PEST CONTROL AND PREVENTION
I. REPORT PESTS
- Sign up online or on the Exterminator’s sheet located in the basement by the mailroom for Maintenance treatments. Maintenance treatments are for rodents, roaches and water bugs.
- For free bed bug inspections, contact the Super/Staff or Management immediately. Inspections must be conducted by the building’s appointed Exterminators, MiteBuster or Terminix. Owner must coordinate arrangements for inspection and advise Management of the inspection date within (3) three days of notice. Landlords must schedule an inspection prior to tenant move in date as stipulated in Lease Rider. If no inspection is advised by Owner, Management will schedule an inspection and bill Owner all related service charges and penalties. Adjoining units should comply with inspections. Failure of Owner/Tenant to report bed bugs or failure to cooperate with pest control procedure exposes Owner to legal liability.
- Request inspections privately online under FORMS or click here. Online requests are directed to the Exterminator who will confirm appointment and service to be performed. Upon receipt of appointment, Owner notifies Management the inspection date.
- Owner follows up with Management the results of bed bug inspection. The Exterminator’s report must be submitted to Management within (3) three days of inspection. The report must be issued by Exterminator reflecting the results of scheduled inspection. If no report is provided by Owner, Management will schedule an inspection and bill Owner all related service fees and penalties. Upload Report.
- Feedback – complaints, concerns, suggestions - regarding service performed by Exterminator should be entered online, go to www.thehague2600.com/request-exterminator.html or click here. Management will monitor feedback to ensure acceptable performance by Association standards.
II. BED BUG PROTOCOL
- Confirmed bed bug cases must be treated immediately. Owner is responsible for treatment of unit and adjoining units by building’s appointed Exterminators. Exterminator must supply Owner with preparation details, description of service, level of infestation, method of treatment (including non-toxic / chemicals to be used) and treatment provisions including mattress encasements and/ or monitors. Follow up treatment is required until Exterminator verifies no presence of bed bugs detected. The Exterminator’s report must be submitted to Management within (3) three days of treatment. If no report is provided by Owner, Management will schedule a treatment and bill Owner all related fees and penalties. Failure of Owner to prove eradication exposes Owner to legal liability. Upload Report. Review Bed Bug Policy
- Adjoining units should comply with inspections and required treatments. Units with high levels of infestation* will be fined $750 for failing to report the situation immediately and for extended exposure to the condo community. Failure of Owner/Tenant to report bed bugs or failure to cooperate with pest control procedure exposes Owner to legal liability.
- The Association’s Early Action plan will cover the cost of Unit’s cloverleaf inspection and cloverleaf preventative treatment provided by our exterminators. Cloverleaf is defined as adjoining units shared by a common wall, above, below and each side of reported unit. The exterminator’s report will be referenced for possible bed bug origination and to determine the level of infestation in surrounding units. Units with a ‘light’ infestation will be covered under Early Action. The following conditions will void coverage :
- Unit delays to report bed bugs or to arrange inspection resulting in a heavy, prolonged infestation and multiple treatments
- Unit fails to provide documentation of inspection and/or remediation treatments upon request
- Unit fails to schedule treatment within three (3) days of confirmed infestation
- Unit refuses to follow exterminator’s required Prep Work, pre-treatment and post-treatment
- Unit fails to minimize the spread of bed bugs and violates any portion of 2600 Bed Bug Policy
- Unit fails to submit eradication report stating no bed bug activity detected within 30 days of confirmed infestation
- Unit has a history of infestation within the last 12 months
- Unit is a cloverleaf with moderate to heavy infestation, in which case a preventative treatment is not applicable and Unit is required to provide full treatment to eradicate infestation
- Unit’s cloverleaf preventative does not exceed the maximum coverage of $133.75 (tax included) per unit
- Until eradication report is received, confirmed Unit is advised not to remove or dispose of belongings in garbage rooms, parking lot or common areas. No items will be allowed into the storage rooms in the basement. Any Unit (with infestation or without infestation) observed depositing belongings improperly will be fined $750. Review Garbage Disposal Policy
- If Unit insists on furniture removal, Owner must inform Management. A dumpster will be arranged for immediate removal of Unit’s belongings after treatment is provided. Soft furnishings should be slashed/ /destroyed/ purposely damaged beyond use. All items must be wrapped and sealed properly in Unit, in heavy duty plastic with visible ‘X’ markings. Staff will execute removal from Unit. Owner will be billed for all charges related to dumpster service. Any Unit observed disregarding any part of the disposal process will be fined $750. Review Garbage Disposal Policy
* Michael Beck is the building's representative from Terminix. All bed bug inspections/ treatments with Terminix must be coordinated with Michael Beck only.
