Policies requiring landlords to disclose a rental unit’s history with bed bugs may raise costs to landlords over the short-term, but over the long-term they are an effective way to reduce infestations and lower costs, according to a study by researchers at Iowa State University.

A team of university researchers has developed a mathematical model to evaluate the costs and benefits of city and state policies requiring landlords to report recent bed bug infestations to prospective tenants.

That model says this: Disclosure is an effective control policy to reduce the prevalence of infestations. It can lead to modest, five-year cost increases to landlords, but ultimately results in long-term savings to landlords. Disclosure also saves tenants money from the first year of implementation. Disclosure also could reduce the threat — and cost — to private homeowners of spreading infestations.

During a series of workshops related to the study, the researchers heard real stories of bed bug infestations. “Some of these stories were heartbreaking,” said Chris Rehmann, an Iowa State University associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and a member of the study team. “That’s part of the appeal of this study. We’re doing something that makes life better for people.”

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March published a paper reporting the researchers’ findings. The corresponding author is Michael Levy, an associate professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and informatics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Co-authors are Rehmann; Sherrie Xie, a doctoral student who’s also at Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine; and Alison Hill, a research fellow for Harvard University’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics.

Rehmann, whose civil engineering work usually involves studies of rivers and lakes, was brought into the study for his expertise in mathematical modeling and his prior work with the initiator of the bed bug study, Daniel Schneider, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois.

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (which is funded by the National Science Foundation) was the primary supporter of the study. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health also supported Hill’s work. The NIH also supported the work of Levy and Xie.

Leaders in some cities and states — New York City; San Francisco; Mason City, Conn.; and Maine — have passed policies requiring disclosure of recent bed bug infestations.

The researchers’ model said disclosure can make a difference: “Our results show that bed bug control is a classic collective action problem: Individual landlords bear the initial costs of disclosure policies, but after a few years, both landlords and tenants will benefit from the reduction in prevalence of infestations,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

The researchers said their model could also be used to evaluate policies to control other household pests.

“We’ve demonstrated,” Rehmann said, “that we can help people develop good policies to reduce the prevalence of these pests.” Source: Iowa State University News Service.

Heat treatments for bed bugs have become a commonly accepted alternative (or addition) to conventional pesticide treatments. Consumers frequently feel heat is the “green alternative” that eliminates potential product, dermal or inhalation exposures to people and pets. Fear of pesticides can lead to bodily injury claims from alleged injuries from contact with products used in treatments.

However, the use of heat creates new property damage exposures. The most common claims are damage to personal property, especially fragile plastics, wax, cosmetics, electronics and other items left in the heated environment. The use of a preparation checklist for heat treatments, signed by the customer and retained in your files, can help protect you in these cases. These checklists require the customer to cooperate by removing items, washing clothing and bedding, and eliminating clutter that provides safe, cooler harborage for bed bugs during the treatment. If bed bugs are “protected” during a heat treatment, continued infestations become more likely.

Bed bug (and all general pest) agreements also should include a Bodily Injury disclaimer for insect bites and stings. If you are offering any type of guarantee against reinfestation, remember that heat treatments leave no residual effects and bed bugs can be reintroduced immediately after a hotel room (or any treated area) is put back into inventory or use. The only guarantee that you can make is the elimination of bed bugs in the treated area at the time of treatment. The next hotel guest, subway passenger or movie theater customer can transport bed bugs and start a new infestation.

Bed bug guarantees should be similar to backyard mosquito treatment guarantees in that they promise to reduce populations only on the customer’s property. They do not guarantee against being bitten by mosquitoes or contracting vector-borne illnesses from sources that cross neighboring property lines. You cannot control infestations from sources beyond your control and overpromising a bed bug heat treatment’s future efficacy will create claims exposures.

It is likely you will experience a certain rate of callbacks in high-turnover, high-traffic environments such as hotels. You should be very restrictive in offering any guarantee, especially for sites that have frequent overnight stays by transient customers. You should clearly state the possibility of reinfestation from sources beyond your control in agreements/contracts and expect to perform a certain number of callbacks and treatments at no charge.

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. Sprinkler deployment is the most expensive and most common property damage arising from bed bug heat treatments. Costs to evacuate water, repair walls, ceilings and floors, replace personal property and subrogate with the customer’s insurance company is costly. These claims often exceed several hundred thousand dollars, especially when they occur with multiple claimants in apartments, hotels and resorts.

