Update on Treatment of Bed Bugs for Multifamily Communities By Adam Greco, Burns Pest Elimination Fifty years ago, bed bugs were all but eradicated from American soil. But, over the past decade, they have returned with a vengeance. Residents of large cities, such as Phoenix, are especially susceptible to bed bug infestation. Fortunately, bed bug experts have identified methods through which most bed bug challenges are able to be controlled.
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an apartment with anyone who has the potential to pay rent. The reality is that vacancy will increase when challenging residents rule the community and can notably decrease with a well-managed property. Vacant apartments are bad, but they don’t cause trouble like a delinquent renter. Management companies place a per-eviction cost between $2,500 and $4,000. A rental application fee of $35 paid for by the applicant might seem like a barrier to move-in, but it pales in comparison to the thousands of dollars in lost
Methods of Control Conventional Treatment (Chemical & Vacuuming) • Most affordable • Leaves a residual product behind Steam Treatment • “Green” approach • Must be very thorough and avoid sensitive items Heat Treatment • Higher tolerance for cluttered environments • Option of containerized treatments Freezing Treatment • Can be applied to most surfaces • Leaves no residual, primarily for killing on contact Fumigation Treatment •Most expensive •Very rare to see in Arizona
Why is it so difficult to exterminate bed bugs? Bedbuginfo.com emphasizes that their biology is part of the problem. “They only feed on your blood. This makes it hard to poison their food source. They are physically very robust and have developed resistance to many modern insecticides.” As a result, exterminating bed bugs is more difficult than other pests found in your home. Bed bugs can get away rather easily which makes it very challenging to target the critters during treatments. They have the ability to hide in very small places, making it difficult to see them, let alone exterminate. This is why it is so important to contact a pest professional who has much experience in eradicating these pests.
rent when an applicant moves out unannounced. Landlords should learn from the not-so-distant past and take the time to screen applicants thoroughly. A FICO score has traditionally been the indicator of a renter’s ability to pay, but has become increasingly obsolete as scoring models become more specific to renting. Where medical collections and student loan delinquencies can dramatically reduce a FICO score, these debts matter little to most landlords. Conversely, utility collections and eviction filings concern proper-
ty owners, but minimally lower a FICO score. For small landlords, the importance can be magnified as high-risk renters become savvy to large companies and find it easier to slip by less-stringent screening methods. Applicants who show up to rent with a U-Haul and want to move in the same day should be a red flag to owners, not a reason to go to an instant, low-quality screening report or worse, forego the application process altogether. High quality, apartmentspecific screening reports are available to smaller landlords and are often sold within the same price range as to larger companies. The consequences can far outweigh the excuses – take the time to screen your next applicant.
Join your fellow members and support AMAPAC! What has your AMAPAC done for you lately? § Convinced the City of Casa Grande to adjust wastewater rates for multi-family and base the rate on consumption, resulting in almost $200,000 in annual savings for just 10 Casa Grande member properties. § Defeated the proposed Tucson Rent Tax TWICE, saving the community and ndustry $12 million annually. § Created Residential Rental Property Inspection Legislation. Conservative estimated industry savings are over $17 million annually.
Adam Greco is the commercial sales manager of Burns Pest Elimination. He can be reached at (602) 971-4782 and adamg@burnspestelimination.com.
Josh Romoff is the Director of Business Development at Screening Reports, part of the BetterNOI family of landlord services. Ten of his 15 years in property management have been in the applicant screening sector. BetterNOI can be reached at (866) 389-4042.
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE DON’T WIN… CONTRIBUTE TO THE AMAPAC TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $10!!
Questions: Brooks Hansen - 602.296.6208 bhansen@azama.org 22
2013 AMA INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE