Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness. The CDC says this directly: they occur in immaculate homes, luxury buildings and five-star hotels, because they travel on luggage, clothing and used furniture. Worth putting that down before you do anything else.
Confirm what you are looking at
Do not rely on bites. Bite reactions vary enormously between people and are not diagnostic. Look for physical evidence with a flashlight: small dark rust-coloured spots along mattress seams and piping, pale shed skins, eggs, and live insects in the tufts, in the folds of the box spring, in the frame joints and behind the headboard.
What not to do tonight
- Do not throw the mattress out yetIt is the instinctive first move and usually the wrong one. NYC Health says infested furniture can often be treated, and moving it through the building can spread potentially infested material through common areas. Discarding is for items that cannot reasonably be treated, and that is a decision to make with a professional.
- Do not start moving bedding, clothing and belongings into other roomsMoving potentially infested items is how one room becomes three. EPA advises containing items from affected areas rather than relocating them.
- Do not take your things to a friend's or relative's homeThe same reason. Containment is the whole objective tonight.
- Do not set off a foggerNYC Health advises against foggers and bombs.
One thing that does help tonight
Run bedding and washable items from the affected area through a hot dryer for around thirty minutes. EPA supports high heat for suitable fabrics and notes that washing alone may not be enough. Bag what you have dried and keep it sealed.
Report it promptly
HPD identifies prevention, early detection and rapid treatment as the surest strategies, and bed bugs can move between apartments.
What to expect
Expect follow-up rather than assuming one visit finishes it. NYC Health specifically tells building owners to be wary of anyone promising a one-visit solution. You will likely be asked to prepare the apartment, and that has its own page.
What to tell your building
I believe I have bed bugs and I would like this inspected as soon as possible. Attaching a photo of what I found.
You do not need to apologise. Bed bugs are not evidence of poor hygiene or housekeeping.
Pest control in an apartment building requires treatment, repairs, access and information working together. See how the pieces fit.
Send this to your building
If other apartments have the same problem, one message to your super or managing agent does more than ten calls about one unit. Copy this and send it however you already talk to them.
Edit it before you send if you want. No sign-up, nothing collected, and we do not see who you send it to.
Sources
- CDC — About Bed Bugs
- US EPA — Preparing for Treatment Against Bed Bugs
- NYC Health — Bedbugs: Information for Tenants and Building Owners
- HPD — Bedbugs (property owner requirements, the DOHMH Commissioner’s Order, and annual reporting)
We are a pest control company working in Bronx and Brooklyn apartment buildings, and this is general information rather than advice about your apartment or your lease. Where our sources conflict with each other, we say so on the page rather than picking one quietly.