For years, the threat of bed bugs terrorized thousands of property owners. In addition to the obvious ick factor, bed bugs are a huge problem for rental properties and condos. A single female bed bug can produce up to 5,000 eggs a month. These creatures are extremely resistant and can be almost impossible to find. In fact, Houston has very strict laws concerning bed bugs. The certified experts at Titans Commercial offer professional building inspections. Do not wait. For a free consultation, contact (713) 741-3189, or set an appointment online.
They are not known for spreading disease, but bed bugs will feed off your body and cause itchy bumps. Unlike mosquitoes, however, they do not fly or jump. Instead, they coined their name by hiding in the box springs and mattresses. As crawlers, these blood-sucking parasites can take shelter beneath the floorboards, in the ceilings, or in the walls.
Finding Bed Bugs
Due to their size and stealth, these creatures can be difficult to find. You may have a bed bug infestation if:
- There are brown and dark red stains between your mattress and bedsheets. This is normally because of molting or the crushing of live bed bugs.
- Droppings are spotted. Bed bugs are messy creatures and would happily drop their feces wherever they reside. Check fabrics and furniture for tiny black specks as this is an indicator of an infestation.
- Eggs and eggshells are found in bedsheets and cracks. The shells are pale and often discarded in the cracks of mattresses.
How Bed Bugs Can Be a Costly Problem
Fortunately, unlike termites or bees, bed bugs can not physically destroy your property. However, getting rid of them is an expensive process as they are known to travel from room to room or from condo to condo. This is a particular threat to commercial property owners because if the bed bugs are gone undetected, they can conquer an entire building.
Bed bugs also bring down the value of your property. The fact that they are so difficult to eliminate will intimidate potential buyers or renters. In the state of Texas, the Texas Apartment Association (TAA) “bed bug addendum” suggests that a landlord may hold the tenant responsible for the cost of bed bugs. This fear will usually make a renter more cautious when choosing a space.
Bed bugs can be a serious problem that will cost you tremendously if not dealt with properly. Do not take the chance of an infestation. If you believe that you may be infested, contact Titans Commercial at (713) 741–3180 to schedule a free pest control consultation.
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