Okay! So first off one thing you should know about me is bugs freak me out. I'm OCD about being clean because of a huge fear of bugs and I religiously do a "deep" clean once a week. Sounds crazy right? Well, Saturday I went to make pasta for dinner and opened a box of pasta (I now know boxed pasta is the devil) and inside were tons of bugs. After freaking out I cleaned out my cupboard and replaced a few items. My bug problem wasn't bad.. I woke up Monday to make coffee and found maggots on my counter..and I spent the next 8 hours cleaning my entire kitchen top to bottom an throwing out everything edible, cloth or paper. I used bleach, vinegar and raid. Problem solved! Right? Wrong. Less than 12 hours later I find more of them on my counter and in my cupboards. I want to point out the only food in my entire kitchen is in my fridge and freezer. And even before this most of my stuff was in plastic baggies (which apparently doesn't help with pest problems) and air tight containers. I can't figure out what they are living off of considering any available food source is gone and all hiding spots have been bathed in bleach. My building requested I bring them live samples of my bugs (they look like tiny roaches) which I did immediately and my super just laughed at me. Apparently he has a few here and there in his apartment too, but he feels its no big deal to have "fruit flies" and they aren't roaches because the cupboards have been treated before people move in. I demanded to my building that they bring in an exterminator since Ive been finding them in other places as well (read: my bed room and closet), but they told me unless its bed bugs they refuse to help because I probably brought them in when I moved in or from being filthy. I moved in two years ago and am a clean freak, just saying. I've toyed with hiring my own exterminator but its going to be expensive.. Does anyone out there have any "bug-killing" ideas? I just want them gone so I can use my kitchen again and sleep at night. I am completely freaking out. Lend me your wisdom Subeta!

That sounds like major BS to me...is it an apartment complex or are you renting from a landlord? I think most apartment complexes (at least ones with souls) have maintenance that would help with a bug infestation like that.

I had a big ant problem a few years ago in my old apartment and before I finally got fed up and called maintenance (I hate bug spray and chemicals so I wanted to see if I could handle it myself) I used a cayenne pepper paste/mix to put near any holes I saw. You could try something natural like that, though in my experience it sadly didn't work as well as I wanted. I'm not sure how the cayenne pepper would react with your bugs though. My ants just ended up finding other ways in.

Do you live on ground floor? Have you noticed any areas particular where they are coming in?

- Its an apartment complex. I'm on the eighth floor. My building/landlord/maintenance guy is pretty "lax" on their responsibilities which is normally fine since I know my way around a toolkit. I mostly let it go since the rent is -super- cheap and therefore affordable for someone playing the single-woman-working-minimum-wage-while-paying-tuition-for-school role. The bug thing is making me reevaluate if its worth it, though.

There's a huge gap between my front door and the floor so they probably are waltzing right in through that. I have no idea if they are immune to the bug stuff you get at the vet either so maybe they came in on the dogs? They also put in a new fire alarm system in May and left a small hole in the wall. Plus June when my fuse panel blew they replaced it, but never sealed off the area around it. Actually, that could be how they got into my kitchen so thoroughly..the fuse panel is beside the sink! A wet haven for bugs to play and all..

My maintenance/superintendent did say he's had the bugs for a few years and it never bothered him. He said they are "harmless". He then informed me the building has major bed bug problems like it was normal. I haven't slept well since! I'm pretty sure management already knows there's bug issues..its probably just finally reached my floor.

Unfortunately, bed bugs or roaches are the only pests the building is legally held to do something about, so the building is just shrugging this off.

Ive never heard of cayenne pepper for bug control, but at this point ill try anything! Thank you!!

Holy moly, that complex needs to get their act together! There are laws that landlords must follow. I suggest to get on your landlord/maintenance guy's ass (nicely of course ;)) until they at least fix the holes and seal everything. It is their job after all to ensure their tenants have livable homes. On the flip side it's your job to maintain the place, which you have been doing very well. Just because he thinks bugs are "harmless" doesn't mean they are to everyone. He sounds like a jerk. If the bug problem is as recent as the holes in the wall, that could very well be the cause.

I google'd tenant/landlord laws and found this:

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/repairs-maintenance

There might be some helpful info in there for you! Good luck with the bugs, I hate that you're having to live with them. :( Remember when you do decide to move out to give them a worthy review on apartment rating websites. :)

Oh, and when I finally bit the bullet and called maintenance for my ant problem they actually didn't spray anything like I was worried about. They used this clear gel wherever the ants coming in. If the cayenne pepper doesn't work for you, maybe check out Home Depot and see if you can find something similar. It was very minimal with good results. I wish I had more info on the gel, but they came in while I was at work so I didn't actually see them use it.

Ohh I like this gel idea. I actually didn't think of home depo for this kind of stuff. I tend to forget stores that are really difficult to get to by bus, but maybe they have some of this magical gel there.

I do agree I should be nagging the maintenance guy about the holes in the wall. I actually just saw him in the hall and complained (nicely). The holes are relatively recent and the new bug problem is also recent, so I guess they may be related.

I have also signed up for a tenant law course next semester from my university. I have decided that I may as well make use of the general courses I need to graduate with something useful to my life (and fills in my minor). Thank you for the link! I clearly know nothing about renter's rights and really should educate myself before -this- happens again.

Thank you for being awesome!

Go find diatomaceous earth. It's ground up fossils and chalk, no harsh chemicals and it cuts any bugs' legs and makes it impossible for certain species to breathe. (Harsh sounding, I know.) Don't get it where you walk barefoot in or around immediate food items (put it in the back if you must.)

If everything's sealed, the problem should diminish and the powder will turn into harmless dust after a few weeks.

