Bedbug complaints on the rise in Hillsborough County

TAMPA - Alina Hamilton and her children refuse to sleep in their rooms. The now sleep on air mattresses in the living and dining area.

It is what took place in the now empty bedrooms that turned the Hamiltons' lives upside-down. What  Alina and her husband first thought were flea or ant bites turned out to be something much more destructive and difficult to escape.

They discovered a bedbug infestation.  The Hamiltons have thrown out  thousands of dollars worth of wood furniture.  They have spent hundreds of dollars on  foggers and sprays and storage bags for what the belongings they could save.

The family tells me they felt like they were all alone.  They had written the landlord but say she refused to cover the $1500 to $2000 cost of extermination. 

We found they are not alone.  They have Hillsborough County Code Enforcement to back them up.

After hearing the Hamiltons' story, I contacted Hillsborough County Code enforcement, who came out to inspect the house.  Inspectors then issued a notice of violation to the Hamiltons’ landlord.

The family has since moved out.  Meanwhile the county is demanding the landlord provide proof from a certified pest control company that the infestation is gone.