NOVEL BED BUG STRATEGY A Successful Model for Controlling & - NET
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NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
A Successful Model for Controlling &
Preventing Bed Bugs at the Community
Level in Affordable Housing Complexes
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Affordable housing represents a significant challenge for property managers and PMPs tasked with controlling and preventing bed bugs in these
complex environments. Yet nothing is more gratifying than successfully addressing a bed bug problem at an affordable housing complex, enhancing
the ‘quality of life’ of residents while making a positive difference in your community. Unfortunately, the year-over-year remediation costs for controlling
bed bugs in these high-traffic accounts can be overwhelming for cash-constrained management companies serving affordable housing. Through an
impressive partnership between PMPs, residents and property managers, however, Allergy Technologies has successfully created and coordinated a
comprehensive prevention program that has produced impressive, long-term results, while saving these organizations time and money. The result is
a state-of-the art bed bug remediation and prevention program that can serve as a model for similar initiatives throughout North America.
Brought To You By:
NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
New Bed Bug
Prevention
Program for
Affordable Housing
Delivers Results
Controlling bed bugs in affordable housing
is a huge challenge, but a large-scale pilot
program launched in Philadelphia proves
prevention is possible and sustainable.
T
he City of Brotherly Love is known for many According to Joseph Latino, president of Allergy Technol-
things. Having bed bugs, unfortunately, is one ogies, significant results were achieved in the pilot program’s
of them. first year:
These pests are particularly difficult to con-
trol in affordable housing. According to a study 97% of units did not have a reintroduction or
by Rutgers University Entomologist Changlu re-emergence of bed bugs
Wang, who inspected 2,372 low-income apart- 81% reduction in the number of required treatments
ments in 43 buildings in four New Jersey cities in 2016, bed as compared to historical frequency
bug infestation rates in community living facilities average
$40K savings to property management
12.3 percent.
Unfortunately, current control strategies often fail to achieve 40% reduction in technician on-site time
long-term success with the pests re-emerging or being reintro-
duced and starting the cycle of infestation all over again. Corbett Exterminating, which specializes in pest control
But a new, program-based approach tested at a 470- for multi-unit housing and is the provider of record for the
unit affordable housing community in Philadelphia proved Philadelphia housing complex, was eager to approach bed
bed bug control and prevention is not only possible but bug control in a different way to end the cycle of reinfesta-
sustainable. tions of this pest.
The two-year pilot, called the Affordable Housing Con- “It’s not doing justice to the community and to the people
trol and Prevention Program for Bed Bugs or ATAHC (pro- who live there to just continue to kill bed bugs over and over.
nounced “attack”), is a proactive versus reactive approach That doesn’t improve their ‘quality of life’; it just maintains
that targeted the entire living community, not just individual the situation as it is,” explained Charles Cerbini, executive
units with bed bug problems. vice president of the Mountainside, N.J.-based company.
The ATAHC Program was developed by Allergy Technol- Cerbini said implementing the new prevention-based pro-
ogies, manufacturer of ActiveGuard® Mattress Liners. Sup- tocol wasn’t difficult because Corbett Exterminating was al-
port was provided by Philadelphia Councilmember Mark ready using similar control tactics in its affordable housing
Squilla, the Philadelphia Housing Authority, its property accounts. It was employing these tactics community-wide in
management company, leading industry researchers and pest a cohesive manner that made all the difference in the success
control companies. of the program, he pointed out.
2 Novel Bed Bug Strategy Sponsored by
NOVEL BED BUG
Pillars of Success STRATEGY
Year One
The first year of the ATAHC Program
involved five collaborative steps:
1 Getting Buy-in
Being a facility-wide effort, all
parties had to be on board. To build trust surrounded by rows of townhouses. To calized treatments (for more limited bed
and collaboration, multiple training make bed bug work more manageable bug introductions).
sessions were held for property manage- and easier to track, the 470 units were
ment staff and residents. Led by an expert
from Cornell University’s Northeastern
divided into four color-coded quadrants.
All work was completed in the first quad-
4 Remediating Units
with Bed Bugs
Integrated Pest Management Center, the rant before moving to the second, and so Initially, every unit that had bed bugs
sessions demystified the stigma of bed on. (confirmed through PMP inspection)
bugs; alleviated eviction concerns; out- A detailed database helped Corbett underwent heat remediation with residu-
lined individuals’ roles in the program; Exterminating track progress. The com- al chemical products applied per label as
and taught basic bed bug detection and pany had to adjust some of its reporting needed. (Heat is Corbett Exterminating’s
what to expect from ATAHC. Training practices to ensure documentation was preferred method of bed bud control;
materials were translated into multiple consistent from unit-to-unit while ad- chemical-only treatment may be consid-
languages, and volunteer residents served hering to the program’s strict timeframes ered in lieu of heat in future projects.)
as in-person translators during meetings, for follow-up activities. “Everything was Steaming and vacuuming (extraction)
where refreshments were provided. pretty regulated (from a timing stand- of bed bugs was performed as needed.
