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Its in The Knots top 5 best destination wedding spots in the United States.

Its home to one of the worlds most popular theme parks.

It attracts nearly 1 million seasonal residents or snowbirds each winter.

Florida is a popular destination for just about everyoneincluding bed bugs.

With all of these claims to fame, there is a constant movement in and out of the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, visitors often bring along unwanted guests on their trip, plaguing Florida cities with abounding bed bug problems. In this article, we take a look a the top five cities in Florida for bed bug activity. Did your city make the list?

If you have a problem with bed bugs in your home or business, contact your local Ehrlich Pest Control office today to discuss options.

Coming in at number five is Miami, FL. As a popular spring break destination, its understandable that the city would have an incredibly busy airport. Miami International Airport, MIA, was ranked 12 out of the 25 busiest United States airports by tripsavvy. Its not just domestic passengers traveling into this bustling hub. Next to JFK Airport in New York, MIA has the largest number of global passengers, as it serves as a primary U.S. gateway to Latin America. With this many travelers comes quite a few suitcases, a popular mode of transportation for bed bugs. Whether the bed bugs originally hop on in homes or join the trip along the way via hotels or hostels, theyre always up for a trip.

Next on the list is Tampa, FL. Travelers come for the rich pirate history (or maybe a Buccaneers game) and stay for the infamous cigars and delicious Cuban sandwiches. Tampa is the birthplace of the Cuban! Tampa International Airport set a record for number of passengers in 2017 at 19,624,284, contributing to the 8th straight year of growing hotel occupancy rates in the area. This southwestern Florida city is also right across the bay from Clearwater and St. Petersburg, two other popular tourist destinations in the state, with stunning beaches that draw people in from all over the world. The warm average temperature of 73 is attractive to beach bums and bed bugs alike.

Cape Canaveral is third on our list of Florida cities with the most bed bug activity. Even if you dont live here, if youre a frequent cruise ship passenger, you may have paid a visit or two. Cape Canaveral is the third largest cruise passenger port in the world! In 2016, Florida experienced the reemergence of a pest it hadnt seen in 60 years. The tropical bed bug spreads faster than ordinary bed bugs, and entomologists suspect it may have returned to Florida through Port Canaveral. In addition to the city being a literal doorway to the rest of the world, Cape Canaveral is home to the Kennedy Space Center, which welcomes over 1.4 million visitors each year on its own.

The number two spot goes to Fort Myers, FL, a riverside city with a substantial list of attractions. A short boat ride from Fort Myers will get you to the Cabbage Key Inn, the rumored inspiration behind Jimmy Buffetts Cheeseburger in Paradise. Parrotheads come from all over the world to grab a bite and stick a dollar bill to the wall. The areas rare and expansive selection of seashells also attracts many visitors to Fort Myers and Sanibel. According to National Geographic, many people will go out before the sun rise to look for shells by the glow of a flashlight. Like the other bed bug-plagued cities in Florida, the constant influx of tourists brings with it pests from near and far. However, with tourism bringing in nearly $3 billion to the area, its a risk the city has to take. Whether visitors come for the cheeseburgers or the seashells, theres plenty for them to do in this town. Unfortunately, when they go come, bed bugs do too. Luckily, our Fort Myers bed bug experts are only a phone call away.

Recently passing up New York City and Las Vegas for the most visited U.S. city, it makes sense that the number one city in Florida for bed bugs is Orlando, FL! A world famous tourist destination, Orlando houses Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, which together boasted over 75 million visitors in 2017. That many people means plenty of CO2, a major bed bug attractant. According to Visit Orlandos CEO George Aguel, 2017 brought 20 new attractions to the city, so even those who have visited Orlando in the past have a new reason to make the trip. The Orlando International Airport follows right behind Miami International Airport at number 13 on tripsavvys list of busiest U.S. airports, bringing people (and pests) in from all over the country and the world.

Though it is often hotels that most feel the bite of bed bugs, in the case of Florida, bed bugs are starting to pop up in some unsuspected places such as libraries, museums, and retail outlets. But no matter where you find bed bugs, Ehrlichs bed bug specialists can get rid of them. Every situation is unique, so we believe that the treatment plan should be as well. Ehrlich will develop the most effective and safe plan of action for you and your family. Contact us or give us a call at 888-984-0186 and well send a specialist out to survey your property getting you on your way to being bed bug-free.

For more about bed bugs, check out our Essential Guide to Bed Bugs.

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Top 5 Florida Cities for Bed Bugs - Ehrlich's deBugged Blog

Although bed bugs tend to be about2.5 mm to 4.5mm long, your pup may have the ability to stillsmell them.Dogs have one of the most powerful noses on the planet! While us humans have about 5 million cells in our noses that help us smell, our furry friends have around 220 million!

