Bed Bug Prevention and Control Tips for Multi-Family Housing
Pest Expert Matthew S. Hess
09/11/2025
If you saw the featured image for this blog, you can rest easy knowing that it was highly unrealistic, and thankfully, bed bugs do not come into our homes from outside. However, it is important to understand that in multi-family housing, this image becomes much more realistic, and bed bugs may exit one unit and enter another through hallways, connected decks and porches, and other similar ways, although these are not their regular routes of entry.
Bed bugs are actually hitchhikers, entering homes through personal items, furniture, visitors, and similar means. They are adept at hiding, can be particularly troublesome in multi-family residences where they can easily spread from one unit to another, and are the perfect little parasite. Their presence can lead to sleepless nights and increased stress for the tenant, costly treatments and inspections for the property managers, and the source of constant call-backs for the pest management professional. To manage a bed bug problem effectively, it’s important to understand their behavior and to implement both preventive and control strategies. Early detection through regular inspections, combined with a proactive approach to cleanliness and thorough treatment, is essential to combat these unwelcome guests, protect the well-being of residents, and ensure the financial well-being of the property management.
Identification
The first step in bed bug control and prevention is identification. Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that primarily feed on human blood, typically during nighttime while individuals are asleep. Most people experience red, itchy welts from their bites, which can persist for several days. However, some individuals may not react at all and might remain unaware of a bed bug presence.
Adult bed bugs are approximately ¼ inch long, flat, oval in shape, and have a reddish-brown hue, resembling an apple seed. Their immature stages vary in size from the size of a pinhead to that of an apple seed, depending on their feeding history, and they appear yellow to light tan. Bed bug eggs are tiny, white, and roughly the size of a pinhead.
Behavior Patterns
Bed bugs, unlike mosquitoes, are not recognized as vectors of disease. However, frequent exposure to their bites may cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems, particularly in children and individuals with weakened immune systems. To develop and reproduce, bed bugs require several blood meals from humans. This dependence on blood, along with their capacity to reproduce rapidly, can lead to considerable emotional distress and sleepless nights for those impacted.
These insects are adept at hitchhiking, making use of human transportation methods. They can easily be carried in luggage, clothing, furniture, and other personal items. Their small size and ability to hide make them difficult to detect, allowing them to infest new locations without notice. Outbreaks are often linked to travel, especially to areas where bed bugs are more prevalent.
Within communities, bed bugs may spread through the movement of infested belongings and furniture, especially in environments with high tenant turnover or when used furniture is relocated. Once they establish a presence, bed bugs may move from room to room by crawling through cracks and gaps in walls and ceilings.
Bed bugs typically bite within the early hours of the morning when their host(s) are in their deepest sleep and less likely to move around. Bed bugs engorge themselves with blood from their host and then quickly scurry off to their hiding spots.
Identifying an Issue
Bed bug bites typically manifest as tiny raised welts that resemble mosquito bites and may be individual bites or several bites, often in rows. These bites are often one of the initial indicators of an infestation (see images below). Bed bug bites can be itchy and may swell, but this doesn’t occur until several hours after the bite takes place. This means a person’s sleep won’t likely be disrupted as the bites are taking place.
Sometimes, allergic reactions to carpet beetle larvae can manifest on the skin and be mistaken for bed bug bites. Additionally, flea bites may create panic if mistaken for bed bug bites. These are just more reasons why proper identification is crucial for identifying a bed bug problem.
In addition to bites, there are several other signs that may indicate a bed bug problem. For instance, these pests can leave behind small bloodstains on sheets and mattresses, and after feeding, their droppings can create dark spots on bedding.
Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye and tend to hide in the seams and tufts of mattresses, as well as in the crevices of box springs, bed frames, and headboards. In more severe infestations, they may also be found in upholstered furniture like chairs and sofas, where they hide in seams, tufts, and under skirting. If not addressed, bed bugs can spread to other areas, including dressers, curtains, clutter on the floor, and within closets, thriving in almost any space that offers a place to conceal themselves. During an infestation, one might encounter various signs in these hiding spots, including bed bugs at different life stages (from eggs to adults), as well as shed skins, fecal matter, and bloodstains.
