acsnmama Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 As of August it will be 2 years since we moved in. When we first moved in, the carpets had been cleaned, however they were still damp! Because we really needed to move in, we went ahead and did so. It looked clean, we had noticed though, discoloration along the walls (like an orange-ish color). A couple of months later, we realized why. Ants. We're on the first level. We've been infested in one room or another numerous times. We ended up getting a "natural" spray (I know it's not fully natural) and spraying it. It seemed to take care of the problem, until they decided to start coming in to a different room. We've battled this off and on. Our apartment complex also has pest control come into our apartments once a month. In the beginning, they came in once a month and SPRAYED. I do not feel comfortable with this, even though we used some spray too, their's is likely much more harsh. I started denying them entering. According to the lease, we cannot deny their entry, however, they allowed me to. They finally switched to use bait, and I'm ok with that. Anyway, we even had an issue once with red ants. We go months without a bug in sight, then these darn ants come. We've had them in our dining room, our bathroom, our bedroom, and our living room thus far. I do NOT keep a dirty home, nor is their food laying out, etc. The ants aren't attracted to any particular thing, they just wander. Other tenants have said they too have ants. It's ridiculous. We've looked for other rentals, but haven't found anything in our price range, or in a good location. If you were to walk in here, you would think it was a nice place, it looks nice anyway...little did we realize! So, a few weeks/months after we moved in, we saw a dark spot here and there on the carpet. I always assumed it was dirt from moving in, and "living" even though we take our shoes off in our home. You know, the carpet had been cleaned professionally, but now we were actually "living" and wasn't surprised that a little stain here and there appeared, after all, it's carpet in an apartment... The grey spots have gotten worse over time. I don't know why it never occurred to my DH and I that it could be mold?!! I'm so paranoid now. I'm beyond frustrated. I'm mad at myself for not assuming that's what it likely is. I've tried to clean the carpets on my hands and knees numerous times, but not thinking twice about that possibility... I don't like filth, I keep my home picked up, vacuumed and clean, so I assumed that I was doing something wrong... Not to mention, this complex was built maybe 7 years ago max. We plan on notifying the front office of course, and asking them to do something about it. In the mean time, we're looking for either another rental, or to buy a house, but we've had no luck there, we've looked off and on for the last year, and there hasn't been anything at this time. We could move into a "cookie-cutter" house in some development in the area that they've thrown together, but we don't want a junk house. We have friends who live in a large development, and have told us, hands down NOT to move into one of the houses there. Some are already visibly falling apart, the construction is no good, etc. We don't want to jump the gun and jump on any old opportunity. However, we don't want to continue living in a place like this, with the darn ants a couple times a year (even though we've "taken care of it" every time), and that may have mold! Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I would seriously consider moving. We have friends that spent five years in a moldy rental. They (both the mom and three young adult kids) are prone to chronic illnesses. While the mom has always struggled with her health, she took a huge decline after they moved there, and two of her three kids started having problems. They stayed in that place so long because they couldn't afford a better rental house. Looking back, I'm sure they wish they had lived in a smaller, but non-moldy apartment instead. They've spent far, far, far more on medical bills than they saved in rent, and it may be years before they recover (if they ever do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acsnmama Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Yeah, we're going to really look, and pray about a house, because this is ridiculous. They also require 60 days notice of not resigning! We're going to push for them to wave the fee because of the issues we've had. I would love a home with hardwood floors. We've lived in 3 different apartment complexes now, the last one we moved out of because it was way too expensive. This place is inexpensive, it's a 1200 sqft 2 bedroom and we're a family of 5. All 3 of my children share a room. We're not opposed to find another 2 bedroom place, however, one this size is hard to come by. It would be cheaper for us to OWN a home, but we're nervous to make that commitment, so we've been just trying to come to the conclusion of saving money, but I think this is the turning point for sure. I feel terrible about this. I'm not completely OCD germ freak, but if I think too much about things like this, it sends my anxiety through the roof! I feel so silly for not realizing before. I mean, I don't know what else it