You should identify, and have customers deactivate, sprinkler systems prior to treatment and reactivate systems after treatment. Where building codes and system zoning do not allow full deactivation, the use of the manufacturer’s “thermal boots,” should keep temperatures below the trigger point. You should know the thermal calibration for sprinkler sensors in your area, and keep the ambient air temperature below 155^°F and the temperature inside the thermal boots below 100^°F (especially if conducting heat treatments with active sprinkler systems). Bed bugs and eggs have demonstrated mortality within 90 minutes at 118^°F or immediately at 122^°F.

During a heat treatment, the air temperature in the room is typically between 135^°F and 145^°F. Increasing the temperature at the end of the duct work so that ambient air temperature in the treated area rises above 145^°F does not kill bed bugs faster or more efficiently and only increases the likelihood of damage to contents and furnishings. Unnecessarily high temperatures also will damage sprinkler sensors, overwhelm protective practices and lead to accidental deployment.

Continuous, remote temperature monitoring in the thermal boots and in the room will ensure proper temperature maintenance while treating rooms with “live” sprinkler systems. It also creates accountability of treatment crew actions similar to GPS reporting for drivers, and ensures maximum heat compliance in the most sensitive area of the treated space. The safest course of action, and the way the vast majority of heat treatment companies now operate, is simply to avoid treatments in “live” sprinkler systems.

Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium

ALSO THINK ABOUT… Other factors that greatly affect claims for heat treatments include:

• Use of a dedicated, experienced crew guided by a thorough checklist of preparation and operational procedures.
• The brand and model of thermal equipment (fully integrated systems outperform “piecemeal” equipment).
• The heat sources used. Electric, propane and diesel have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on access to the treated space, building exterior and trailer configuration. Electric sources avoid potential combustion fumes and fire risks posed by diesel and propane, and the units need less ventilation and there is no transportation of flammable fuels. However, electric heat requires large amperage power sources, often requiring external power generators. Direct propane heating can produce air at high temperature very quickly and can create excessive hot spots if duct work is not properly placed and air temperatures are not monitored and adjusted. There is also a temptation to set temperature higher than the range needed to kill bed bugs in order to “expedite” the treatment process. This can lead to temperatures in excess of tolerances and can damage unprotected and protected sensors.
• Heat treatments sites. Single-family dwellings, hotels/resorts, multifamily housing, offices/commercial buildings, retail businesses, transportation conveyances and homeless shelters/halfway houses/group homes have very different risk profiles. They also differ in their likelihood of generating callbacks/treatments and any resulting claims. Single and multi-family homes have stable residents who are less likely to transport bed bugs after treatments. All other treatment sites listed have large numbers of transient guests, residents or users and pose a greater risk of redepositing bed bugs. The sheer number of potential human transporters creates more opportunities for reinfestation and the greater potential for claims.

The author is director of risk management for Xterminator Pro, a Division of Houston International Insurance Group (HIIG) Xterminator Pro. Loss control resources can be found in the “Client Area” of the Xterminator Pro website. He can be reached at afugler@hiig.com or 407/241-3037.

For 160 years, the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, a white, 87-foot tower topped with a black lantern, has stood along the Delaware coast. For residents of Fenwick Island, Del., the lighthouse represents the area’s rich maritime history. For Chris Brasure, a longtime Delaware resident and vice president of Brasure’s Pest Control, it also holds a piece of his family’s legacy — an element he was able to help preserve through his company’s work on the lighthouse keeper’s house.

Built in response to the significant number of shipwrecks occurring about six miles off the shore, the Fenwick Island Lighthouse was completed and lit in 1859, making it the oldest lighthouse in Delaware. For many years, the tower’s light beam, which could be seen 15 miles out in the ocean, guided ships through the treacherous waters of the Fenwick Shoals. The lighthouse remained in use until 1978, when it was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard. This decision sparked outrage across Delaware and many members of the Fenwick Island community petitioned for the lighthouse to be returned to its original status. Three years later, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse to the state of Delaware, signifying the beginning of the restoration process.

“The Fenwick Island Lighthouse is a key part of the history behind the small town’s rising and success,” Brasure said. “It is important to keep that memory alive.”

