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KDFN treats apartment buildings for bedbugs

Residents of one the buildings expressed frustration at years-long, recurring issue
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Gabriel Smarch, who lives in an apartment on O’Brien in Kwanlin Dun’s McIntyre subdivision, leans on his kitchen table on Jan.19, which doubles as his bed. Smarch says he can’t sleep on his bed or use any of his furniture due to the bed bugs that are infesting the building. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News file)

Kwanlin Dün First Nation has treated three apartment buildings on O’Brien Road for bedbugs including the building that was the subject of a Yukon News story last month, a KDFN spokesperson has confirmed.

In an email Feb. 5, Chris Madden said KDFN had the buildings treated last week.

On Jan. 19, the News reported residents of one the buildings expressed frustration at what they said was a years-long, recurring issue with bedbugs. At the time, Madden told the News that KDFN last received a bedbug complaint for the building October 2016.

However, Madden wrote Feb. 5 that KDFN, in fact, received a complaint about bedbugs from a resident around noon on Jan. 16.

According to exterminators the News has previously interviewed, bedbugs are notoriously hard to get rid of, especially in multi-unit dwellings, and the effectiveness of treatments is heavily dependent on residents following practices like keeping clothing tied up in plastic bags.

Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com