Meetings with Resident Council point), but it wasn’t a problem; you just The use of clothes dryers and portable
members were held throughout the year had to schedule it properly,” explained heat enclosures were used to eliminate
and newsletters highlighting program Cerbini. bed bugs from personal items and large
updates and communicating reminders Being methodical is key to ATAHC’s furniture pieces.
were distributed to build resident sup- success. “The organizational level and
port and enthusiasm. Management was
trained on how to engage early with new
attention to detail is a great deal higher
than with reaction-based bed bug con-
5 Installing Preventive
Measures in All Units
residents who may introduce bed bugs trol,” said Dr. Jim Ballard, the bed bug All units, regardless of remediation ef-
during move-in. consultant who audited ATAHC Pro- forts required, were then outfitted with
A basic tenet of the ATAHC Program gram data. This dedication to detail al- prevention measures, with the exception
is building a culture of trust through re- lows for more efficient use of labor and of 13 units where property management
spectful interaction with residents. Resi- streamlined deployment, resulting in continued to work with residents to gain
dential engagement, coupled with regu- significant cost-savings for the program. access.
lar communication between the housing Desiccant silica gel dust was applied
staff, management and pest control ser-
vice personnel fosters early reporting and
3 Conducting Community-
Wide Inspections
to wall voids. ActiveGuard liners were
installed on all box springs and inverted
rapid intervention, ultimately allowing Each unit underwent canine inspection on mattresses if box springs were absent.
for localized treatments of re-introductions for bed bugs by Key K9, an indepen- (In some cases, to salvage the mattress,
rather than more disruptive and expen- dent bed bug detection company based liners were used in conjunction with en-
sive unit-wide remediation. The old ad- in Unionville, PA. Corbett Exterminat- casements.) These products were chosen
age, “treat the snowball rather than the ing technicians then visually inspected for their years-long residual activity and
avalanche” is particularly relevant in this the apartments where dogs alerted, to ability to kill any introduced bed bugs.
case. both confirm bed bug presence and In addition, passive monitors were in-
grade infestations by their level of sever- stalled under the legs of beds, sofas or re-
2 Dividing up the Work
Like many affordable and multi-
ity. Grading was performed throughout
the course of the program to determine
cliners. “Wherever people sleep, they got
the interceptors,” Ballard said. In com-
unit housing complexes, this facility was whether to remediate unit-wide (for mon areas, a limited number of active
large, comprised of an apartment tower more severe infestations) or perform lo- monitors with lures were installed.
Sponsored by Novel Bed Bug Strategy 3
NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
ATAHC continues to provide robust
bed bug prevention in year two of the
program. For those few units requiring
remediation, less costly and diminished
disruptive localized treatments based on
Year Two Underway:
low-grade introductions were indicated
and proved successful.
As per the program’s dynamic design
Monitoring and Intervention
and further sustainability, year one data
supports that a revision in the frequency
of inspections to a quarterly basis may
R
esidents and property man- many challenges, and routine month- be warranted. However, units that are
agement staff, the latter who ly surveillance visits prescribed by the remediated will be designated as “high
enter units quarterly for rou- ATAHC Program were placed on hiatus vigilance” and remain on a monthly in-
tine housekeeping review, were from March to August of 2020 and then spection schedule for at least three (3)
trained to inspect passive monitors and again, between November 2020 through months post treatment before being rel-
report bed bug activity. Residents were February 2021. Despite these pauses, egated to quarterly inspection.
incentivized with “thank you” gifts to re- surveillance has resumed as of March Corbett reiterated a basic ATAHC
port bed bug issues early. 2021, and results to date indicate for the tenet that regular inspection is key to
During monthly pest control service entire complex, whose tenants were ini- catching an introduced bed bug early.
visits for other structural pests, Corbett tially enrolled in the ATAHC Program “The sooner it’s found, the easier it is
Exterminating employees now also in- 16+ months ago: to eliminate; the less chance that it’s go-
spect bed bug monitors, ensure mattress ing to be transferred from unit to unit
liners remain installed and address resi- 99.1% success rate of prevent- or that the bed bug is going to migrate
dent concerns about the pests. ing infestations (4 units required out of this apartment into an adjacent
Any report of bed bugs triggers a full remediation) apartment,” said Cerbini. Catching in-
visual inspection of the unit by a Corbett
NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
The Goal:
ENHANCED
‘quality of life’
“T
he ATAHC Program will make a huge differ-
ence for managers, staff and residents of afford-
able housing,” assured Joseph Latino, president
of Allergy Technologies. Founded on the prin-
ciples of integrated pest management, the protocol reduces
the bed bug burden in housing communities so residents can
enjoy an improved ‘quality of life’ free of these pests.
“I had bed bugs, myself, and the mental health and anx-
iety that goes along with it is a problem that people don’t
realize,” said Philadelphia Councilmember Mark Squilla.
