6/30/2011 BedBug Invasion At Prudential Douglas Elliman’s New York City Headquarters: Evacuation Of Office Occurred When Discovered

Prudential Douglas Elliman’s headquarters at 575 Madison Avenue were evacuated yesterday after bedbugs were spotted on the building’s fourth floor, The Real Deal has learned.

The bedbugs were initially spotted yesterday morning in the office of a senior broker at the firm, according to sources who asked not to be identified, and Elliman, the largest residential broker in New York, later asked workers to leave the offices and treated the affected three floors of the property.

“They said it was pretty bad,” said an industry executive familiar with the firm. “It seems to be in one wing of the fourth floor, which is the executive floor.”

It is not immediately known why the bedbugs suddenly appeared, but sources said that Elliman’s offices at 575 Madison, near 56th Street, recently went through a renovation, which could account for the bedbug sightings.

Elliman officials initially issued a “no comment,” but an official who asked not to be identified later said that “one small office of one agent” was affected by the bedbugs.

Barry Beck, COO of Assured Environments, issued an emailed statement through Elliman’s spokesperson, confirming that the offices were treated for bedbugs.

“We discovered a bedbug on the fourth floor of [575 Madison],” he said. “To be proactive, we treated the entire fourth floor, as well as the third and fifth last night. Our service team reported no infestation was found during our remediation process on any floors.”

He added that are “no active insect conditions” in the building and the three floors were being monitored. Evan Rosenblum, marketing director at the exterminator, later said that there was a call for service at the building in 2010, but did not have specifics on who the client was.

The 385,000 square-foot property boasts of some pretty high-end tenants, including the law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman and the flagship of Italian footwear retailer Geox USA.

A receptionist at the landlord, Steinberg & Pokoik Management, could not immediately comment, but was looking for officials who would be able to speak on the matter.

Bedbugs have become an increasing problem in New York City, with the city convening a bedbug advisory panel in April 2010, as the pests were reported at hundreds of hotels, apartment buildings and other properties.

New York was ranked as having more bedbugs than any other city in the country last year, and while the pests are usually found at night in residential apartments and homes, they have been sighted in commercial buildings, including the Empire State Building.

The Real Estate Board of New York held a seminar on bedbug infestation just last month, as the landlords are ramping up to fight bedbug problems during the summer selling season.

George Shea, a public relations executive and partner at Manhattan-based Bed Bug Super Dogs, said that his firm has inspected more than 400,000 square feet of commercial office space for bedbugs in the last week to 10 days, and the critters can adopt to daylight hours once they enter an office building.

“It is quite common for people to see a bedbug crawling over the papers on their desk,” Shea said.

Officials at the New York City Department of Health said they do not usually get involved in commercial building issues, but they were looking into the matter to see if they had any comment.

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6/30/2011 Willis Introduces BedBug Infestation Insurance: Protection For Residential & Hospitality Industries

Bedbug infestations have led to itchy welts and insurance headaches during the past few years, which is why Willis Group Holdings P.L.C. announced Tuesday it will provide bedbug infestation insurance protection for hotels and residential industries.

The product also offers a crisis management component, which can help reduce damage to an organization’s brand and financial loss, Willis said in a statement.

“This program offers organizations a comprehensive approach to addressing the risks involved with this exposure—from tools to help prevent an infestation to coverage for the economic consequences, through crisis management and remediation,” said Brian Ruane, Willis North America’s national real estate and hotel practice leader, in a statement. “The program is intended to close a critical gap in most insurance policies.”

Willis’ BBIR product contains a range of solutions including coverage for the cost of decontamination, rehabilitation expenses and business interruption; crisis management services; and decontamination services provided by Orkin L.L.C.

Recently, Aon Corp.’s Aon Risk Solutions released its version of a bedbug insurance product and partnered with Terminix International Co. Ltd. and Global Excess Partners L.L.C.

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6/29/2011 Pets & Bedbugs: What To Watch Out For

No one enjoys a good cat (or dog) nap more than your precious pet, but these days, it’s harder than ever to dream of chasing rabbits without worries. With record numbers of people reporting serious cases of bed bugs throughout the country (If they made it into the Plaza, then they could be anywhere), pets are often forced to suffer in silence.

