Category Archives: Bed Bugs California

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Pest Control, Exterminator & Bed Bug Removal: Madera ...

Cimex lectularius, or the common bed bugs, feed on the blood of mammals and are adapted to living with humans, according to the University of Kentucky. These pesky insects are the source of physical discomfort, restless nights and can become a financial burden. They appear in a number of places, including hotels, college dorms and the average home or rental property despite cleanliness. California enforces an "implied warranty of habitability," which addresses residential vermin.

Bed bugs are small oval-shaped insects that frequently hide in mattresses.

Bed bugs have a knack for tucking their brownish, flat, oval-shaped bodies into the most obscure places and are often mistaken for ticks. Their size and ability to successfully hide contribute to the difficulty in controlling them. Signs of bed bugs include dried excrement that appears as a reddish or brown stain on mattresses and box springs and blood smears on bed sheets according to the University of Kentucky. A moderate to heavy infestation encourages them to spread out at which time they can be found anywhere in the home. These small insects hide during the day and feed on their hosts at night. Itchy welts, bumps or bites that appear after sleeping are a sign of an infestation. Though they may not transfer disease and the physical effect is minimal, bed bugs can cause insomnia due to the fear of being bitten at night.

The eradication of bed bugs requires diligence, persistence and patience. It may also require a large sum of money. A typical family may spend up to $5,000 on inspections, storage fees and exterminators, and owners of large rental properties can spend up to $80,000 according to "The New York Times." As a result, tenants and landlords may tussle over the responsibility for the appearance of the bugs. This is where California's "implied warranty of habitability" addresses the very basic requirements for a suitable resolution.

The California Supreme Court case Green v. Superior Court set the standard for California's habitability law. Under this law, a unit must provide "clean and sanitary buildings, grounds, and appurtenances (for example, a garden or a detached garage), free from debris, filth, rubbish, garbage, rodents, and vermin," states the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The "implied warranty of habitability," established in the case makes a landlord responsible for the repair of serious defects that affect habitability. Tenants who suspect bed bugs or other vermin have legal rights and must complete a process to resolve the issue.

In California, tenants have the right to live in a habitable unit, but they must meet their own responsibilities. Keeping the unit clean and free from debris are important even though bed bugs appear in the cleanest of homes. Under California Civil Code Section 1942, tenants can repair and deduct from the rent. In order to repair and deduct, the tenant must notify the landlord in writing of the issue, wait a reasonable period and hire a qualified professional. The reasonable period is 30 days unless the issue is severe. The total expenditure cannot exceed one month's rent, however the option is available twice in a 12-month period. Essentially, the tenant can repair and deduct up to two months of rent in a 12-month period.

Tenants also can move out of the unit immediately without notice. The tenant should still request the landlord eradicate the insects immediately, take pictures of the infestation, provide a letter stating they are vacating under Civil Code Section 1942 and request a final walkthrough. Prior to immediately vacating, consulting an attorney can provide valuable insight into the results of a possible legal battle for property abandonment.

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California's Bed Bug Laws and Tenant Rights | Sapling.com

What Cilecto said.

I will only add the following:

Most prep sheets for PCOs require a hot water wash and a long time in a dryer because by doing both you're dramatically increasing the chances that you'll kill more of the bugs and their eggs.

Heat is the enemy of bed bugs. It is one of the fastest ways to kill them.

Many bugs and eggs will be killed by drowning in cold water with detergent. (Detergent does something to the surface tension of water that makes it more likely bugs will drown. I'm an English major, so please do not ask me to explain the science at work there. I just know that when I was battling ants, if I put plain water on the plate that I sat my cat's food bowl on, the ants would toss the dead bodies of their compatriots into the water and use the corpses as a bridge to the food.

But if I put dish soap around the edge, they couldn't do that.)

However, not all of them will be. Using hot water increases the chances of killing them.

Unfortunately for you, it's the time in the dryer that really is most efficient at killing them. So much so that most people say that if items are already clean, you can put those items into the dryer and run it long enough to get every nook and cranny of the item to be hot and then let the dryer run for 20 minutes past that point and that should kill the bugs and the eggs.

In other words, the washing even in hot water is far less effective than time in the dryer when it comes to killing bugs and their eggs.

(The bugs often glue the eggs in place, so just vacuuming won't solve the egg problem.)

While putting items on a line to dry--indoors or out--is very environmentally friendly, it's a useless method when it comes to killing bed bugs.

Even in warm temperatures, unfortunately.

(BTW to everyone else, no, I'm not dead. I also didn't decide that I didn't want to talk about bed bugs any longer. It's just midterms, so things are very hectic at work, and I haven't had as much time to be around on the boards. Now that California is climbing out of its fiscal crisis--however slowly we're climbing--my employment levels have gone back up, so time has been doubly short. Last year, for example, I was only teaching 75% of full time in the spring. I'm back up to full time. In the fall. my hours at the local community college dropped to 60% of what they normally are. In short, I'm back to a week that means the contracts say that I'm working 50 hours a week. Since those contracts seem to underestimate how long prep and grading actually take, I'm often working more hours a week than that. I will continue to pop in when I can, but there may be longer delays between posts and replies. Sorry about that. I just have a ton of grading to do. Trust me, I would much rather be posting here than grading--as my colleague said just yesterday, she would actually rather be getting a root canal, which she's actually had recently, than be grading-- but until I get more grading done, I have to dole out time here as a reward.)

