A Bed Bug Checklist for Rental Units in Utica

Step 1: Before the visit

Confirm the date, clear the space and tell the tenant what to do. Preparation is the part of the job that is most often missed.

The landlord or manager confirms the visit date with the technician and the tenant, and sends the tenant a written notice. The notice should explain the preparation, the reason for the visit and the access the technician needs.

The tenant is asked not to move furniture between rooms, not to bring in used furniture and not to spray products in the bedroom. Those steps stop the insects spreading during the wait.

• Confirm the date and the access time in writing
• Ask the tenant not to move items between rooms
• Ask the tenant not to spray products in the bedroom
• Keep the bedroom door closed until the technician arrives

Step 2: Bedding and clothing

Bag clothing and bedding, wash them on a hot cycle and dry them on high heat. Items that cannot be washed should be sealed in a bag until the technician has seen them.

Bed bugs and their eggs can be in bedding, clothing and the folds of soft furniture. Washing on a hot cycle and drying on high heat kills them. Items that cannot be washed should be bagged and sealed, and the bag should not be opened until the technician has advised.

The tenant should also keep the bagged items away from the bed and the wall, so that the insects cannot move back into the room.

• Bag clothing and bedding in sealed plastic
• Wash on a hot cycle and dry on high heat
• Do not open sealed bags until the technician advises

Step 3: The bed and the mattress

Check the mattress seams, the box spring, the bed frame and the headboard. Bed bugs hide in the seams and the joints, not on open surfaces.

Use a flashlight to check the seams of the mattress and box spring, especially the corners and the tufts. Look for dark spotting, shed skins and small reddish-brown insects. Check the joints of the bed frame and the back of the headboard, because those are common hiding places.

Do not dismantle the mattress or the bed. The technician will advise on whether the item can be treated in place, encased or replaced.

• The seams and tufts of the mattress and box spring
• The joints of the bed frame
• The back of the headboard and the bed legs
• The dark spotting and shed skins on the surfaces

Step 4: The rest of the room

Check the furniture, the nightstand, the carpet edges, the outlet boxes and the gap behind the skirting board.

Bed bugs can move from the bed to other furniture, so check the nightstand, the chairs and the dresser drawers. Look at the carpet edges and the gap between the carpet and the wall. Outlet boxes and light switches are common routes for insects that travel along the wall.

Check the curtains and the window frame as well. Insects can use the folds of fabric and the gaps around the window to move from room to room.

• The nightstand, chairs and dresser drawers
• The carpet edges and the gap by the skirting board
• Outlet boxes and light switches
• The folds of curtains and the window frame

Step 5: The adjoining units

Where the building allows, check the rooms that share a wall with the affected unit, and report any sighting in the building's shared spaces.

Bed bugs can move between units through shared walls, pipes and the spaces around outlets. The landlord should ask the neighboring tenants whether they have seen any sign, and the technician should check the shared walls where access is allowed.

Shared spaces, such as stairwells and laundry rooms, should be noted if a sign is seen there. A sign in a common area is a building-wide matter, and the landlord should plan the next step with the technician.

Step 6: After the visit

Keep the written note, follow the plan and report any new sign with its date and place. The follow-up is part of the job.

The technician leaves a written note with the findings and the plan. The landlord keeps it with the unit's file and the tenant receives a copy. The follow-up date is written on the note, and any preparation for it is explained.

A new sign between visits is worth reporting straight away. The date, the room and a description help the technician decide whether the follow-up can be a short check or needs a fuller visit.

• Keep the technician's written note with the unit file
• Mark the follow-up date on the calendar
• Report any new sign with the date and room
• Do not bring used furniture into the unit

Why bed bugs are found in more than one room

Because the insects travel along walls, pipes and furniture, and they can be carried from room to room on bags and clothing. A check of the whole unit is the safe approach.

A bed bug that is found in a bedroom has often been carried there, or has spread from a neighboring room. The insects use the wall edges, the furniture legs and the gaps around outlets to move. A check that stops at the first room can miss an infestation that is already in the next one.

The landlord and the tenant should check the whole unit, and not just the bed. The checklist below gives the steps in order, so nothing is left out.

Heat, encasement and replacement

Items can be treated in place, heat-treated, encased in a sealed cover or replaced. The technician decides which option fits each item.

Heat treatment kills bed bugs at a temperature held for long enough, and it can be used for furniture and bedding that can tolerate the heat. Encasement covers a mattress or box spring in a sealed cover, so any insects inside cannot feed or escape. Some items are too damaged or infested to save, and replacement is the sensible choice.

The technician explains each option and the reason for it. The tenant or the landlord should not discard any item without the technician's advice, because a discarded item can carry the insects to another place.

Tenant responsibilities and written notices

Tenants prepare the unit, report signs and allow access. Landlords give written notices and arrange the building-wide steps. Both should keep a copy of the notice.

The tenant's part is preparation: clearing the room, bagging clothing and bedding, not moving furniture between rooms and reporting signs promptly. The landlord's part is to give written notice of the visit, arrange access to any shared spaces and make the repairs the building needs.

A written notice protects both sides. It records the date, the access, the preparation and the reason for the visit. The notice should be kept with the unit file and a copy given to the tenant.

If a bite appears after treatment

A new bite does not always mean the treatment failed. It can reflect a bite from earlier, or a single insect that was missed. Report it and keep the follow-up.

Bites can take days to appear, and a bite that comes up after treatment may come from an insect bitten before the treatment. A single new insect is also possible. The homeowner should report the bite and any sighting, with the date and room, so the technician can check the unit again.

Anyone with a severe reaction, an infected bite or signs of an allergy should see a doctor. The technician cannot give medical advice, but can make sure the unit is checked again before the next lease begins.

Preparing belongings before the visit

Clear the floor and the space under the bed, bag clothing and bedding, and keep boxes out of the bedroom. The technician can then see the places where the insects are hiding.

Clutter gives bed bugs places to hide and makes the inspection slower. Clear the floor, the nightstand and the space under the bed. Keep stored boxes out of the bedroom and do not stack them against the wall, since the gap behind a stack is a common hiding place.

Belongings that are not needed in the room should be moved to a different room only after the technician has advised, because moving them can carry insects with them. The tenant can ask the technician what to do with each type of item on the first visit.

What to say to a new tenant

Tell them what was found, what was treated and when the follow-up is due. A clear note protects the new tenant and the landlord from a repeat of the problem.

A landlord who has treated a unit should tell the next tenant, in writing, what was found and what was done. The note should give the dates of the visits, the follow-up plan and the number to call if a sign appears. That information is useful to the tenant and it shows the landlord acted promptly.

The note should not promise that the unit is free of bed bugs. It should describe the treatment and the monitoring, which is what the technician can speak to.

Furniture and mattresses after the treatment

Items that were treated or encased should stay where the technician left them until the follow-up. A new item brought into the unit can carry insects back in, so the tenant should check it first.

After treatment, the mattress cover and any encased item should be left in place, and the tenant should not remove the cover until the technician confirms it can be taken off. Used furniture, a mattress from a shop or an item from a neighbor should be checked carefully before it is brought into the unit, since those are the most common ways for bed bugs to return.

A tenant who wants to buy new furniture during a tenancy should tell the landlord and the technician first. A quick check on delivery, with a note of the item, is enough to avoid bringing a problem back into the unit.