1. Maintain the building to prevent pest problems.
- Caulk baseboards, loose tiles, and chair-rail moldings
- Remove carpeting when possible
- Fix storage and clutter issues in common areas
2. Develop a “Bed Bug Action Plan” for your property or properties, even if bed bugs are not currently an issue.
- Responding to reports or complaints
- Containing and eliminating infestations
- Disposing of infested funiture
- Educating and advising tenants
- Managing requests for relocation
3. Educate tenants and staff about bed bugs.
- The reappearance of bed bugs as a problem around the world and in Chicago specifically
- What bed bugs are and what they look like
- What a bed bug problem looks like and how to recognize it
- How to prevent bed bugs from becoming a problem (ex. discourage picking up furniture from the street; reduce clutter in living areas)
- What to do when a bed bug problem is suspected, and what NOT to do (a list of dos and don’ts for tenants is located on our website here, and more information for you and your tenants is available from the Safer Pest Control Project here)
4. If bed bugs are a recurring problem, consider having the building inspected periodically, investing in a steam cleaner that heats to at least 170 degrees and training staff to operate it, or altering the building to discourage pest problems (such as replacing carpets with hard-surface flooring).
Respond to complaints
1. Respond sympathetically and avoid blame
2. Arrange for a professional inspection
- Inspect all adjacent apartments (above, below, and on both sides) of the likely infested unit
- Schedule an intervention for all apartments where bed bugs are found
3. Educate tenants on what they should do immediately
- Give them a tenant checklist, bed bug fact sheet, or direct them to online resources here or at the SPCP’s website
- Explain how to prepare for the pest control company’s inspection
- Discourage them from throwing away belongings and/or furniture, OR explain to them how to do so properly
Once an infestation is confirmed…
1. Educate tenants on how to prepare for treatment
2. Educate staff on their role
3. Prevent the spread of an infestation by doing the following:
- Inspect all adjacent apartments above, below, and on both sides on a regular basis
- Consider buying or encouraging tenants in adjacent units to buy bed bug resistant mattress covers
- Encourage tenants in adjacent units to be aware and report signs or symptoms of bed bugs immediately
4. Seal and make repairs to infested and adjacent apartments:
- Caulk or seal cracks and crevices near beds (baseboards, pipe chases, heating/AC units, etc.)
- Repair holes and other wall damage
- Repair molding, peeling wall paper; chipping paint; and any other damage that may hide bed bugs
- Develop a system for furniture disposal
- Paint or seal hardwood floors and encourage tenants to do the same to bed frames
When hiring a pest control company…
1. Make sure they are licensed and insured.
2. Ask for and check references for bed bug work.
3. Insist on an Integrated Pest Management approach (no “spray and pray” pesticide applications).
4. Ask for a detailed action plan that recommends pre-treatment preparation activities.
5. Beware of the lowest bidder.
6. Beware of any “guarantees.”
More information on all of these topics can be found at the SPCP’s website.
If you are looking for more comprehensive coverage of the bed bug infestations in the USA, please go here:
Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
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