Seconding the suggestion to use diatomaceous earth! There's actually something called 'food grade' DE that's totally safe to have around the house and use around pets and people. Lining your cabinets, counters, and floors with it is very effective.

Also the bugs could be coming in from a neighboring apartment. :( Often in situations like this a neighbor isn't keepign their place clean and the bugs are living unchecked there. There's really no amount of 'sealing' off your place that you can do to keep bugs out (they can squeeze just about anywhere) so if your building really does have such severe issues as bed bugs it's probably better to look at other options such as moving.

I say collect samples of the bugs and go talk to a local gardening/pet shop or exterminating office to have them properly identified. They aren't "fruit flies" those fly around, these sound like they are hanging out on the shelves and counters. Fruit flies will fly away when you get near and are just barely bigger than gnats and light brown in color.

In a complex as large as yours I'd also ask neighbors if they have them too, if you can get that info and demonstrate to your local health/housing authority that it's an infestation of the building then that means your landlord is in some deep shit. If there's anyone above your landlord I'd gather your info and talk to them about what kind of bugs they are... Don't mention asking neighbors or possibly going to any city authority, just mention you found out there's x kind of bug in your apartment and would like to know how to handle it. Record this conversation with a recorder or journal or on speaker phone with a friend there recording video of you on this call. It sounds silly but it's the BEST way to cover your bases and get the issue dealt with. Of course it takes more than one call/visit to the landlord or those above them because you have to give them half a chance to help properly resolve it.

So pretty much: Gather samples and get id'ed what it is Make a journal or video log with dates to record all info Talk to landlord/ those above to get help If help doesn't happen/ fails to work after a few tries talk to a health or housing authority in your city

You are so sweet!

I hope you enjoy your class! I have a paralegal certificate so I took a bunch of classes about the different areas of law. Even though I don't work in a law office anymore, the classes were pretty informative!

That's really good advice about asking the neighbors, I didn't think of that! I hope they can back you up with the bug problem. I'm actually going to do some research on diatomaceous earth, I hate using chemicals and bug spray so this sounds like a great alternative!

Good luck! :)

I actually was pretty sure they weren't fruit flies since fruit flies..fly? And look like flies/die when you spray them with raid or go away when you bleach an area. Ive read of bad infestations of grain beetles or beetles that live off of fungus in walls and they looked more like what I'm dealing with. The guy my building asked to "identify" the bug is probably one of their scores of untrained monkeys (the last one was supposed to fix a stove element and instead blew my fuse box because he didn't remove any fuses! He could have killed himself doing a simple task!).

I immediately asked my neighbours about bugs in their apartment and most just said they didn't mind because the rent is cheap. My neighbours said they have had some bugs but they are more concerned about the MICE they get. I now understand the weird noises from the walls at nights. The things I'd rather not know..

I did see my building management today about the bug issues and they had the guts to blame me for the problems with tales of how my dogs probably brought them in from the dog park and it was therefore my responsibility to clean up the mess. Im obviously going with city route at this point because I am done with the blaming game.

Ill definitely check out diatomaceous earth! Anything 'food grade' DE is excellent. I don't want to make myself or my pets sick trying to get rid of pests. :(

I have decided that once I find a better job I'll be planning my move to better pastures before any other insects move in..even better if I find another job in another city I'll fix both my problems. LOL.

Thank you guys for the ideas for prevention and Rydia for the advice on what/how to gather intel before going to the city about my problem. The issue has gone beyond simple bug problems to being an issue of respect from my landlord.

Honestly, if it was me, I'd move the fuck out, cheap rent or not. I do not like bugs in my house. Ugh. And maggots?? Hell no. There aren't many bugs in my house, because my two cats are good little hunters. They bring me a fly or something once in a while and I praise the heck out of them. I like going the natural route as well. I've planted some mint plants (think spearmint, peppermint, and catnip actually) in pots around the house in places the little crawly bastards might come in. They hate the scent/oils in those kinds of plants so they stay away from them. Putting a few pots in areas bugs might come in your apt might be a good idea, plus there's the bonus of being able to use the mints in cooking/teas. Also, citronella plants (also called scented geraniums) are good to keep bugs away...at least I know they work for mosquitos - not sure on other bugs. Or you could adopt a kitty to help. XD

I'd call for an exterminator. Tell your landlord to do so. Take pictures before and after. Take pictures of the bugs.

Glad I can help! Turns out randomly helping old friends with rental laws came in handy lol

But yeah if your pups are bringing home maggots then that's a worse issue lol I'd also see if anyone else wants to help gather info or get this landlord turned in. I get it cheap rent is what some people need but not at the risk of health, which bugs and mice to the degree it sounds like it is VERY bad.

Even if nobody will help you turn this info in!

I would totally call an exterminator on my own, but I am unemployed. I don't really have the sh rolling around to spend on all the groceries I had to throw out let alone an exterminator.

I knowwww if I saw maggots on my dogs I would be very concerned. LOL.

For me..I wasn't really aware how bad the bug problem was because since the day I moved in Ive had a pretty good schedule for cleaning and other than being home with my dogs I am always at work/school so I have had minimal interaction with my neighbours. I guess it's just finally caught up to me at the worst possible time.

The good news is last day or so I haven't seen any adults, only larvae. Hopefully means I'm killing the infestation.

, assuming you live in the US it is actually illegal for a landlord to not take care of a pest issue (I'm pretty sure it's country wide and not just the state I was living in when I researched that but you should check). However, who covers the costs depends on contracts and such (depending on if you're to blame etc.). Once you know more about the laws, if they refuse to take care of it you legally can withhold rent (again, exact laws vary by state) but it usually entails putting your rent each month into a government account until it's fixed, then the government will give it to the landlord.

- Nope Im Canadian!

, alright totally not applicable then haha but I tend to get the impression that Canada has better laws so who knows. Good luck though!