Prevent Bed Bugs Before They Enter
Multi-family housing units are particularly vulnerable to infestations of bed bugs. Given that people and their belongings frequently move in and out of these residences, the possibility of bed bugs entering increases significantly. It is crucial for property management to collaborate with new tenants and visitors to minimize the risk of introducing these pests. Current tenants also play a vital role in preventing bed bugs from becoming established, which can lead to lower costs for pest management.
Property managers should conduct interviews with prospective tenants to inquire about any recent exposure to bed bugs, whether anyone in their household has experienced bites, and if they require assistance with a known or suspected bed bug issue. Many cities have higher rates of bed bug infestation than others. Prompt intervention is essential to prevent the spread of bed bugs within the property. This may involve guiding potential tenants in seeking medical care for bites, assisting them in laundering their clothes, and ensuring that their furniture and personal items are isolated until they can be treated effectively. However, it’s important to remember that not all situations can be detected through an interview and some tenants may be unaware that they have bed bugs or that they have been bitten.
Sometimes education is key, and many tenants may not be educated on bed bugs or their prevention. Increasing awareness of bed bugs in the facility can be achieved by providing educational programs and resources, such as informative flyers on relevant topics. Training staff at the facility to recognize bed bugs and carry out ongoing prevention and control measures outlined in available resources is also crucial.
How to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations
Knowledge is key to keeping bed bugs out of your home. Both tenants and property managers should be informed about the risks associated with bed bugs. Here are some important points to consider:
- Their Origin: Learn where bed bugs come from and how they can invade your space.
- Travel Routes: Bed bugs are known to hitch rides on luggage, clothing, and used furniture. Being aware of this can help you take preventive measures.
- Identification: Familiarize yourself with what bed bugs look like and where they typically hide. They are small, brownish insects that can be found in various places, especially in sleeping areas.
- Inspection Techniques: Regularly check mattresses, box springs, and headboards for signs of bed bugs, such as live insects or dark stains from feces or blood.
- Be cautious when other people visit or stay in your home (especially during the holidays.)
- Avoid Used Items: Be cautious with second-hand furniture or clothing that may harbor bed bugs.
- Washing Practices: Wash bed linens and clothing in hot, soapy water, then dry them on high heat for at least 30 minutes to eliminate any pests.
- Declutter: Reduce clutter in your living spaces—like clothes, boxes, and papers—to minimize potential hiding spots for bed bugs.
- Regular Cleaning: Vacuum your mattresses regularly, and consider using bed bug-proof encasements for extra protection.
- Furniture Placement: Keep beds and other furniture away from walls to discourage bed bugs from climbing onto them.
- Secure Linens: Tuck in sheets and blankets so they don’t touch the floor or walls, which can help prevent contact with potential infestations.
- Learn how to avoid bed bugs when vacationing.
While these measures may not constitute a foolproof prevention strategy, they play a crucial role in mitigating the risk of bed bug infestations. Although it is nearly impossible to ensure that bed bugs will never infiltrate a residence, these and other proactive steps can be taken to contain the problem and prevent it from spreading further.
The Pursuit of Effective Bed Bug Prevention
In the pursuit of effective bed bug prevention, it is imperative to recognize the significant roles played by both property management and tenants. Each party bears a critical responsibility in this collaborative effort, which is essential in combating the proliferation of the bed bug. In this effort, it’s important to recognize that preventing bed bugs doesn’t mean no one in your facility will ever have them. Rather, it focuses on stopping infestations and preventing their spread to other units. There’s no stigma in having bed bugs, but allowing them to thrive and spread is definitely something we can avoid.
Property management is tasked with maintaining a conducive environment through regular inspections, prompt reporting of infestations, and comprehensive communication strategies. Tenants, on the other hand, must remain vigilant, practicing proactive measures such as decluttering and reporting any signs of infestation immediately.
The involvement of a certified Pest Control Specialist adds a valuable layer of expertise, providing advanced knowledge and methodology in the field of entomology to formulate effective treatment strategies. Together, these roles converge towards a collective aim: the eradication and prevention of bed bug populations, ensuring that both individual and communal living spaces are safeguarded against these resilient pests.
