We recently attended an event on bed bugs and wanted to pass this information on to you. 

There are some things in life that we would rather sweep under the carpet than have to deal with (pun intended). This is especially true when it comes to bed bugs. I recently attended a seminar on bed bug prevention, hosted by the Los Angeles Orkin team. It is high time I bring this matter to light and share my findings with everyone in my sphere. 

Bed bugs have become an ever present and nasty reality in many people’s lives. These parasites do not pick and choose their hosts according to any specific demographic. We are all collectively at risk of attack, at any moment, in any location, day or night. Think about it, first time homebuyers, apartment dwellers, landlords, Airbnb hosts and guests, travelers, if you are human, you are a target. As such, let’s tackle this problem together by first removing any stigma associated with bed bugs and start our first line of attack by talking openly and educating one another.

Here are a few facts about bed bugs:

• Bed bugs can last for one year without feeding and can travel 100 feet per day for food.

• Female bed bugs lay eggs along the path they travel and can infest a multi-unit complex one floor at a time. They lay an average of 1-2 eggs per day, which take a week to hatch, depending on the temperature (typically warmer between 70 to 100 degrees)

• There are only four ways to kill bed bugs...heat, chemicals, tenting, and squashing.

• Bed bugs are hitchhikers and can be picked up anywhere. Any place humans go, they will go. Hallways, movie theaters, backpacks, doctor’s office, automobiles, and public transportation, just to name a few.

An ounce of prevention is worth a lifetime of cure:

• Orkin offers a unique program to detect the presence of bed bugs. They have a skilled team of search dogs and handlers that will visit your space to sniff out live bed bugs. $150 is the average cost for a 2-3 bedroom unit. $250 is the average cost for a 5 unit building.

• You will receive a written report after the investigation is complete. Keep this for your record as evidence of compliance if an issue arises with a tenant.

• The best time to have an inspection is once a unit is vacated, before you apply fresh paint and/or carpet. However, an inspection can be done while the tenant is still occupying the unit.

• If treatment is required, do not choose over-the-counter chemicals to treat these pests. Most are ineffective and will only lead to more problems once the bed bugs return.

• After treatment, Orkin will send in their dog team, two weeks post treatment, to ensure success.

• Landlords, be sure to protect yourselves and provide all units with a copy of AB551. This is a mandatory, state mandated addendum to the current lease agreement. You will need to provide this before the year’s end in 2018.

Darren, Joe & Andrea