New Windsor seniors concerned about bedbugs – Times Herald-Record

Helu Wang|Times Herald-Record

NEW WINDSOR - Cheryl Greene woke up around 2:30 a.m. with a bug bite and found several bedbugs on the edge of her mattress. She removed the mattress from her apartment and dumped it in the trash. On Monday she received a notice of tenancy termination.

Greene said she has lived in the New Windsor Senior Housing for two years and had never seen a bedbug until her neighbors unit was infested three months ago.

"It's not my fault. They run the building and they're responsible for it. I have to sleep with my lights on now,"Greene said, referringto the property management company.

The noticeclaimed her action poses a threat to the health and safety of other residents and could cause a bedbug outbreak in the building. However, she says the property manager told her "never mind" when she inquired about the notice on Tuesday.

Yvonne Maldonado, whose mother also lives in the building, said she has heard six other residents complain about similar issues. Although the pesticide spray has been applied in the infested units, she is concerned the treatment is not thorough enough.

They exterminate the affected units, but the bugs run somewhere else because theyre not doing the entire area. Were concerned the problem is going to continue, Maldonado said.

A family member of a tenant, who requested to stay anonymous out of fear of retaliation, said its horrible to see his mother had bedbug bites all over her arms a couple months after she moved into the building years ago.

My mom is in her eighties. We had to pack up everything and go through bags. Its not only a physical issue but a mental issue at her age, he said.

The complex located at 2115 Senior Court is operated by Devon Management, whichmanages 20 properties throughout Hudson Valley. Paul Gratzel, chief operating officer, said the company takes pride in the housing it provides throughout the region and they take matters such as bedbugs seriously.

Gratzel added only a couple units are affected out of more than 90 units in the building.

Were not neglectful. We do not spray and treat areas that dont need to be treated because thats not prudent,especially given the covid pandemic, many tenants dont want us in their units, said Gratzel. "Once you have a tenant that brings in bedbugs, there is a greater chance that it will be reintroduced if the tenants haven't changed their practice."

Supervisor George Meyers said the property management company did comply with the towns regulations through exterminating the affected area. The towns building department had responded to two complaints and the furniture that might have brought the bugs had been removed.

They responded by calling exterminators but it is still going on. Obviously to me, if youre exterminating anything and it keeps coming back, you need to do something else, said Meyers.

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New Windsor seniors concerned about bedbugs - Times Herald-Record