Bed bugs are popping up everywhere, even in the cleanest, most highly-maintained rental properties. Infestations are aggressive, and by the time symptoms occur, an entire apartment building could be affected.
Landlords throw away thousands of dollars on ineffective pesticide treatments for bed bugs. Not only is this a waste of time and money, but it exposes tenants to harmful chemicals, and studies suggest that this only makes the bugs more resistant to the treatments.
Expert Larry Smith with BioGreen Solutions, a national thermal remediation company specializing in bed bugs, warns that property owners don’t always consider the ancillary problems that come with a bed bug infestation — the damage caused by negative publicity.
For instance, a popular online bed bug “registry” allows tenants to flag rental properties where bed bugs have been found. Apartment hunters easily can access this information when deciding where to apply for rental housing.
Smith explains that bed bugs are not typical pests, and do not respond to traditional treatments. When pesticides don’t work, the bugs return again and again, costing the landlord money, and chasing away prospective renters.
Fortunately, there are now procedures which are both safe and effective in eliminating bed bugs.
Canine inspectors have proven highly effective in targeting where bed bugs may be hiding, and in confirming that the bugs have been eradicated without having to wait for news of another outbreak.
Unlike human inspections, which have an approximate accuracy of 35% and can take up to 45 minutes per room, a trained dog can inspect about a 100 rooms a day with an accuracy rate close to 98%.
Smith says his clients opt to be proactive — with quarterly canine inspections. “Proactive quarterly canine inspections allow you to look at a snapshot of your facility on a regular basis and keep any infestation which may occur from getting out of hand. This reduces treatment costs, spares potential lost revenue, and provides the property owner with a concise, positive marketing message for their tenants.”
In addition to canine inspections, BioGreen uses thermal heating processes to eliminate bed bugs without the need for pesticides. Utilizing industrial heaters, fans and electronic monitoring equipment to raise the temperature, bed bugs are efficiently dehydrated and killed, along with their eggs. By employing this revolutionary green method, tenants are able to save their mattresses, furniture, and possessions, are not exposed to harsh, toxic chemicals with fumes and harmful residues, or forced out of the property for prolonged periods of time.
Smith has learned that during the thermal remediation process, high temperatures may cause some forms of bacteria and odor to blossom – a fact he says no other thermal remediation company is addressing. Utilizing EPA-registered disinfectants effective against a broad-spectrum of bacteria, virus, mycotoxins and their accompanying odors, BioGreen applies a proprietary fogging process to treat the air and exposed surfaces, leaving the rental property bacteria and odor free.
Bed bugs are not going away anytime soon. “Over the last year, the media coverage of bed bugs has been enormous. Everyone understands that it is a costly, serious problem – one that a landlord or property manager has to address,” says Smith.
That means it’s important to place your bets — and your money, on a system that works.
BioGreen Solutions is a pioneer in the detection, thermal remediation and proprietary post-treatment solutions for bedbugs, and currently services a wide selection of national and regional hotel brands, property management groups, housing commissions, public institutions and private residences across 22 states.
This post is provided by Tenant Verification Service, Inc., helping landlords reduce the risks of renting with fraud prevention tools that include Tenant Screening, Tenant Background Checks, (U.S. and Canada), as well as Criminal Background Checks, and Eviction Reports (U.S. only).
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.
