Bed bugs plague Moncton shelter

The House of Nazareth homeless shelter in Moncton is dealing with some uninvited guests – bed bugs.

It’s a serious problem that will require community support to resolve, said shelter director Deo Chuma.

"Oh, it's terrible," he said.

A pest control company has already sprayed chemicals at the shelter twice, but the bedbugs are still there, biting people, said Chuma.

So the 30 beds will need to be replaced with new vinyl-covered mattresses to help control the bugs, he said.

The shelter, which was the target of an attempted arson just over a week ago, can’t afford to buy new beds, said Chuma.

He has appealed to both the federal and provincial public health departments for funding.

"We face many problems and we think we deserve more help from the government, from the public services," he said.

Public health does not oversee shelters, said Megan Cumby, spokeswoman for the provincial Department of Health. It can only offer advice on how to get rid of the problem, she said.

Chuma is hoping the public will raise enough money to replace the beds and make the shelter a safer place.