could be, my husband is planning to peel the carpet back to take a look underneath. We're both pretty certain that's what it is. It's not in the bedrooms thankfully, and there aren't any darker spots in the living room that we know of, but the dining room and the front hallway, both which are the furthest from windows, so they get very little sunlight or breeze. I typically don't crank the A/C up, because I don't want our electric bill sky high... But one other issue we've had, in our last apartment and here, which make me assume it has to be mildew/mold, is, our washcloths/dishcloths have spots on them sometimes. I will hang one to dry after it has been used, and there are times where I see black spots, so immediately toss them in the trash. Our neighbors in our last apartment said they had the same issue. We live in the south, and it is humid more often than not (other than a few short months in the "winter"). I'm tired of replacing washcloths and dishcloths. I feel so gross, feeling like I've done something wrong, but it can't be my fault if I hang it up to dry and that happens! It's out of my control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 We had similar problems looking for a home. We ended getting a modular home. I did not even think of this option until I had visited someone that had one. I thought that all modulars were like mobile homes but that isn't always the case. It took a lot of research but we found a company that made good modular homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 In the mean time, get a dehumidifier or two. Also, call the health department and see if they will come out and inspect. I had mold in my first college apartment. They came out and told me it wasn't one of the really bad ones. Also, I suggest you start to take pictures and video to document the ant and mold problems. You may need evidence for the unhealthy condition of the apartment someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 The ants wouldn't be an issue to me to be honest. My home is very clean (I'm a bit obsessive about it) and we have had ants at various times. They can be attracted by water so we have even had them in a bathroom (they came in around a pipe that wasn't 100% sealed. I don't like to use chemicals but we do use small amounts of ortho bugstop when we see them (follow them to find where they are entering the house) and they quickly go away. Mold would definitely bother me though. I wouldn't be willing to stay in a house with mold because of the health implications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acsnmama Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Yeah, ants are just a pest though. They were coming in every nook that we had, pretty much literally (thankfully the issue has been in one room at a time, not our entire apartment at the same time though). My husband had to calk the holes and when we thought we got them all, they found another way in! Also, the red ants are a huge risk to the kids, as they bite, and when my son has been bit by red ants, the spots swell something awful. We've had some mild ant issues, and some excessive. They infested one bedroom twice, they were all over, my husband and I had to tear the room apart and vacuum our happy heart out. It was ridiculous. It seems that every other time the ants are excessive. It would be one thing if it was one localized area! It would also be easier to deal with if they were headed in one particular direction, rather than aimlessly walking around, following no pattern! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 For the ants: Cinnamon and/or cayenne. Sprinkle it along the baseboards, and anywhere you find them entering, and leave it. Wipe down trails with vinegar to erase the chemical path. Most ants won't go through cayenne or cinnamon, they disrupt their chemical paths and senses. For the mold, tell your landlord, ASAP, in writing, preferably with a receipt for the notice. You need to give them a chance to fix it. I had some friends who had a freaky bad mold problem in a newish apartment. The landlord let them swap their lease to a unit in a different building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Sometimes when spotted carpet has been cleaned, but not well cleaned, spots will re-appear after time. We had that happen with an apartment we were living in. Don't panic - it doesn't automatically mean mold. I would definitely check it out though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acsnmama Posted April 15, 2013 Author Share Posted April 15, 2013 Sometimes when spotted carpet has been cleaned, but not well cleaned, spots will re-appear after time. We had that happen with an apartment we were living in. Don't panic - it doesn't automatically mean mold. I would definitely check it out though. That's what we've always assumed!! I hope that's all it is. My husband is going to talk to them today about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 That's what we've always assumed!! I hope that's all it is. My husband is going to talk to them today about it. Not meaning to be gross, but if it's mold, you will easily be able to smell it at the source of the stain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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