Particles in the air attach to our pups' wet noses, helping them smell even better.Even further, the part of a dog's brain that is dedicated to analyzing scents is far larger than ours. And while dogs have amazing senses of smells, they are alsosmaller and agiler, allowing them to identify something as small as a parasite.

Since dogs are born with an amazing sense of smell, detection dogs are taught to seek out certain scents, including those of bed bugs, and alert their trainer whenever it is present. This is how dogs are capable of hunting animals and detecting bombs they can smell things the humans can't even imagine being capable of!

The National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association (NEDSCA) is the only facility in America with accreditations for training scent dogs.The NESDECAstandardsare based upon research conducted by scientists at The University of Florida.NESDECAprovides the training methods set out to be used by trainers and certifies facilities. Dogs, along withtheir humans work alongside one another to produce accurate and efficient results. However, the accuracy of canine detection with bedbugs has been controversial.

ABC aired a story on how effective canine scent detection really is for bed bugs. The show explored a detection team in New York City. The home observed was certified as bed bug-freeby two entomologists. The homeowner, who was indeed an actor for the show, asked 11 pest control professionals that utilize canine detection to inspect her home. Seven of the eleven canine detection teams found the home to be bed bug-free.

There are a multitude of reasons for the false alerts - ranging from a mistake to the fact that the dogs may simply have wanted a treat. Because there is no way to know what training a dog has to determine it's detection reliability, you should always request evidence of bed bug presence prior to a treatment being made.

Originally posted here:
Can Dogs Smell Bed Bugs? - Wag!

Last Update: 10/3/19

Get Compensation From Your Landlord When Bed Bugs Are Found in Your Apartment, Leased Home, Condo or Vacation Rental.

In Florida, the obligation of a residential landlord to a tenant with regard to providing a clean and safe living condition is governed by Florida statute and Florida court opinions this obligation includes renting in a large apartment complex, single-family home, vacation rental or condo.

Most bed bug related landlord-tenant disputes stem from the landlords lack of knowing how to deal with an infestation in an apartment and from not having a coherent bed bug policy as to proper cleaning, extermination and the hiring of certified experts to address an infestation. (Bombing bed bugs, if done incorrectly, can simply lead to the bed bugs spreading to other areas of the home or apartment units in the complex.)

Bed bugs have been found in high-end apartment complexes and vacation resorts and their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found.

According to Florida statute 83.51, unless agreed in writing, the landlord of an apartment complex is required to exterminate for bedbugs. Furthermore, Florida statute 83.56 states if a landlord materially fails to comply with 83.51 within 7 days after delivery of written notice by the tenant specifying the noncompliance and indicating the intention of the tenant to terminate the rental agreement by reason thereof, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement.

However, be aware, going down this road can lead to an issue with the landlord not returning your security deposit.

Unfortunately, most renters insurance doesnt cover claims related to maintenance issues. Thats because the costs associated with eliminating bed bugs is considered part of standard home maintenance.

Thus, Florida landlords and property managers need to properly maintain their premises, including having a maintenance program that looks for and properly treats any bed bug infestation.

Due to the invasive nature of bed bugs (they can lay several eggs per day), an infestation can lead to personal injury claims against a property owner and/or other interested parties (i.e. leasing and rental agents and property management companies).

If a tenant, shows signs of a bite, from a small bite mark to a serious allergic reaction, then the landlord, property manager, or leasing agency, may be held liable for those injuries. In Florida, landlords have a duty to provide habitable living conditions (some duties can be contracted away check your lease).

Be aware, bed bugs bites can resemble spider bites and mosquito bites. Thats why we recommend that you see a doctor to determine the exact type of bite you have. Often times, people learn that those innocent looking bites are in fact caused by bed bugs.

Further, a claim for damages in a bed bug lawsuit can be significant, particularly if the residential tenant has engaged the help of a mental health professional for severe emotional distress. In addition, a tenant can recover damages for his or her:

To this end, a tenant should take pictures or video of his or her bites and collect evidence of the infestation, including capturing a bed bug, if possible.

Also, a tenant should:

If you are dealing with a bed bug issue in your apartment, a good piece of advice is to speak with an experienced Florida real estate lawyer to learn about your rights, including what information you will need to make a claim and the amount of damages you may be able to recover. Most real estate lawyers, like Larry Tolchinsky, offer a free initial consultation (over the phone or in person, whichever you prefer) to answer your questions.

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Bed Bug Claims By Florida Tenants | About Florida Law