Furthermore, bed bugs are most common during the months of July, August and September, making education and preparation of premium importance. Given that they never take off their furry coats, and spend their days and nights lounging around on beds, couches and piles of laundry, they are most susceptible to getting bed bug bites. And unlike us, those tell-tale bed-bug-bumps aren’t always easy to spot under Spot’s coat.

But our pets are not sitting idle in the war against bedbugs. In fact, the beagle breed has stepped up to show the pesky parasites that they may run, but they can’t hide! A beagle’s sense of smell is king among the canine world’s olfactory arsenal as beagles are often able to sniff out a bed bug colony long before it leaves any visible evidence. Now, many hotels are! The beagles are crucial in the process because they are able to sniff out the eggs before the problem enlisting beagles to do sweeps of their rooms so as to catch any potential infestation before it spreads to an unmanageable degree. Thus these usually playful pooches are saying thanks for the puppy love by saving homeowners and businesses the expense of a full-scale invasion by cutting the bed bugs off at the source.

With all this talk of bugs in beds, we know that the clean freaks in the kennel are probably ready to jump off the pet parent bandwagon, but never fear, because pets cannot carry bed bugs. What they can do, however, is experience the same irritation of bed bug bites as their human counterparts. So, be sensitive to your pets unique needs, and make sure to use pet- friendly pesticides in your home if you need a visit from the exterminator.

To catch these critters before they can wreak havoc on your home consider investing in a Night Watch Bed Bug Monitoring System. It sits in your bed with you and replicates the temperature and conditions of human skin luring potential parasites into its traps and away from your sensitive skin! It’s patented technology is precise enough to catch a colony before it turns into a full blown infestation, saving you the costly and uncomfortable hassle of performing a full extermination.

And if the mere mentions of creepy crawlies make your stomach turn, there are other precautions that you can take to guard yourself and your loved ones against such hungry little pests. One company, Smartsilk, is looking out for all pets (and parents) that just want to nap in peace. Smartsilk is an all-natural bedding company, and is the only brand to be certified asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The company has a new line of bed linens for both pets and owners that make it impossible for bed bugs and other allergens to penetrate. The sheets also absorb the humidity and heat that bed bugs need to survive, and are resistant to mold and mildew growth, as well.

Of course, bed bugs are not only a menace in the home. Whether sending your young man or woman off to college or taking a family vacation the Bed Bug College Kit has all the basics covered for bed bug prevention. Featuring sheets, pillowcases, and insect interceptors this package is the perfect quick fix to nix your bed bug fear.

And if your sheets are already crawling with these meddlesome menaces try Stop Bugging Me Bed Bug Spray This safe and simple treatment kills bed bugs on contact and can save you a ton of time and trouble if you catch the pests early enough.

If you’re looking to take a more aggressive route, look no further than Packtite. Just place your clothes, luggage, plush toys, bedding, or even your shoes inside the Packtite, insert the thermometer, plug it in, set the timer, sit back and relax as the little suckers burn! The large chamber and varied settings make this product perfect you’re your extermination needs.

If you’re looking to avoid bed bugs it may be helpful to remember the real estate mantra, “location, location, location!” If you’re looking to live in one of the five boroughs of New York, you may be surprised to learn that Staten Island is almost completely bed-bug-free while Brooklyn bashfully boasts the highest number and percentage of bed bug infestations. Manhattan and The Bronx tie in terms of number, but those 74,000 reported cases of bedbugs makes up 8.1 percent of The Bronx’s population as compared to 5.8 perent of Manhattan’s. Reports of bed bugs are up a whopping 80 percent since 2000 making vigilance paramount on this issue.

So bring your beagle, make your bed, and keep the bugs at bay the Wendy and Lucky diamond way! Check www.bedbugcentral.com for the most up to date info on how to find, eliminate, and repel all unwanted buggies from your bed.

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6/28/2011 BedBugs On The Rise In Albany New York Area: Exterminators Getting Many Calls A Day

Bed bugs are on the rise in the Capital Region, according to Northeast Pest Control.

The company says they’re getting five to six calls a day as opposed to just one or two calls a season a decade ago.

There may be another reason for the rise: the summer months.

Russell Yake says that the summer months are particularly prone to bed bugs, primarily because people do more travelling.

“It’s a little bit warmer so they travel around more freely in the summer as opposed to the winter.”