The lighthouse also has historical value for the Brasure family. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Fenwick Island became known for salt mining, a process that involves boiling saltwater and gathering the leftover residue. Brasure’s ancestors, Jacob and James Brasure, carried out this practice using large iron salt pots. Today, one of those pots is on display at the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. So, when a construction crew working on the lighthouse keeper’s house reached out to Brasure’s about a pest problem, the job took on a special significance.

In the spring of 2019, Kent Construction contacted Brasure’s Pest Control after discovering active termites in the walls. The firm soon realized moisture issues resulting from the house’s unique structure had encouraged the infestation. The house features a balloon frame, meaning all the vertical interior joists are joined as one solid piece, from the first floor to the attic. During the 20th century, renovators of the keeper’s house hung plastic on the exterior walls from the inside and placed drywall over it in an effort to retain heat, an action that instead retained moisture.

“When we evaluated the keeper’s house, we measured the wood moisture to be as high as 22 percent,” Brasure said. “Having this high of a wood moisture content, termites were able to colonize and run rampant within the walls of the house, evading any chemical treatments.”

Before the Brasure’s team could treat the termite colony, the moisture needed to be forced out of the structure. The firm encapsulated the crawlspace and installed a dehumidifier. The contractors working on the house replaced the rotted wood. Once the area dried out, Brasure’s applied a non-repellent termiticide to prevent future termite infestations. Going forward, Brasure’s will inspect the house for termites annually and perform a bi-annual inspection of the crawlspace and service the dehumidifier.

“Brasure’s Pest Control was honored to play a part in preserving the history of the Fenwick Island keeper’s house because, in turn, we were able to preserve a bit of our own family history for the years to come,” Brasure said.

Founded in 1971 by Brasure’s father, Carroll Brasure, Brasure’s Pest Control has operated in Delaware and Maryland for nearly 50 years. Brasure began helping his father with jobs at age 14 and decided shortly after high school that he wanted to remain in the family business. His father’s dedication and success inspired him to work in pest control.

“It was inspiring to watch my father create that kind of success, and it is rewarding to be able to be a part of it and continue his legacy,” Brasure said.

The author is a Cleveland-based writer.

By Sandra Kraft and Larry Pinto

Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Techletter, a biweekly training letter for professional pest control technicians from Pinto & Associates. To subscribe, visit www.techletter.com.

The boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata, and the western boxelder bug, Boisea rubrolineata, are found across the U.S. and Canada and wherever boxelder trees are found. Structures that are near a female boxelder tree can be inundated with these bugs in the fall.

Adult boxelder bugs are about ½-inch (11-14 mm) long; the western species is slightly smaller. Adult bugs are black with red-orange wing edges, red lines on the back and red eyes. Newly hatched, wingless nymphs are mostly reddish and add more black coloration with each molt. Both the adult bugs and the nymphs feed on seed pods, leaves and flowers of the female boxelder tree or sometimes female silver maple trees. Feeding damage is not usually very noticeable.

PEST STATUS. Boxelder bugs are another of the fall-invading pests that enter structures looking for protective overwintering sites. They can fly a couple of blocks from their host tree to enter homes through gaps around windows, vents, rooflines, etc. Once inside, boxelder bugs may wander until the weather gets colder, at which time they will find a place to settle in (often in attics, wall voids or ceiling voids) and will become inactive. They will make a reappearance indoors in early spring (or sometimes on warm, winter days) as they look for a way to get back outside.

©Melinda Fawver | AdobeStock

The best control is to remove female (pod-bearing) boxelder trees, when possible. Male boxelder trees are not affected. Boxelder trees are not normally considered to be very attractive or desirable trees and probably won’t be missed.

Boxelder bugs sometimes can be controlled by power-spraying the trees in early summer when nymphs are feeding. Another control opportunity occurs in early fall when adult bugs cluster on lower tree trunks or on sunny foundation walls before moving into overwintering sites. As with other fall-invading insects, cleaning up foundation debris (and in this case, boxelder seed pods) and sealing entry points on the structure is important. Once the bugs are inside and in hiding, control is difficult. Boxelder bugs can be removed with a vacuum cleaner but can give off a foul defensive odor if crushed. Their reddish feces may stain fabrics.

Key Points to Remember: Boxelder bugs are seasonal overwintering pests that can become active on warm winter days. They do not reproduce indoors. The best controls are removal of female boxelder trees or utilizing other outdoor measures, including pest-proofing, before the bugs move inside.