Bed Bugs – myFCPH | Franklin County Public Health

Bed Bug Information

Bed bugs are an old scourge that has made a comeback throughout the US. During the last few years, bed bugs have become a larger and larger problem in Greater Columbus.To address the bed bug problem, Franklin County Public Health and many other City of Columbus, county and state agenciesformedthe Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force in 2008. The Task Forces website,www.centralohiobedbugs.orgcontains a great deal of current information about bed bug identification, control, and elimination for the general public, and guidance documents for schools, safety services and other professionals.

Franklin County Public Health cannot recommend methods of extermination or exterminators.Visit the Bed Bug Task Force's web page on questions to ask when choosing an exterminator.

Bed Bug Enforcement

If you are a tenant who is dealing with bed bugs, and you live in Columbus or anywhere else in Franklin County, Columbus Code Enforcement or Franklin County Public Health may be able to help you if:

- You live in a rental property; - You have notified your landlord about the bed bugs and they have refused to treat your rental property; - Your rental property has been treated, but the bed bugs have not been eradicated.

If these conditions exist in your rental property, you can file a complaint by calling 311, if you live in Columbus, and (614) 525-3160 if you live elsewhere in Franklin County. For properties located in the City of Worthington, please contact (614) 436-3100.

What FCPH cannot do:

FCPH cannot force the landlord to pay for treatment.FCPH cannot intervene in a legal dispute between a tenant and landlord about who is responsible for paying for treatment.

FCPH cannot force a landlord to use a licensed exterminatorifthey, or someone on their staff, is a licensed pesticide applicator, andifthey are applying the pesticides correctly, andifthe treatments are effective

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Bed Bugs - myFCPH | Franklin County Public Health