So what can you do to prevent bed bugs? To start, Russell Yake says be vigilant and be aware.

“When you come home unpack your luggage before you come into the house I recommend putting it in the dryer. Anything over 115 degrees will kill them,” he said.

Northeast Pest Control uses heat vacuuming and placement of traps to get rid of the bugs. Russel Yake says that if you’ve got them, professional help is probably your best bet.

Continue Reading/Watching Video: Bedbugs On The Rise In Albany

6/22/2011 Who’s Responsible For Bedbug Removal? Landlords Or Tenants?

Bed bugs have infested a Fort Myers apartment, forcing the family to throw out everything they own. They’ve complained to the rental company, but are having had a hard time getting help.

We found out what your rights are as a renter and who is responsible for getting rid of the pesky bugs.

“I love this apartment. I love the staircase. I fell in love the staircase,” said renter Michelle, who did not want to give her last name.

But after three months in her new apartment, the love affair was over. She found out her unit is infested with bed bugs.

“They are gross and hard to get rid of and are everywhere,” she said. “They are feeding off of my family. We threw out the couch and the kids beds.”

Now the three kids are sleeping on the floor.

Michelle and her neighbors complained about the problem. But her property manager wouldn’t take action.

Michelle says instead, they blamed her.

“To me, enough is enough,” she said Tuesday.

According to Fort Myers Code Enforcement officials, determining just who is responsible for getting rid of bed bugs is not a clear cut answer.

They say it all depends on what is said in the lease. But there is a general rule.

We found out that if it’s a normal single family, the occupant is more likely going to be responsible.

But in multi family – unless it’s in the lease – typically the apartment managers have to provide the clean and sanitary unit.

Records show it took the apartment manger of Michelle’s complex months to respond which she says caused the bed bug infestation to get out of control.

“I just want to leave and I think they should be responsible for my moving expenses and loss of items,” she said.

But getting reimbursed will be a battle she’ll have to fight in court.

Code enforcement officials say they will give the property manger more time to fix the problem and if that does not happen, they could face hefty fines.

Continue Reading More/Watching Video: Who’s Responsible For Bedbug Removal? Landlords Or Tenants?

6/20/2011 Bedbug Lawsuits Causes Concerns For Insurers

Jeffrey White, a research entomologist with Bed Bug Central in New Jersey, says the bed bug problem is worldwide, though he has seen a dramatic increase in the Northeast. “We use New York City as the barometer for what’s going to happen across this entire country over the next five to ten years.”

A simple review of the online resource, bedbugregistry.com, which shows real time reports of bed bug infestations, confirms the higher incidence of bed bugs in the upper Northeast.

White says he’s seen a rise in calls for expert advice and retention. The number of calls has increased dramatically in the past six months. “We are averaging at least one call a week.”

White notes the calls are evenly split between defense and plaintiff attorneys. The defendants involved are mainly hotels, group homes, apartments, and property management companies.

In White’s experience most lawsuits involving bed bugs settle prior to trial and he is only asked to review the case files and provide an opinion. He emphasizes taking proactive measures to identify and prevent bed bugs early on. Then, he recommends an aggressive action plan to treat the problem.

“Where people are finding themselves in a lot of hot water is when they stick their head in the sand about bed bugs. They don’t have any type of action plan created. They show up and don’t know how to react to the problem. Weeks go by and no action is taken, or they call the cheapest exterminator they can find and they come in and don’t do anything even close to a good treatment for bed bugs.”

Documentation is just as important, White points out.

“That is where a lot of cases have had to settle. People claim they did everything they could have done, but the paperwork does not reflect their claims.”

Pest management records and documentation is equally important. White hasn’t seen many pest control companies named in lawsuits; however, they can get pulled in at any moment.

While most of the lawsuits White has seen involve bodily injury and property claims for medical bills, scarring and furniture replacement, he has noticed a number of plaintiffs also claiming emotional distress.

“We’ve seen a lot of people that are claiming psychological trauma.”

Emotional distress claims range from not being able to sleep at night to having problems at work as a result of the lack of sleep.

During a breakout session of the Orkin-sponsored virtual bed bug summit held in April, Michael Weisburger, president of the PlanetPCO Insurance Group, emphasized that media attention is playing a major role on how bed bug claims are perceived.

