Do Bed Bugs Drown? Looking for a Silver Lining.

Well no, I haven't had any bed bug bites for almost two weeks which means of course that I am due any day now. The apartment was sprayed on Saturday the 18th and it usually lasts about two weeks before I start seeing the buggers again and feeling the sting of the bites. They have been spraying my apartment since April and others even earlier.

But, back to my question. Do bed bugs drown? The reason I ask is because I am looking for a silver lining in a leaky roof. I have been up since 3:30 mopping up and placing a bucket where it will do the most good. When your leak is bigger than the bucket there is actually no such thing as 'most good.' It is actually all bad. The roof was replaced over the summer because it was old and leaky - now we have a new leaky roof. The leak last night found a new route and did not follow the paths of the four previous leaks experienced over the previous years and coming to a head (fountain head) in the spring with four simultaneous leaks.

The good news is that because of the ongoing war with the bed bugs all of my belongings are still wrapped in plastic bags. Nothing was damaged in the spring either except for a stained mattress from a leak directly over one corner of the bed. Last night was the same, only wet plastic bags, and a wet floor dripping onto the ceiling of the apartment below.

The worst thing of it all is the not getting any sleep because of either the bed bugs or water dripping noticeably into the apartment. With leaks there always needs to be a concern for electrical outlets, appliances, computers, etc. Luckily there hasn't been a fire in the building for about 6 years. At that time the tenant below me left a pot on the stove to cook and then went and had a nap. The pot cooked, melted, and then caught fire. The entire building was filled with smoke, everybody evacuated. The smoke was later cleared out by the firefighters. It smelled of barbecue for several months. It didn't help with trying to sleep. I slept uneasy for many months knowing I had such neighbours right below me.

The time before that, there was a fire on the 2nd floor of the building next door. The fire was deliberately set by a disgruntled super that had been terminated. That same super had illegally rented the apartment down the hall from me. The tenants took occupancy in the middle of the night. The following day they had surveillance cameras installed and mounted in the hall way. It was nearly a year of drug dealers and hookers up and down the staircase all night long before the illegal tenants were legally evicted.

You know what? It sounds like it is time for a nice trip, or a long restful coma. I think I will choose the trip. China and Tibet sounds good to me.