Posted by Gary on May 16, 2008 at 21:05:26:
At our local real estate investors club meeting this week the speaker was an exterminator with a talk mainly on bed bugs. Apparantly they are multipling fast with the US capital being Cinncinati,Ohio. Beware Steve,Karl,and Glen. They aren't from filthy living conditions,many clean homes get them. He says getting rid of them is expensive since he has to go back 4-5 times to kill the whole lifecycle. About $550 for a 2 bedroom apt. and some courts are making the landlord pay for this. Those of us in the MH business may be a little better off because they prefer to go to the apt. next door not brave the elements to move to the next home like SFR's. They like to stay as close as possible to their next blood meal but can live several months in dormacy without feeding. Their bite is similar to a misquito but many more as the multiply. They carry no known diseases. He says get a certificate from an exterminator when the unit is vacant then the tenant can't win a case against the landlord. Their habitat is bedding,upholstered furniture,and get this, they love that area along the wall where the carpet has been pressed in between the tack strip and base molding. Thus the laminate advantage! They generally bite on the side that is next to the mattress, again the squeeze factor. This is supposed to bcome a major problem in the next 5 years. Gary