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Will laundry detergent + cold water wash kill bed bugs ...

Protecting Californias Renters Against Bed Bugs

A new state legal amendmentrequiring CA landlords to provide tenants with written information about bed bugs and how to report possible infestations to their landlords has been enacted.

The law from which the amendment stems from is unique in that it is aimed specifically at bed bugs.

This is due to the serious expenses associated with them, and the difficulty professionals have with containing them. If youre on this site, youre likely no stranger to this reality.

That difficulty is magnified in multifamily housing where people live in close proximity such as in apartments.

Curious about the entire extent of protections you have as a tenant in California? Give theCalifornia Renters Bed Bug Protections post a read.

You can skip to the bottom of this section for an infographic on the changes.

The amendment to Section 1942.5 has put into place a number of protections for renters that were glaringly missing in the past.

For example, landlords can no longer show, lease, or rent out units with active infestations.

It also disallows landlords from retaliating against tenants who report their bed bug problems.

Landlords cannot raise rent, reduce services, or otherwise retaliate against a tenant who notified or complains property owners about a suspected bed bug problem.

These two rules alone are a big deal in terms of promoting human decency and a basic standards of living.

That being said, I think that we can agree that its amazing that these protections werent already in place.

Landlords will now also be required to provide written disclosure of a units bed bug infestation history from the past two years should prospecting tenants ask for it.

Also new is a requirement that landlords must hire a licensed pest control operator (PCO) within two days of receiving notice.

The professional must inspect the complaining unit, as well as its immediate next-door neighbors, units across the hall, above, and below the affected unit.

Finally, one should note that property owners are not yet required to inspect units for bed bugs without a complaint or notice on the books.

If, however, the landlord has received notice, or if an infestation is apparent through visual inspection, the landlord is presumed to know about the infestation, therefore making them liable.

Feel free to use this graphic so long as you attribute it back to this site. For a full-resolution copy, click the image or see this link.

The Amendment is already in effect for new Californian tenants as of July 1st, 2017, existing tenants will be included come January 1st, 2018.

All of these protections have their value and will serve Californians well. In reality, the amendment does not broadly solve the growing issue of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are maintaining their upward trend throughout America, with California being something of a hotbed.

In August of 2017, Terminix published a bed bug report sharing that San Diego ranked 20th of the countrys most infested cities, while San Francisco came in at 15th.

Meanwhile, pest control professionals at Orkin published a study based on bed bug treatment data from the areas where they performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2015 November 30, 2016.

They ranked Los Angeles at 6th and San Francisco at 10th.

It is still important to take preemptive measures if you plan on renting or living in multi-family housing.

Debedbugged as a site is a huge advocate of preventing bed bugs. The easiest way to not get seriously infested is to catch them as early as possible. Infestations caught early on help tenants and landlords alike.

The earlier you catch on, the easier to treat and manage they are; they process is far more affordable as a consequence.

Proactively placing bed bug traps, communicating with neighbors, traveling with bed bugs in mind, being careful around used goods (furniture especially), and being privy to bed bug signs could save you more grief than these amendments ever could.

There are resources like the traveling checklist all over this site that will help you be more prepared should bed bugs make an appearance in your life. For the complete package, see the free Debedbugged Ebook.

I hope that some of what you learn here makes it a supremely short appearance!

Its great that the State of California has made a choice to further protect tenants, but you are most powerful when you take control of your dwelling by educating yourself and taking preventative measures.

As always, congratulations on investing in your own health, and best of luck in your fight to get Debedbugged!

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Californias New Bed Bug Laws, 2018 | Get Debedbugged

Hello. I am mortified.Two and a half weeks ago, I bought a brand new mattress from a reputable mattress retailer here in the San Francisco bay area. The mattress was delivered in its plastic wrap Continue reading

By Mike Nemeth A bill that spells out what landlords and tenants need to do when confronted with a bed bug infestation is closer to becoming California law. Assemblyman Adin Nazarian The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted 7-0 in favor of Assemblyman Adrin Nazarians AB 551. Continue reading

What are bed bugs? Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of mammals and birds. Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about one-quarter of an inch in length; they are copper colored and wingless. Continue reading

This article originally appeared onLearnVest.com. Its all over the news: Bed bugs have reached epidemic levels in lots of big cities around the country. And, according to research entomologist and bed bug expert Jeff White, This bug isnt going away any time soon Continue reading

Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown pests that feed on human and animal blood. They often lurk in bed linens and bed frames. Mostly dormant during the day, at night, bed bugs come out of their hiding spots to feast on sleeping humans Continue reading

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California, United States Bed Bug Registry Map Bed Bug ...