The Bed Bug Fact Sheet

General Information

Bed bugs do not enter homes from the natural outdoor environment; instead they must be introduced into the home from a previously infested environment. This can occur by picking them up during travel, bringing them in on rented or used furniture, introduction by guests or visitors, or other means. Often the exact source of the infestation in unknown. Once in the home bed bugs will seek small, protected areas to hide. Although called bed bugs, they can live in almost any area of the home such as beds, couches, picture frames, night stands, wall voids, under carpeting, or virtually any available small crack or crevice. However, they will most likely try to live very close to where people sleep. Only highly trained professionals can correctly identify and treat all of these potential harborages. Bed bugs are nocturnal insects and therefore usually hide during the day and are most active at night when they leave their harborages to seek a blood meal. Bed bug bites are essentially painless and often go unnoticed while the bugs are feeding. These insects feed exclusively on blood however there has been no evidence to suggest that bed bugs transmit diseases. Bed bugs mature quickly, lay hundreds of eggs, and can live almost a year without food. Therefore, infestations can grow rapidly and persist indefinitely until proper corrective actions are taken.

Key Points

1)Bed Bugs can be extremely difficult to detect. Proper diagnosis requires highly trained professionals.

2)Bed Bug services are very labor intensive, rely heavily on the careful use of residual pesticides and should only be conducted by highly trained professionals.

3)Proper service requires that ALL possible harborages are treated. This usually requires the complete cooperation of the resident to access to all areas that need to be treated.

4)One service typically will eliminate bed bugs from your home depending on the severity of the infestation a second treatment maybe recommended. A typical bed bug management program consists of an intensive initial service followed by a number of follow up visits. These follow up visits are necessary to ensure a maximum level of control.

Recommendations for Cooperation by Resident

  • DO NOT throw out bed or other furniture. This can spread the problem and new items will likely become infested anyway. Purchase an encasement cover for your mattress. The brand encasement recommended by a certified professional and tested thoroughly is “Protect a Bed” you may find them at
  • Cover mattresses and box spring with encasements after first service to prevent re-infestation of the bed
  • DO NOT change where you sleep. The bed bugs will follow and this will only spread the problem
  • Kill or vacuum any live bed bugs that are seen. Discard vacuum bags immediately afterwards by placing it in a sealed plastic bag and disposing of it in a trash receptacle outdoors
  • Launder bed linens regularly in hot water cycle (140 degrees F or hotter)
  • Pull beds away from the wall so the bed and wall do not contact each other
  • Inspect mattress, box spring, bed frame and headboard frequently (once per week is ideal) and remove live bugs with a vacuum (be sure to seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and discard it outdoors-see recommendation above)
  • Eliminate cluttered/crowded conditions (piles of clothing, boxes filled with personal items, crowded closets, etc…) The more crowded and/or cluttered the more difficult to achieve control
  • Change your bedding, pick up clutter, clean and vacuum and at least twice a month. Weekly is even better. Look for bed bugs while you clean especially around the edge of the mattress and the box spring. A careful inspection of these areas will help prevent bed bugs from becoming established and catch infestations early. An early infestation is easier and cheaper to treat than an established population of bed bugs.
  • Check all used items you bring into your home carefully for bed bugs and eggs. Although bringing used furniture into the unit is discouraged; inspect all used furniture, mattresses or box springs, bedding, and used clothing and books. Remember: eggs and the immature bed bugs are very small and easily overlooked.
  • Clean regularly and eliminate hiding places. Seal cracks, crevices, and hiding places. This will also discourage movement of bed bugs from one place to another. Repair and seal cracks in plaster, walls, and baseboards; repair or remove loose wallpaper.

Additional information as stated in the House Rules

If bedbugs are confirmed to be in the unit, the property staff will explain the necessary steps to rid the unit of the bedbugs and provide the Pest Control Preparation Treatment Checklist. The property staff will work with the resident and approved bedbug exterminator during treatment.

If bedbugs are found in an empty unit, a professional extermination company will be hired to investigate the source and begin bed bug treatment.

Residents agree to fully and properly participate in all extermination procedures; this includes properly preparing the unit for treatment. Cost of the extermination is the responsibility of the owner/agent as long as:

  • Residents notify staff of problem in a timely manner
  • Residents fully and properly participate in eradication procedures

Residents assume the cost to replace personal items that must be discarded or cleaned. Repeated infestations by the resident, resident’s guest/visitor or service provider hired by the resident, are considered damage and bed bug treatment will be charged to the resident.Failure to fully and properly participate in the eradication process is grounds for eviction. In accordance with HUD Notice H 2012 – 5 the resident will be charged for the eradication process.

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Revised 11/10/2014