Duties of Property Managers in Preventing Bed Bug Infestations
To effectively prevent bed bugs in their properties, property managers can take the following proactive steps:
- Encourage Reporting: Urge tenants and visitors to promptly report any sightings of bed bugs.
- Maintain Records: Keep a detailed log of all bed bug reports received.
- Act Swiftly: Quickly respond to complaints by conducting thorough inspections.
- Implement IPM Strategies: Create a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan focused on bed bug prevention and control.
- Increase Awareness: Use educational initiatives to inform tenants about bed bugs and how to avoid them.
- Conduct Interviews: Establish a screening process to prevent bed bugs from entering the building.
- Raise Awareness and Prevention: Promote a proactive approach to awareness and prevention among residents.
- Provide Resources: Direct tenants and guests to appropriate resources for help, including medical, mental health, financial, or social services.
Responsibilities of Tenants to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations
To help manage and prevent bed bug issues, renters should:
- Work collaboratively with property management to address bed bug concerns effectively.
- Inform management about any sightings of bed bugs or indications of their presence, such as bites or shed skins.
- Adhere to recommended cleaning practices and preparation steps when treatments are scheduled.
- Encourage fellow residents to actively participate in efforts to prevent and control bed bug problems.
Responsibilities of Pest Management Professionals (PMP)
The PMP can be tasked with very simple involvement, such as treating infested units once bed bugs are discovered, to more complex involvement. These include:
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Bed bug inspections
- Bed bug-sniffing canines
- Decontamination and Clean-up
- Reporting
- Preventative biological methodologies
- Records keeping
- Consulting
- and much more.
The extent to which property management relies on PMPs depends on the level of trust the management firm has in them, as well as the value they place on the services offered. Pest management can be costly, especially when addressing issues like bed bugs. Therefore, it is essential to have a discussion with your PMP to clarify their role and the services they will provide.
Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the most effective strategy for tackling bed bug infestations and can be practiced by the property management company, the tenant, and the PMP. An effective IPM program actually includes the participation of all three, and involves several key steps:
- Conduct Inspections: Regularly check areas that may harbor bed bugs to identify any signs of their presence.
- Identify the Pest: Ensure you accurately determine the type of pest you are dealing with.
- Maintain Records: Keep detailed notes of when and where bed bugs are discovered to help track the problem.
- Minimize Clutter: Reduce items in your living space that bed bugs could use as hiding spots.
- Physical Removal: Clean and vacuum affected areas thoroughly to physically eliminate bed bugs.
- Use Insecticides Responsibly: Apply pesticides according to the manufacturer’s instructions for safe and effective treatment.
- Regular Follow-ups: After initial treatments, continue inspecting the area to ensure the problem is resolved.
- Education and Prevention: Stay informed and educate others about bed bugs to prevent future infestations and manage them effectively when they arise.
By following these IPM steps, all three parties can collaborate to control and prevent bed bug issues, which will reduce costs for property management, alleviate stress for tenants, and minimize call-backs for the PMP.
How to Check for Bed Bugs
If you’re a tenant or a property manager, it’s crucial to determine whether bed bugs are present in your living space. While contacting a professional pest control specialist like Four Seasons Pest Solutions is often the best course of action due to the complexity of inspections, there are some straightforward steps you can take to conduct your own inspection.
Start by using a bright flashlight to search for signs of bed bugs, such as small blood stains and dark fecal spots (as seen around an electrical outlet in the image below). Check the seams and tufts of your mattress, as well as your sheets and other bedding. Be sure to inspect the cracks and crevices of the headboard and bed frame, as well as the box spring and the slats underneath. If you’re comfortable doing so, carefully turn over or disassemble these components to reach any potential hiding spots.
Additionally, you can use traps designed for bed bug detection, like Climb-Up Interceptors®, which you can place under the legs of your bed and other furniture. These traps capture bed bugs as they move between furniture and the floor, helping you identify any hidden infestations.
