Bed Bugs

By Karen Reynolds, ACCI, FCCI, R.C.M., A.I.H.M. – Director of Property Management
From the WB Condo Connection, Volume 2, Issue 4
What could possibly be worse to deal with as a member of the board than a mysterious water leak into a unit where the source just cannot be located? If you are following articles and stories recently reported in the media, you will know the answer is “bedbugs.” So why would a unit infested with bedbugs be a problem to the Board of Directors? Simple, once a unit has become infected, if not treated, how long will it be before other units are affected or worse, your common elements?
Imagine this scenario. A homeowner returns from vacation unknowingly carrying bed bugs in their luggage. They employ a cleaning company to clean their home and one week later the cleaning staff enter the home to clean using their own vacuums, mops and dusters. This same company is employed by the condominium and the same staff visit your building the next day to clean the common areas or they could be employed by a unit owner and visit a unit to clean. In their equipment, they now are unknowingly transporting the bed bugs to your building or townhouse complex.
It is important to educate yourselves and then pass the information onto your residents and assure them that in the event their unit becomes infested, it is nothing to be ashamed of as it in no way indicates the unit is not clean or that their housekeeping habits are not sufficient. It just means they are human and can provide a source of nourishment to these little nuisances. Bed bugs are completely impartial and are happy to inhabit any dwelling where a food source is evident!
Bedbugs are insects that, as adults, are approximately 1/4 inch long and have an oval body with no wings. Prior to feeding, their bodies are flat but after a feed the body turns dark red in color and becomes bloated. Adults prefer to feed on human blood but will also bite other mammals and birds. They feed at night and will bite all over the human body particularly around the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands. Both male and female bugs will bite and Bed Bugs either can survive several months without feeding.
An average bed bug may survive several months to a year. Their eggs are whitish in color, pear shaped and about the size of the head of a pin. When laid, the eggs have a sticky coating and can be found in clusters in cracks and crevices and, are you ready for this . . . during her one year life span a female can lay between 200 and 400 eggs which will hatch every six to seventeen days. Bed bugs will migrate from unit to unit via pipes or electrical wiring.
As inferred in the scenario presented above, bedbugs enter dwellings on objects, clothing, equipment, furniture, luggage, etc. Once introduced into an environment they will inhabit the seams, creases, and folds of mattresses, box springs or curtains, any cracks in bed-frames or plaster, in electrical appliances such as clocks, radios or telephones, behind baseboards, or any other small enclosed space. Adults may be evident in these areas indicated by black and/or brown spots on mattresses or sheets, bed-frames or walls or shells from dead or moulting bugs might be found.
Educating owners is the first step in combating these pests and part of that education should definitely include ensuring they provide notification to the board should their unit become affected. When residents report an infestation they should be encouraged to have the unit inspected and treated by a professional company rather than attempting to rid the problem themselves. The process can be quite costly and is not a corporation responsibility unless common areas are involved however to ensure adequate treatment the corporation may wish to work with the unit owner throughout the process which could involve several attempts to remove the pests. It is not necessary to single out any specific unit however, other owners/residents should be notified that bed bugs are evident within the corporation and that they should be taking precautions. Until the unit or common areas have been treated and pronounced “clean” disclosure should be made in any status certificate issued for an affected unit or if common areas are involved a notation made in that respect as well. Boards are well advised to obtain advice from their legal experts with respect to appropriate wording.
If residents are properly educated you will reduce the risk of additional units being affected. Information could include ways of preventing bed bugs from infesting a home such as vacuuming mattresses regularly, picking up clutter to reduce places where bed bugs might inhabit, discarding vacuum bags instead of reusing them, resisting the introduction of used items into the home unless they have been thoroughly inspected or the occupant is familiar with the environment articles came from and if traveling, thoroughly inspecting any hotel rooms upon arrival including the mattress and keeping luggage up off of the floor. Residents could also be schooled in where to look for evidence and what signs indicate the presence of bugs.
Hopefully sharing information with residents and encouraging them to inspect their living areas and report any suspicious findings will reduce or even possibly eliminate any infestations in your corporation. However, should a corporation encounter a difficult owner who refuses to cooperate, you, as members of the board, do have the authority through the Act and/or your documents to enter the unit, upon provision of reasonable notice, and address any infestation found within and any charges incurred can be charged back to the unit owner.
We know this problem is real as we have experienced infestations in a few of the units we manage. Take it seriously, educate yourselves and then educate your owners because the sooner a problem is discovered and treated the less chance there will be of a major infestation.