“In the event of a highly publicized claim situation, the public will dictate whether or not the damages are “real”. What’s overstated and sensationalized is real! Insurance companies have to contend with all of this hysteria. Insurance companies are having a difficult time getting their arms around how to measure what losses exist and what potential losses exist in claims involving bed bugs.”

While typical property policies don’t cover damage or treatment of bedbugs, general liability policies do come into play. When investigating a bed bug claim and the potential for subrogation, adjusters should check to see if the insured is a named additional insured on the pest management company’s policy.

The NPMA’s Web site has a section devoted entirely to bed bugs. The NPMA recommends visual inspection as the preferred method of determining whether a bed bug infestation exists. The size and color of an apple seed, bed bugs like to travel hiding in suitcases, boxes, and shoes.

“Bed bugs can be very hard to detect until their levels of infestation get to be large,” says Henriksen.

A bed bug hatches from an egg and has five nymphal stages where it will shed an exoskeleton. Each time the new shell will harden and in the final stage it will become a male or female. The bed bug enjoys a blood meal at each stage and will feed multiple times as an adult. The lifespan of a bedbug is typically three months, though they can live up to a year if food is limited. The female will go through multiple reproductions, laying approximately five eggs at a time and between 20 and 100 in her lifetime.

Henriksen recommends watching out for itchy bumps or welts. Bed bugs tend to bite in a pattern or line. When changing sheets it’s a good idea to inspect the bed, mattress, headboard, box spring, and dust ruffle. Pepper-like flakes can be a sign of bed bug excrement or blood debris.

Continue Reading More: BedBug Lawsuits Causes Concerns For Insurers

6/18/2011 How Businesses Can Prepare For BedBugs: Complimentary Downloadable White Paper Can Help

A quick online search for “bed bugs” reveals nearly 800 news stories in the past month alone, and Google search volume on bed bugs is up 450 percent in the past six years. With bed bugs continuing to sweep the news, Atlanta-based pest control giant Rollins Inc. has released a new white paper to help businesses separate the facts from the hype and understand how they can prepare in advance for a bed bug infestation.

In “Bed Bugs: The Issues, Challenges and Facts,” Rollins pest experts Greg Baumann, Ron Harrison and Phillip Pierce explore bed bug hype vs. reality, treatment options and operational considerations for businesses.

“Rollins companies performed more than 8,000 bed bug treatments in the first quarter alone, so we understand how critical it is for businesses to help prepare themselves,” said Greg Baumann, who also serves as one of the company’s technical services directors. “Employee education, customer communication and a proper risk management plan can all significantly impact how your business handles potential bed bug issues.”

The white paper is available for complimentary download at BedBugBusinessPlan.com, where business owners and operators can find additional resources to help protect their businesses before bed bugs strike.

Click Here To Claim Your Free Downloadable White Paper On: How Businesses Can Prepare For BedBugs

6/17/2011 How Florida Homeless Shelter Is Solving The BedBug Problem: St Matthews’s House In Naples Florida Has Spent Over $100k So Far

A Naples homeless shelter is battling a bed bug infestation. But a donation has the Saint Matthew’s House one step closer to getting rid of the pests for good.

The dorms at Saint Matthew’s House are a temporary home for 2,000 people every year.

“When you don’t have a family to fall back on, we become that family of last resort for our community,” said Van Ellison, Director of the St. Matthew’s House.

But lately, he said, there have been some unwanted guests.

“We’ve continued to have ongoing problems with bed bugs,” he said.

The organization has already spent about $110,000 trying to fix the problem. Now, volunteers are working to replace the wooden bunks.

The problem with wooden bunks is bed bugs can still hide in the seams. The metal ones can actually be heated up to kill the bugs for good.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office donated some bunks with metal frames.

Thursday, Dan Burke helped apply an oil-based paint to keep them from rusting. He is staying at St. Matthew’s House after losing his job in concrete work.

“I figure since they gave me a chance, the least I could do was pitch in and help,” he said.

Ellison said the 170 beds will also have new mattresses.

“A prison in another part of the country had ordered a bunch of mattresses and they made too many by accident,” he explained.

It’s a mistake that gave Ellison a good deal. But he says just replacing the beds isn’t enough.

“As we move forward, we want to replace every wooden fixture in our dorm space,” he said.

Ellison says he’s looking for metal lockers or shelves and that he’s hoping someone will donate those, or offer them for a good price.

