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Montreal family’s social housing apartment to be sprayed again for bed bugs

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Getting rid of bed bugs
WATCH ABOVE: The City of Montreal says it will re-spray a social housing unit that is infested with bed bugs, but as Global's Matt Grillo reports, some experts insist there are better ways to get rid of the nasty creatures – Jul 27, 2016

The Lewandowska family has had their low income apartment sprayed for bed bugs, but they are still dealing with the parasites.

The first treatment didn’t work and Montreal’s Municipal Housing Office is set to return in the next few days for a second treatment.

READ MORE: Finding bed bugs in Montreal has gone to the dogs

“The minimum is two treatments, but we never know with bed bugs,” said Ingrid Dirickx, Montreal municipal housing office spokesperson.

However, spraying isn’t the only way to get rid of bed bugs.

Don Prashker and his bed bug extermination team use heat treatment rather than a spray.

READ MORE: Bed bug infestation plagues Montreal family living in social housing complex

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He said the issue with the spray is that bed bugs become more resistant to the pesticides.

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“The chemicals are superficial and they’re spraying the perimeter of the apartment … making the problem even harder to solve,” Prashker said.

WATCH BELOW: Montreal bed bug problems

The heat treatment reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius), killing the bed bugs and their eggs.

“We don’t want to control the problem, we want to eliminate the problem,” Prashker said.

READ MORE: Bed bugs an ‘epidemic’ in Montreal, says housing group

That’s exactly what the Lewandowska family is looking for.

“I would like to actually see them do their job properly and not just say that they will,” said Kamila Lewandowska, tenant of the apartment.

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“It is time to do something about it. We’ve been asking for too long.”

READ MORE: How do moving companies make sure your furniture remains bed bug-free?

The family is also unhappy with how the housing office has dealt with the situation.

“I honestly just think they’re sending the first person they can think of to close our eyes,” Lewandowska said.

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