The house of Tzu Chi beneficiaries, Grandpa and Grandma Tang had been plagued by bedbugs for many years. Last year, Tzu Chi Singapore sought help from the pest control specialist to get rid of the bedbugs and just three months ago, Tzu Chi volunteers gave their house a major clean-up and also replacing the mattress. Despite all the effort, the bedbugs seemed to make a comeback, this time more serious.

The volunteers disassemble the bed before discarding. The odds and ends and furniture were moved out of the house to be sun, disinfect and group.

The bedbugs can be found hiding in the mattress, furniture, cupboard, cracks and crevices. Brother Jeff Chang makes sure that every corner of the house is sprayed with pyrethrum before the doors and windows are shut to suffocate the bugs.

Despite being 59 years old, new volunteer Lim Keng Heng works continuously with little rest.

Volunteers cleaning up the bedbug remains.

While the volunteers are cleaning up the house, the elder couple was accompanied to the nearby Tzu Chi Free Clinic for health consultation.

The volunteers get ready a new bed after discarding the bug-infested mattress and bedstead. In the picture, the volunteers assemble the bed at the corridor while the couple looks on by the side.

After the major clean-up, the house looks clean, refreshing and new. Volunteers then move the new bed and furniture in accordance to Grandpa’s preference.

While volunteers are cleaning the house, Grandpa and Grandma Tang sat by the corridor to enjoy their lunch prepared by the volunteers. In the picture, Sister Kang and the couple engaged in a lively chat after meal.

“Bedbugs! Look, there's one here! Quick! Another one! Over there!”  One after another, tiny, flat and brownish-coloured bedbugs were seen scurrying from the mattress, tables, chairs, cabinets, cupboards and wardrobe. At times, the bedbugs would be crushed, marking the surroundings with dotted traces of blood.

The volunteers tried ways and means to expel the bedbugs out of their hideouts, shaking and knocking the furniture, as well as spraying insecticide. The insecticide not only choked the room, but also caused the volunteers to feel a little giddy. The volunteers also seemed to feel itchy, as though the bedbugs were crawling and biting their hands and legs.

“Don't be afraid! It’s not real. Just don’t keep on thinking about it.” The volunteers encouraged one another, while battling with the bedbugs at the home of a Tzu Chi beneficiary, Grandpa Tang.

The unwelcome blood-sucking parasites

A week ago during a visit to the elderly couple, a sharp volunteer Kang Mei Chiao noticed that the mattress that was changed three months ago was dotted with blood stains. She went further into investigation, checking the blankets and pillows and saw a dark black patch of unidentified creatures crawling underneath. Alas, on second look, she realized that those were bedbugs hiding under the pillows.  

Bedbugs are parasites that feed on human blood and are active at night when its host is sound asleep. The bedbugs had been bothering the elderly couple for a long while. Last year, the volunteers hired pest control specialist to help them. And just three months ago, they even spent time cleaning the house, and also replaced their mattress with a new one. However, as the elderly couple was not aware of the importance of hygiene, their residence, which was in a poor housing conditions, was a wonderful breeding ground for the pest. All year round, there was poor air circulation in the house as their doors and windows were always shut. To add matters worse, their house was stuffed with miscellaneous items. As such, there were still traces of the bugs despite concerted efforts to get rid of them.  

Having lived in such a dire condition, 81-years-old Grandpa Tang, who had already gotten used to living with the bedbugs, recounted, ”It doesn't feel pain or itchy when they bite. The pain and itch only comes after that.” And this could be the reason why the elderly was suffering from many sleepless nights. Many times, the bite would cause him to wake up in the middle of the night and going back to sleep after that was not easy for him. In the morning when he wakes up, he would find the bedsheets and pajamas stained with traces of blood, signs of bedbugs crushed accidentally throughout the night. 

The bug story did not end here. The volunteers, who had helped in the cleaning, also became victims of the bedbugs. Their hands and legs had red, swollen marks, the result from the bite of bedbugs. One of them, who unknowingly brought home the pest, ended up having her residence infested. She had no choice but to replace her house furniture. 

This day, when Sister Kang and the volunteers found that the bedbugs had surfaced again, besides advising the elderly couple not to sleep on the bug-infested bed, the volunteers also bought two new mattresses for them to use temporarily, after that, they swiftly report the matter back to Tzu Chi office and discussed on the methods to deal with the bugs. 

Closer than family

Grandpa Tang lived with his 80-year-old wife and often carries an amicable smile on his wrinkled face. Though childless, the elderly couple was very loving and contented with their peaceful and comfortable life. 

