A feature on bed bugs was one of the most popular postings in the early years of The Balance Sheet. With higher post-pandemic travel volume, resistance to pesticides and other factors increasing the pest’s numbers in the U.S., this seems like a good time to revisit the issue. What are bed bugs? The common bed bug is a crawling, 5-millimeter-long oblong insect that feeds on human blood and causes itchy welts. Documented in the U.S. since Colonial times, bed bugs were largely eradicated by the 1950s but came back in the late 1990s due to rising international travel and a lack of public awareness about pest prevention. Where are they found? Just about everywhere. A National Pest Management Assn. survey in 2018 reported that single family homes, apartments/condominiums and hotels/motels are bed bugs’ most common targets. They can hide in couches, bed frames, luggage, stuffed animals, purses and even lamps. They’re also present in nursing homes, schools, daycare centers, libraries, offices, college dorms, hospital and public transportation. In office buildings, they can lurk in cubicle dividers, underneath raised floors, beneath alcove moldings, in folders and in computers and other equipment. Is there any good news? Yes, sort of. Bed bugs don’t transmit or spread disease, latch onto skin, form colonies or nests (although they do aggregate), fly from host to host, damage building structures or live in human hair. And the presence of bed bugs is no reflection on a property’s cleanliness. They feed on blood, not filth. “They’re not cockroaches. They don’t feed on debris. You could have a pristine environment and they could still get introduced,” says Mike Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky. Best of all, bed bugs’ presence can be curbed with the right measures. Such as? Here...

Bed bugs have re-emerged in the multifamily housing industry after a nearly 50 year sabbatical. Not since World War II has the US experienced such an infestation. According to reports released by the National Apartment Association, bed bug-related reports have increase by more than 60 percent since 2004. In the past, property owners turned to DDT to fend off the critters with much success but the harsh chemical was banned in 1972. Since then, leadership has scrambled to find safe and effective methods to rid properties of the pest. To exacerbate the problem, the parameters established by the HUD Handbook do little to prevent re-infestation or encourage tenant cooperation, a conundrum which can sometimes render management personnel incapable of permanently eradicating bed bugs from their properties. The following guidelines outline the current best practices as suggested by HUD Notice H 2011-20, which is available for affordable housing professionals for bedbug prevention, detection, and treatment as well as resources for funding bed bug initiatives. Prevention: Owners and management agents (O/A) are encouraged to create an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan, following the guidelines of provided by the Northeastern IPM Center at Cornell University. A successful IPM plan includes educational programming for staff and tenants, as well as routine inspections. The O/A may offer inspections of new tenants’ furniture prior to moving in, as well as inspections when tenants return from trips; such measures currently cannot be made mandatory. Detection: The O/A are encouraged to seek third party professional consultation for bed bug identification. Units above, beneath, and beside the unit in question must also be inspected within three days of the tenant complaint. Treatment: Many chemical treatments are not considered to be reliable or have not been legally approved for use in residential units. At...