by Local 10, the organization writes that donations collected will provide "free temporary housing assistance for homeless veterans." Janet said he was asked by the organization's leader, Joseph Haddy, to pay more than $500 in rent from his Veteran Affairs-issued benefits check.

When Haddy "found out how much I get from my veteran's check, then I was told I need to pay $535 a month to live there," Janet said. "I asked the other veterans who received veteran's checks. Some of those guys would pay $400. He charged you what he wanted to. It wasn't no set price. I thought that was unfair. I had to move out. The bed bug infestation was so bad. It was so bad I just had to move out. I would rather sleep out under the stars out on the streets than have to sleep in a place like that."

Vietnam veteran Roger Jones told Local 10 News consumer advocate Christina Vazquez that he was currently paying $400 in rent from his $1,000 a month VA check to live in his upstairs unit. He said the four other men sharing two small bedrooms covered their rent from donations they collected from the public.

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Veterans living with bed bugs in building not zoned for residential use

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Bed Bug Exterminating | RIP Environmental Services of ...

Seth Garber, co-owner of Nvirotect Pest Control Services in Lutz, Fla., says the most dangerous thing about bed bugs isn't related to health or cleanliness but denial. "When we see a horrible infestation, it's often because people didn't want to admit they had them," he says. "They'll try to take care of it with over-the-counter products, and by the time we come in, it's too late."

Efforts after World War II nearly wiped out the common bed bug 60 years ago. Now, several large cities across the country are reporting massive infestations. While Tampa has been spared the worst of it, highly rated exterminators on Angie's List say their bed bug calls have increased significantly in recent years.

University of Florida entomologist Roberto Pereira says bed bugs have been on the way back for a decade. He says nobody's completely sure why, but increased travel, lack of public awareness and resistance to modern pesticides play a role.

Randall Bennett, manager of Thonotosassa-based Cross Pest Control of Tampa, Fla., expects the worst is yet to come. "In a few years, we'll be as bad as the big cities up north," he says.

David Bailey, owner of Bullseye Termite & Pest Control in New Port Richey, Fla., says the social stigma arises from misinformation. "The first thing people think is that they must be dirty, but it has nothing to do with trash," he says. "You carry them back when you travel. I've seen people catch them from both low-end and high-end hotels." The stigma is so strong that service providers say none of their clients will speak to the media, and no Angie's List members in Tampa have written reports about bed bug service.

The critters live only on blood, so they go to wherever people are hence their propensity for sleeping spaces. "They've evolved into extremely effective hitchhikers," says entomologist Jeffrey White of BedBug Central, a nationwide online clearinghouse of bed bug information. He says a single pregnant female can lead to an infestation.

Garber suggests calling in professional help as soon as possible if you think you have bed bugs. "It's easy to take care of if not extensive, but it gets enormously expensive if they're out of control," he says. "We're lucky in Tampa because the bed bugs here haven't really developed a resistance to pesticides like the ones up north."

Pesticide-based solutions can involve multiple applications, extensive preparation to protect the house itself, and cost thousands of dollars.

Pereira suggests remaining vigilant. "Eradication of these things is not likely," he says. "But as they get more common, people will recognize the warning signs and understand common preventive measures. We'll deal with them just like we do cockroaches and ants."

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Tampa area Exterminators see uptick in Bed Bugs | Angies List