Grandpa Tang, who is old and frail, could not recalled when asked how long they have been living in the house. Looking closely, the one-room flat was occupied with furniture in the limited space.  All the drawers and cupboards were loaded with varieties of household items. There were bounds of documents, packets of food, folded clothing and bedding, all sorted out in good order. 

Grandma used to work as a cleaner at the Singapore General Hospital. The strict and comprehensive training had inculcated in her a good habit of keeping things tidy and orderly.  Sister Ong Lay Kuan who has been paying regular visits to the couple for the past three years, said, ”Maybe because she’s too obsessed with cleanliness, she tends to feel that the air outside is filthy and also worry about falling objects from the higher storeys.  Therefore, she resorted to closing the windows which caused the poor ventilation in the house. So every time when we come for home visit, the first thing we do is to open up the windows.”    

The elderly couple became Tzu Chi beneficiaries in 2004. Besides receiving monetary assistance, they are also visited by the volunteers every month.

Grandma Tang was an orphan and had no kins or closed relatives. Grandpa has a number of siblings, but over time, some passed away while others lost contact. Being shy and independent, the old couple does not have many friends. They spend most of their time at home. Life became very lonely and boring. 

Since knowing the volunteers, they began to feel the joy of family. During festive seasons, the volunteers were also present to celebrate the festivities with them. Grandpa Tan was deeply touched by the long-term company and care. He said that Tzu Chi volunteers feels even closer than his family members. 

Battle against the Bedbugs

In the morning of 17 May, the volunteers from the Central I district armed themselves with brooms, mops, anti-bacterial detergents and pyrethrum for terminating the bedbugs. However, as Grandpa Tang's legs had swollen days ago, Sister Ong accompanied the couple to the neighbouring Tzu Chi Free Clinic, while the other volunteers commenced the battle against the bedbugs. 

They dismantled the bedstead and mattress, where the bugs came from, before discarding. The odds and ends and the furniture were also moved out to the corridor to sun, disinfect and sort.

Worried that the bugs would spread to the neighbours, the furniture was given a thorough inspection to ensure the bugs were expelled, after that pyrethrum was sprayed. Volunteers then wore masks and every corner of the house was sprayed with pyrethrum. The doors and windows were shut concurrently to suffocate the bugs.  

After 20 minutes, the volunteers opened the doors and windows and everyone went on to perform their designated tasks; cleaning the walls, mopping the floor, washing the toilet and kitchen, tidying the cupboards, assembling the new bed. Everyone worked together in the hope to give the elderly a nice, comfortable home to rest in. While cleaning, some bugs could still be seen. The volunteers then sprayed more pyrethrum at the wall corners, floor, little cracks and crevices on the floor. They also cleaned up the bugs’ eggs to prevent the bugs from breeding again in the house. 

“I used to fret when I hear about bedbugs. But hey, now I know a lot of tactics to deal with them.”  volunteer Lim Keng Heng said jokingly. Lim is a new volunteer with Tzu Chi. Although 59 years old, he is still fit and strong. Moving furniture, spraying pyrethrum, cleaning the house…he could work continuously with little rest. This is also the first home case that he came across, having such bugs problems. It has indeed widened his horizon and he has learnt from the new experience.  “Doing home visits are very challenging, there are so many different cases and not only can we help the needy, we learn to appreciate blessings and practice communicating with different people.”  He said with appreciation.    

Sunny and fulfilling

Working throughout the morning, every volunteer was perspiring and their clothing was all soaked with sweat. After a morning’s work, the house was spick and span and the floor sparkled! The volunteers moved in the new bed and just at this time, Grandpa and Grandma Tang have returned from the free clinic. The volunteers sought Grandpa Tang’s preference on how he would like his bed to be positioned and the volunteers shifted it accordingly. He then nodded his head in joy and satisfaction on watching the volunteers. “The house seems bigger and cleaner!”  At the other corner of the house, another group of volunteers were reminding Grandma to keep the windows open to allow better air circulation, which will enhance their health. 

“We’ll come back again a few days from now!” Sister Kang told Grandpa that they would need to return to check if the pest control measures worked. As the volunteers were leaving, Grandpa stood up to bid them farewell at the staircases – a habit he has insisted since first day. 

Now that the windows are not shut anymore, sunshine can enter the house, while the cool breeze brings about a relaxing and joyful atmosphere. The Tzu Chi volunteers’ respect and care for the elderly is akin to the sunshine and cool breeze, making the elderly feel homely, with their warmth and sincerity.