III. PEST PREVENTION
Excerpts taken from http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-nonchemical1.pdf
- Reduce Clutter. Highly cluttered homes and bedrooms provide water bugs, bed bugs and rodents with numerous places to hide, and makes treating the home with insecticides almost impossible. Therefore, reducing clutter will greatly improve your chances of eliminating pests.
- Run Water Frequently. Water bugs travel through the drain pipes and escape into units via sinks and tubs. Running the faucet in sinks and tubs often will help flush down traveling pests.
- Seal Cracks And Crevices .Repair cracks in plaster, repair or remove any loose wallpaper and tighten light switch covers. Apply caulk to seal
crevices and joints in baseboards and gaps on shelving or cabinets. - Pet Food And Water. Do not leave pet food and water exposed overnight on floors or counters. Uncovered food attracts and encourages visits from all types of pests especially water bugs and rodents.
- Store Food In Containers With Lids. Eliminate plastic bags and cardboard boxes as much as possible.
- Remove Kitchen Garbage from unit daily. If garbage is left overnight, do not leave the bag open but twist or tie shut or pull drawstring tight to close the opening. This includes trash bags deposited into bins in the garbage rooms each floor.
- Rinse And Clean Recycled Items before disposal.
- Check Furniture brought from thrift and second hand stores. Avoid bringing in furniture found on sidewalks.
- Travel Light. Avoid bringing bed bugs, water bugs and roaches on a trip back home. Inspect all luggage, clothing and belongings before arriving home and immediately upon arrival.
- Vacuum Regularly. The value of vacuuming is not that it controls bed bugs, but that it makes inspections so much easier. In large infestations, bed bug harborages and aggregation sites are not only filled with live bed bugs, but also with their debris (dead bed bugs, molted skins, hatched egg shells, and feces). It is often difficult to distinguish what is alive from what is dead, particularly after treatment. A high powered vacuum is very useful for removing this debris. While no vacuum is powerful enough to remove all of the bed bug eggs (eggs are cemented into place), the removal of the bed bug debris makes it much easier to see if anything is still alive in these harborages after they have been treated. Just make sure that the infested vacuum bag is thrown away outside of the building. Adults may live up to one year or more without feeding depending on temperature and humidity. Unless the contents of the vacuum are emptied immediately after each use, bedbugs may crawl out through the vacuum's hoses and re-establish themselves. Dispose of vacuum debris and vacuum bags in sealed plastic bags.
- Mattress Encasements A mattress encasement is more than a bed cover. The encasement is intended to seal your mattress so that no bed bugs can infest your mattress, and any bed bugs currently infesting your mattress can never bite through or escape from the encasement. It is extremely important that the mattress encasement be placed on both the mattress and the box spring. If you cannot afford to encase both, make sure that the box spring is put into the encasement. The box spring is a favorite bed bug harborage, and it is very difficult to treat. Encasing the box spring makes bed bug treatment much easier and more effective. It is also important that the mattress encasements you purchase have a zipper that will close completely. Many people neglect to zip the cover all the way up and this is the number one escape route used by bed bugs. Mattress encasements that have a zipper protector will prevent bed bug escape even if the zipper is not entirely closed. Also, the teeth of the zipper must be tight enough to keep newly hatched bed bugs from escaping through the teeth. Not all mattress covers are effective at keeping bed bug inside so make sure that the product you purchase describes on the label how it has been tested for containing bed bugs.
- Steam and Hi Heat Dryer Setting. Bed bugs are easy to kill using heat. Their thermal death point is reported to be 114-115° F. Heat can effectively kill all stages of bed bugs and their eggs. The most common method of killing bed bugs with heat is by using a steamer.The steamers are used to kill bed bugs on mattresses, couches, carpets and other locations where insecticide applications are undesirable. Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Infested clothes and bedding is first washed in hot water with laundry detergent then placed in the dryer for at least 20 minutes at high heat. However, this does not eliminate bed bugs in the mattress, bed frame and surrounding environment. Sterilized fabrics from the dryer are thus easily re-infested. Newly laundered items should be placed in fresh bags to prevent re-infestation.
- Bed Bug Monitor. One of the most effective tools for detecting low level bed bug infestations. The bed must be moved away from the wall so that it is not touching the wall or another piece of furniture. There must be no dust ruffle or any other bedding touching the floor during the day or night. A monitor is then placed under each bed leg so that the leg sits inside the inner well of the device.The interceptor is basically a dish that is rough on the outside and coated with talc on the inside. Hungry bed bugs coming to feed on the host crawl up the outside of the device and fall into the outer well where they cannot escape. The monitor is an excellent tool for early detection because bed bugs moving in from the apartment next door may be found in it before anyone is bitten. It will not eliminate an infestation, but it can catch enough bed bugs to actually reduce the population size.
Excerpts taken from http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-nonchemical1.pdf
IV. BED BUG FACTS
The Association will notify residents when bed bugs have been confirmed in the building. In an effort to educate the condominium community to help prevent and control the spread of these insects , please read thoroughly. Bed bugs have grown to be a widespread concern, a resurgence of infestations in the United States in recent years as a result of increased international travel, changes in pest control practices, and insecticide resistance, that must be handled aggressively and proactively. The Association has implemented specific rules regarding bed bugs and building policy can be found here. It is imperative to report any concerns immediately to Staff or Managing Agent.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are flat, wingless, reddish brown insects about the size and shape of an apple seed. They are named for their tendency to live on mattresses or hide in the seams, cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards and bed frames feeding on the blood of sleeping humans. Individuals mistakenly assume these bugs are the result of dirty living conditions or poor personal hygiene, like some other insects, but bed bugs can be found in the most immaculate homes, condominium and cooperative buildings, apartments, hotels, resorts, restaurants, schools, dormitories, offices, , churches, community centers, cruise ships, health clubs, hospitals, laundromats, buses, subways, theaters, and so forth.
Do You Have Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs do not attach to hair or skin or live on people like lice, but generally come out at night and bite any exposed skin, preferably human skin however they will feed on dogs and cats as well. Bed bugs do not jump or have wings to fly into or around your unit. They are ‘hitchhikers’, ‘stowaways’ and catch a ride on furniture, clothing, shoes, luggage, baggage, backpacks, handbags. Once in a unit they can crawl from one room to another, or get into adjacent units by crawling through small cracks or holes in walls or ceilings or under doors. Bedbugs tend to stay close to their host especially objects near a bed, cribs, playpens, sofas or chairs used for sleeping or areas of rest. Hiding spots include flooring, carpets, baseboards, wood trims, curtains and upholstery, loose paint, peeling wallpaper, picture frames electrical switches and outlets.
Signs of bed bug presence :
For additional information on this subject - how to find bed bugs, how to prevent bed bugs (while traveling and while leasing/renting your unit), how to deal with bed bugs (preparation, treatments, maintenance) and stop the spread to others :
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/whats_bugging_you/bed_bugs/bedbugs_faqs.asp
The Association will notify residents when bed bugs have been confirmed in the building. In an effort to educate the condominium community to help prevent and control the spread of these insects , please read thoroughly. Bed bugs have grown to be a widespread concern, a resurgence of infestations in the United States in recent years as a result of increased international travel, changes in pest control practices, and insecticide resistance, that must be handled aggressively and proactively. The Association has implemented specific rules regarding bed bugs and building policy can be found here. It is imperative to report any concerns immediately to Staff or Managing Agent.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are flat, wingless, reddish brown insects about the size and shape of an apple seed. They are named for their tendency to live on mattresses or hide in the seams, cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards and bed frames feeding on the blood of sleeping humans. Individuals mistakenly assume these bugs are the result of dirty living conditions or poor personal hygiene, like some other insects, but bed bugs can be found in the most immaculate homes, condominium and cooperative buildings, apartments, hotels, resorts, restaurants, schools, dormitories, offices, , churches, community centers, cruise ships, health clubs, hospitals, laundromats, buses, subways, theaters, and so forth.
Do You Have Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs do not attach to hair or skin or live on people like lice, but generally come out at night and bite any exposed skin, preferably human skin however they will feed on dogs and cats as well. Bed bugs do not jump or have wings to fly into or around your unit. They are ‘hitchhikers’, ‘stowaways’ and catch a ride on furniture, clothing, shoes, luggage, baggage, backpacks, handbags. Once in a unit they can crawl from one room to another, or get into adjacent units by crawling through small cracks or holes in walls or ceilings or under doors. Bedbugs tend to stay close to their host especially objects near a bed, cribs, playpens, sofas or chairs used for sleeping or areas of rest. Hiding spots include flooring, carpets, baseboards, wood trims, curtains and upholstery, loose paint, peeling wallpaper, picture frames electrical switches and outlets.
Signs of bed bug presence :
- the actual bed bug, live or dead
- dried feces, which appear as dark spots and stains
- rusty or reddish-colored blood smears
- eggs, egg shell casings and/or brownish molted skins
- symptoms from a bed bug bite vary but itchy red welts or swelling is common
- individuals may have allergic reactions or develop rashes from bites but no evidence to suggest bed bugs transmit any diseases
For additional information on this subject - how to find bed bugs, how to prevent bed bugs (while traveling and while leasing/renting your unit), how to deal with bed bugs (preparation, treatments, maintenance) and stop the spread to others :
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/whats_bugging_you/bed_bugs/bedbugs_faqs.asp