“We’re bargain shoppers with this,” he said.

The new bunks will be installed in the dorm Monday.

Continue Reading More/Watching Video: How Florida Homeless Shelter Is Solving The BedBug Problem

6/16/2011 As The BedBug Problem Grows So Do The Issues: Landlords, Cities & Insurers Must Figure Out How To Deal With

An alarming invasion of bed bugs in homes, hotels, schools, hospitals and other facilities has led to a renewed call for lifting of a government ban on a pesticide once used to combat the bugs and moves in several states to require property/casualty insurers to cover the costs of clean-up.

The resurgence of the critters has also prompted renewed research into the best treatment and prevention methods.

Though around for centuries, by the mid-1900s bed bugs were almost completely eradicated in the U.S. due to a variety of pest control products used to treat infestations. Some now question whether this latest bed bug tipping point can be contained.

According to Missy Henriksen, vice president of the National Pest Management Association (NMPA), there are a variety of reasons for the dramatic increase in bed bugs, including increased travel and mobility of society. Other factors include changes in pest control, resistance towards pesticides, and changes in the pesticide application process.

The NPMA and the University of Kentucky studied what has been done on bed bugs to date. Released last summer, this study found that 95 percent of pest management professionals reported treating bed bugs in the past year. In 2000, that figure was below 25 percent.

“We also found as part of that, that bed bugs certainly aren’t just in beds any longer,” said Henriksen. “We’ve seen news stories that indicate that as well. Bed bugs are being found now in schools, in movie theaters, in office buildings, in hospitals and medical facilities, they are being found in cars. Anywhere where people are, you will find bedbugs. Bed bugs need people for their very survival. They are hitchhikers and they will travel with people on their belongings and take up residence in new locations.”

They are also in municipal buildings. Firefighters in Des Moines, Iowa last month called in a bed bug-sniffing dog that found bugs in an office, on two chairs, on stools and on four mattresses at Station No. 4. The firefighters, who eat and sleep at the station during their 24-hour shifts, said they worried about accidentally taking some of the little pests home.

Chemical Controversy

Last month, a two-family Ohio house was destroyed when a heater being used to kill bed bugs set a carpet on fire, according to officials. The exterminator blamed an equipment malfunction for the fire.

The fire renewed a controversy over the use of a pesticide, Propoxur, which has been successful in treating bed bugs. The product was taken off the market in 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of health risks, including nausea and vomiting experienced during exposure to the product. The EPA says it is a danger to children’s nervous systems.

At a press conference in Ohio, Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt and Democratic state Rep. Dale Mallor called on the EPA to solve the growing problem of bed bugs and allow Propoxur back on the market.

“The loss of this home, in my opinion, is the result of the EPA’s inaction to approve of a product that is effective at controlling the bedbugs,” Schmidt said.

Oho officials have twice requested an exemption for the state from the federal ban on Propoxur, but the EPA has thus far refused to grant the exemption.

Bed Bug Legislation

To address the issue, the federal government convened the second annual National Bed Bug Summit in Washington, D.C. in February. Part of the agenda included what states and cities are doing to control the problem and the effective use of heat and non-chemical treatments.

Eleven states are considering bed bug legislation this year. Maine adopted a bed bug related law last year. New York is considering requiring insurers that underwrite property/casualty policies in the state to cover costs associated with bed bug infestations.

Maine’s bed bug law requires a landlord to inspect a unit for bed bugs within five days of being notified by a tenant of an infestation possibility. Within 10 days of determining an infestation is present, the landlord must contact a pest control agent and take reasonable measures to treat the infestation. The pest control agent must carry liability insurance that is current and effective at time of treatment.

In addition, before a unit can be rented, a landlord has to disclose whether a unit is currently infested with or treated for bed bugs. The landlord has to provide, if requested, information as to when the unit or adjacent units were last inspected for and found to be free of bed bugs.

South Carolina enacted the Bed Bug Prevention and Sanitation Act and Hawaii added a bed bug question to the state’s real estate disclosure form.

Larger municipalities such as Detroit, San Francisco and New York City are also reviewing the issue.

Continue Reading More: As The Bedbug Problem Grows So Do The Issues

6/14/2011 Insurer AON Launches BedBug Insurance Policy: First Of Its Kind For Hotels, Landlords & Companies