Managing a Bed Bug Infestation
Dealing with bed bugs can be challenging due to their small size and elusive nature. They are often not easy to spot, and effective control methods may be limited. For optimal results, consider hiring a qualified PMP, such as Four Seasons Pest Solutions, which employs an integrated pest management strategy. This multifaceted approach is the most efficient method for addressing infestations in a unit as well as in neighboring units.
Tenants and property managers should actively collaborate with the PMP through actions such as thorough cleaning, laundering, vacuuming, and reducing clutter, especially if you’ve found bed bugs. Clear communication and teamwork are crucial when implementing treatments like steam cleaning, mattress covers, and directed insecticide treatments as part of the IPM plan.
PMPs are equipped to handle various treatment methods, including heat applications, vacuuming, and insecticides. Items like bedding, clothing, and other potentially infested possessions (shoes, toys, curtains, bags) should be washed in hot, soapy water and then dried on high heat during the treatment process and regularly thereafter. For items that cannot be washed, placing them in a hot dryer for 30-45 minutes can also eradicate any bed bugs present; however, this can be a fire hazard, and many modern dryers do not allow the drying of already dry items. This is where PMPs can utilize heat chambers for such items.
For items that cannot be washed or subjected to heat treatment, it’s best to seal them in plastic and dispose of them. Reducing clutter in affected areas, laundering those items, or securely sealing them in bags is also essential.
In addition to chemical treatments, other strategies are often necessary to effectively eliminate bed bug populations. Mattress and box spring covers, selected carefully by the PMP, can seal in any bed bugs, killing those that may have evaded other methods. These encasements also eliminate hiding spots and simplify future inspections and treatments.
Sealing cracks and crevices where bed bugs might hide is another beneficial step. Utilizing bed bug traps can help manage the infestation by capturing bugs as they move to and from beds or furniture. These traps can also serve as monitoring tools, allowing you to track whether bed bugs have been eradicated from a specific space. Inspect the traps every week or so, clean them out, and add a light dusting of talcum powder to kill any trapped bugs.
The IPM approach usually incorporates insecticide strategies as well. PMPs are knowledgeable about the most effective insecticides for bed bug control specific to your area. They possess the necessary training and specialized equipment to apply these treatments safely and effectively.
PMPs often use dust formulations in cracks and crevices, such as behind baseboards or inside electrical outlets, as these remain effective for long periods of time as long as they stay dry. Liquid insecticides are typically applied to bed frames, baseboards, and other potential hiding spots, working best when sprayed directly onto the insects rather than relying on residual dust.
In buildings with multiple units, every apartment must be inspected and treated if bed bugs are found. Common areas and shared spaces, like hallways and storage rooms, also require inspection and treatment, following the same protocols outlined above.
It is important to avoid certain ineffective bed bug control methods. For instance, “bug bombs” or total release foggers release tiny insecticide droplets that do not reach the areas where bed bugs hide. These products can be not only ineffective but also dangerous if they come into contact with flames, creating a fire hazard. Additionally, bed bugs can develop immunity or resistance to low dosages, overused, misused, and lower percentage insecticides.
Lastly, do not simply throw away infested items like beds and bedding, as this could inadvertently spread bed bugs to other locations. Many people love a free mattress or couch. Instead, Four Seasons Pest Solutions recommends cutting the tops of mattresses, boxsprings, couches, chairs, and other similar furniture rendering them useless. Then, wrap them securely in plastic, seal them with tape, and clearly label them as “BED BUGS.” This is best done with bright red spray paint (must be done outdoors for safety), and then the item can be placed for garbage pickup.
Conclusion
Working as a team with all the right protocols in place is the best course of action for bed bug prevention and eradication. A good plan executed the right way will yield much better results than shooting from the hip.
Since 1978, Four Seasons Pest Solutions has been dedicated to working closely with our partners, property managers, and tenants to make multi-family housing more comfortable for tenants and more lucrative for property managers. That’s why everyone says, “It’s good to have Four Seasons on your side!”
And remember, it’s okay to live among pests… but you don’t have to live with them!
Four Seasons Pest Solutions