Tenant called 4/20, asked about how to turn on A/C, hubby went over & showed him breaker on outside pole.

He was throwing away nice mattress set, said it was only a few years old. Said they have bedbugs! Didn't act like they wanted us to do anything. They moved in 09/01/18, keep things real nice but have little kids coming & going for visitation, so I'm guessing that must be it? There were some dirty people in there before these, but we had cleaned it and even had the carpets steam cleaned.

In MY state, if it’s a single family unit, then landlord doesn’t have to be involved. HOWEVER, because there are a lot of incorrect notions about safe and effective treatments, I do offer some advice. First thing, the mattress wasn’t infected, the bedbugs are there because of humans, not mattresses. So, the effective ‘treatment’ for the mattresses is to buy the fifty dollar bedbug proof covers for the mattress. It simply makes it easier to clean all the little critters up. Second, cleaning is a must. Bedbugs hide in any little spaces, and piles of clothes on the floor are lovely places to hide while sleeping off the meal of human blood the little buggers feasted upon. Third, finding out other places that are infested; ok, I just said the mattress wasn’t infested, now it sounds like I am saying places do get infested.... So, I should say, other places where the people who frequent those places are infested need to be determined. Those places and peoples need to be either avoided, or need to be also working to eradicate the critters.

Something I DO, as a landlord, when getting any of my units ready to rent, or at turnover, or when making repairs, is, I caulk all small little crevices. Like, the crevice between the cabinets and the wall, between the baseboard and the wall, around window sills, door casings. Any little points of entry/ egress for ants, spiders, roaches, bedbugs. This simply makes it easier for the tenant to spot the critters and clean them up.

I also am very careful with my own clothes when coming home from a unit where there might be bugs. I can undress in the attached garage at my home, bag the clothes, run into the shower, then wash my bagged up clothes.

Female bedbugs, once pregnant, try to move out from the colony to try to start new colonies, is my understanding. So, I want to squish her before she sets up shop on me, my home!

I've had some bed bug disasters. Here in Los Angeles it is the Landlords responsibility to treat and cure any bed bug issues. Now if one can prove the tenant caused the problem, afterwards you can "ask" them to pay your costs.

I would not worry about it now. Just check the place real good for bed bugs if they ever move.

The fact that they have been there since September and have not complained. Should prove the place was bed bug free when they took possession.

And as you know, your lease should state who is responsible for pest control.

They may not want any chemical treatment.

Although we've never had a bedbug issue, I'm trying to be proactive. I took a free online course, so I'm "trained" in identifying them and know the basics on where they typically reside and so on.

At each tenant turnover, I put some "traps" in the areas most likely to be...such as near where the bed was and the sofa. I take dated photos of the traps.

Then, during the walk-through of a new tenant, we look at the traps together and I have a bedbug disclosure form that, amongst other things, says they saw no bedbugs in the traps during the move in inspection and that the traps have been in place for a period of time. Again I take dated photos of the traps. The form says that any future bedbug issues must therefore be from the tenant and that they will have to pay for remediation.

Pat,

Your house has BBs. Do NOT believe the res will treat the home. There is a chance the res might call in a pro, so that's great but very expensive so don't hold your breath.

They will move out "because the house has BBs."

It's MY investment to protect.

Treat now before the colony grows. We work with the res to protect MY investment.

Houses get a reputation so protect what others think of your house.

Spraying is easy. We use BedBug Bully (online) which is all organic. Have the RES do the spraying while you help him to avoid legal issues.

Soak the cracks.

We repeat every third day for 2 weeks.

Do NOT let this wait!

BRAD