Bed bug treatment.

[13m]

Anyone any knowledge?

We've a property divided into flats, two of which have had bed bugs. I have just had a call to say one of them is again alive with bugs.

We've used two different firms before, both of whom "needed" two visits to resolve the problem (or not in the case of one of these flats). However, I have also stopped using both firms when they demonstrated on other jobs that they were untrustworthy.

So, is it the case that bed bugs are genuiney hard to kill, or do firms just faff about the first time in order to get a second fee?

I am tempted to pay for a guaranteed heat treatment this time, in part because the tenant has recently bought a sofa. I presume heat treatment would de-bug that too.

Any advice appreciated.

[MentalSarcasm]

Not had them myself (thank god!) but are you sure your tenants are doing things like washing their bedding and clothes at 60 degrees? You can't go for a cool wash or even a 40 degree one as it doesn't kill them or the eggs. You may also find that the mattress needs to be replaced.

I would imagine that a good (reputable) company would explain all this to you and your tenants, a friend of mine had them a few years ago in London and was given very thorough instructions about what she needed to do from the person her landlord eventually summoned to deal with it, including the washing at 60 I mentioned above. I think the whole flat had to be effectively fumigated in the end.

[EireEng]

They're like scabies; getting rid of them is a proper job.

I'd stump up for a guaranteed service if at all possible.

[hyphen]

MentalSarcasm said:

Not had them myself (thank god!) but are you sure your tenants are doing things like washing their bedding and clothes at 60 degrees? You can't go for a cool wash or even a 40 degree one as it doesn't kill them or the eggs. You may also find that the mattress needs to be replaced.

I would imagine that a good (reputable) company would explain all this to you and your tenants, a friend of mine had them a few years ago in London and was given very thorough instructions about what she needed to do from the person her landlord eventually summoned to deal with it, including the washing at 60 I mentioned above. I think the whole flat had to be effectively fumigated in the end.

Most cotton & towels are fine being washed at 90. I do mine at that temp as 60 is supposed to be the temp that kills bugs, but you have non idea how accurate the washing machine is, so rather than 60 being 55, bung it up to 90.

Also you can stick bedding in a bin bag and in the freezer, as that will kill the bugs. Or stick mattress and bedding outside when its below zero.

[13m]

I have bitten the bullet and engaged a contractor - £900.

[spikeyhead]

http://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/

[13m]

spikeyhead said:

http://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/

You've provided a link to a commercial site, which sells bed bug treatment. What's your point exactly?

[RDMcG]

13m said:

I have bitten the bullet and engaged a contractor - £900.

That is wise. Just about every bit of clothing or fabric or carpet needs to be done. They can live for over a year without food.

[anonymous-user]

£900 is very expensive, I pay about £180 for 2 treatments/visits from my local authority pest controller (I'm a landlord, I don't have bed bugs).

They are much harder to treat than fleas for instance, and I make the tenants pay for the treatments, it's not a maintenance issue or something a landlord should be responsible for. I pay the pest controller directly to make sure the pests are treated promptly before you can get an outbreak and then re-charge the tenants or tack it onto their rent account.

[Tomo1971]

Insert Coin said:

£900 is very expensive, I pay about £180 for 2 treatments/visits from my local authority pest controller (I'm a landlord, I don't have bed bugs).

They are much harder to treat than fleas for instance, and I make the tenants pay for the treatments, it's not a maintenance issue or something a landlord should be responsible for. I pay the pest controller directly to make sure the pests are treated promptly before you can get an outbreak and then re-charge the tenants or tack it onto their rent account.

I was just about to comment that surely the tenant should be paying for the treatment not you as the landlord.

As long as the place was clean and pest free at the start of the tenancy, they are the ones who's hygiene has let them in and infestate, not your lack of maintenance.

[Toilet Duck]

Sorry for a slight derail, but a friend of mine is a pest controller and something he once told me about bed bugs has always stuck with me. When staying away from home/on holiday/in hotels etc, NEVER shove your suitcase "out the way" under the bed. Bed bugs apparently love the crevices around the slats in bed frames and will end up in your suitcase so that you bring them home with you. Obviously not all hotels etc are infested with bed bugs, but as there is a lot of "traffic" with different people passing through there is a higher chance that someone could have brought along some stowaways. Are any of your tenants travelling salesmen?

[13m]

Insert Coin said:

£900 is very expensive, I pay about £180 for 2 treatments/visits from my local authority pest controller (I'm a landlord, I don't have bed bugs).

They are much harder to treat than fleas for instance, and I make the tenants pay for the treatments, it's not a maintenance issue or something a landlord should be responsible for. I pay the pest controller directly to make sure the pests are treated promptly before you can get an outbreak and then re-charge the tenants or tack it onto their rent account.

This flat has been treated before with two of the £180 treatments and now we have problems again. I think heat will be the only fix. The original problem pre-dates the tenant so I cannot in all decency hold them liable.

[Boosted LS1]

The problem with these pests is that they migrate to and from the victim. In other words they rest up under floor boards and in crevices often away from the bed. They must be a nightmare to eliminate.

[kurt535]

Keep on hoovering the mattress/carpet every week.

[spikeyhead]

13m said:

spikeyhead said:

http://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/

You've provided a link to a commercial site, which sells bed bug treatment. What's your point exactly?

It's a friend's company. There's a lot of FAQs on that site which will answer most of your questions, otherwise give them a call. There aren't many people that know more about effective ways of getting rid of bed bugs.

[13m]

spikeyhead said:

13m said:

spikeyhead said:

http://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/

You've provided a link to a commercial site, which sells bed bug treatment. What's your point exactly?

It's a friend's company. There's a lot of FAQs on that site which will answer most of your questions, otherwise give them a call. There aren't many people that know more about effective ways of getting rid of bed bugs.

OK thanks.

I was trying to gain opinion from those as cynical as me who have nothing to sell.

[ali_kat]

spikeyhead said:

13m said:

spikeyhead said:

http://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/

You've provided a link to a commercial site, which sells bed bug treatment. What's your point exactly?

It's a friend's company. There's a lot of FAQs on that site which will answer most of your questions, otherwise give them a call. There aren't many people that know more about effective ways of getting rid of bed bugs.

spikeyhead beat me to it.

There's nothing David doesn't know about Bed Bugs!