Say No to Bed Bugs.com

Real Estate Bed Bug Inspections

---

Bedbugs are a hot topic these days. They are turning up more frequently than they used to and can be difficult to remove. But while they are admittedly creepy, it is important to keep the problem in perspective.

Says Bob Eunice of Precision Pest Inspections, “We are starting to be asked to provide bedbug inspection reports for buyers who wisely want to look before they leap. It’s a new aspect for the inspection process.”

If you or your clients are concerned about bedbug infestation, talk to your pest inspector. A bedbug check can be added to the standard pest inspection though, similar to a mold inspection, the inspection findings are only good for the day of inspection. Bedbugs have a five to seven day feeding cycle so unless monitoring devices are utilized for longer periods, activity can be missed.

“Bedbug infestation in Columbus, Ohio is not a socioeconomic issue,” Bob explains. “Anyone can experience them.”

Bob recommends performing a pre-listing inspection on bank-owned properties due to the lack of information about the previous tenants.

About bedbugs

Bedbugs are not an indication of poor housekeeping or uncleanliness. They are excellent hitchhikers and are spread by people traveling and staying in different beds, meaning that larger cities and transportation hubs are more prone to infestations.

Bedbugs feed on human blood, biting sleepers and injecting an anti-coagulant and a sort of anesthetizing agent. That combination allows them to draw blood while ensuring that the bite is painless. Painless, that is, until the body begins to react to the bite several days later, leaving small, itchy red welts on the neck, shoulders, back or other body parts. Unlike fleas and mosquitoes, they will not be concentrated on your ankles. These bites are unique and unusual.

And unlike mosquitoes, bedbugs do not carry disease.

Seeking out unwanted bedfellows

As the name would imply, bedbugs are most often found in mattresses. Because they feed on human blood, this is the most convenient situation for them but they can also be found in upholstered furniture or hitching a ride in a suitcase.

When you enter a hotel room or listing, remove the bed sheets and examine the upper and lower seams of the mattress at the head of the bed as well as the seam that runs along the headboard. If you can see the upper seam of the box spring, check that for the little brown bugs themselves or the black speckling that indicates bedbug droppings. Bedbugs are drawn to the pillow area of the bed because they sense the heat and carbon dioxide as a person sleeps.

If your home or listing is infested, call in a reputable professional to exterminate - bedbugs are resistant to most DIY removal procedures. Choose a pest control company carefully. The Environmental Protection Agency has warned of an increase in exterminators making "unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost."

Bedbug comeback

Bedbugs were a very common part of life for much of human history until the widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and '50s. After DDT was banned in 1972 for its catastrophic effects on birds and other wildlife, bedbugs began to develop resistance to the new chemicals used to kill them.

To diminish the numbers of bedbug infestations, experts estimate that a comprehensive public health campaign will be necessary. 

Learn more about bedbugs from the Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency.