The North Carolina Department of Agricultural & Consumer Services recently stated in its NC Agricultural Review that:
In the past decade, bedbugs have made a comeback across the U.S. and in North Carolina. There are several reasons for this resurgence, including an increase in international travel and commerce, high tenant turnover in apartments, and changes in pesticide use and insecticide resistance.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler advises homeowners and business owners to be aware that the effective treatment of a bedbug infestation can be costly, and they should be wary of promises of low-cost remedies.
"Bedbugs generally cannot be controlled effectively with do-it-yourself measures," Troxler said. "And many times they can't be effectively controlled with just a single visit by a pest management professional. It's important for consumers to be careful in choosing a pest management company to address bedbug problems."
You can find the full article at here.
The lesson appears to be don't just let anyone kill your bugs!
Whoever you use for pest control, as a landlord you should be developing a bed bug policy and lease rider. Whether you have one unit or one thousand units, there is significant cost in dealing with bed bugs, and your lease or lease addendum should discuss who will bear this cost, and how inspections will be done.
At a recent meeting of Triangle Apartment Association's Government Affairs Committee meeting it was decided that a Bed Bug Addendum would be made available to members of that organization. You will also want to check the Apartment Association of North Carolina for their postings on bed bug developments. As always, education is your best investment and joining these organizations will page huge dividends!
Assisting property owners' and managers to realize their goals and minimize their risks. I am
Norm Praet, Esq.
Stark Law Group, PLLC
(919) 490-5550
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