COLLABORATION is Key
Relieving this stress is a win for residents, as well as for the Many hurdles have historically stood in the way of
property management companies and owners who constant- long-term bed bug control in affordable housing.
ly must respond to bed bug problems, he said. Pest management professionals cite the lack of
“The adoption of the ATAHC bed bug program since resident cooperation. Property managers and housing
January 2020, including the installation of ActiveGuard, has authorities point to the exorbitant costs of continuous
been a great addition to our community,” said the Resident treatments as a result of the traditional reactive strategy.
Council president at the program demonstration site. “Our They don’t want to talk about bed bugs in their facilities
residents and I agree that it has been wonderful. We have not fearing negative publicity. Residents fear reprisals for
had any outbreaks of bed bugs.” reporting the pests and the elderly may not realize
“The ATAHC bed bug program has changed the land- they have a problem, allowing infestations to grow and
scape of bed bugs in our 450+ unit community living hous- spread to neighboring units.
ing complex,” added the community manager for the prop- The ATAHC Program flipped this script by changing
erty management group, a national leader in commercial real community culture about bed bugs. It did this by
estate specializing in affordable housing. “Most importantly, building collaborative relationships between residents,
it has improved the ‘quality of life’ of our residents. Both res- property management and pest control professionals.
idents and staff have really embraced the program and have Education sensitive to cultural and language diversity
often commented they are eager to assist in improving their destigmatized the topic of bed bugs and was geared
living and work environment. toward re-establishing dignity and self-esteem. Doing
“Personally, as the community manager, it has been a so took time and effort. “It’s a lot of work early on, but in
relief not to receive frequent bed bug complaints, that are the end at least in our pilot the results were astronomical,
both time-consuming and quite expensive to treat,” he add- even better than projected,” said Mark Squilla, the City
ed. “My staff can now focus on non-bed bug issues as the of Philadelphia councilmember who helped facilitate the
preventive success of this program has reduced the bed bug ATAHC pilot program.
presence on site to extraordinarily low levels.”
Sponsored by Novel Bed Bug Strategy 5
NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
Why ATAHC?
I
n 2019, Philadelphia was named the #1 bed bug infested city in the U.S. by
a national pest control provider. That didn’t sit well with the folks at Allergy
Technologies.
“The fact that our hometown is ranked as one of the topmost bed bug-infested
Industry Rallies
cities in the country is not acceptable, so we decided to do something about it,” to Change Bed Bug
said Gus Carey, managing director and founder of Allergy Technologies. “While
this demonstration alone will not immediately solve the overall bed bug problem in Control Outcomes
Philadelphia, it will ultimately showcase an effective and cost-sustainable strategy for A number of organizations donated time and
bed bug control and prevention that will improve the quality of life of Philadelphia materials to the ATAHC pilot program.
residents.” In addition to Allergy Technologies’ do-
Carey expects the success of the ATAHC Program will lead to it being replicated nation of more than $100,000, the company
throughout the City of Brotherly Love and across the country. As a tangible illus- contacted its manufacturing and industry col-
tration of the company’s commitment to this effort, Allergy Technologies donated leagues to rally their efforts in co-sponsoring
more than $100,000 of ActiveGuard liners to the Philadelphia Housing Authority this major initiative.
building complex as part of a community outreach effort that is core to its mission Collaborating sponsors were Rockwell
as a PhilanProfit organization. Labs Ltd, Bayer Environmental Science, Target
Allergy Technologies is a subsidiary of A. Carey Co. LLC, which focuses on using Specialty Products and MGK; they donated
philanthropy as a core business strategy for its businesses. Through its PhilanProfit products and expertise valued at more than
strategy a portion of all ActiveGuard proceeds go to help fund inner city homeless $50,000.
and women’s shelters and asthma clinics.
“While core principles of the ATAHC
Program include early detection and
intervention, A KEY COMPONENT OF THE
PROGRAM’S SUCCESS COMES FROM
WORKING CLOSELY WITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT,
STAFF AND RESIDENTS — all of whom have been
incredibly supportive. The ‘magic’ occurs when all of these
stakeholders come together and work toward a solution.”
– Joseph Latino, President, Allergy Technologies
6 Novel Bed Bug Strategy Sponsored by
NOVEL BED BUG
STRATEGY
ATAHC = New Business Opportunity
I
n the past, Hoffman Exterminating Data results and referrals from the new multi-unit housing clients using the
in Mantua, N.J., stayed away from demonstration will open doors to new ATAHC protocol.
bed bug work in affordable and clients. “This project from Philadelphia ATAHC’s preventive strategy intro-
multi-unit housing complexes. has given us a story to tell,” said Schwen- duces a paradigm shift to the industry. A
“If you don’t get the results, then ker, who also sees the potential to bring clear benefit of the program is it allows
the pest control company is on the a modified version of the preventive pro- for the PMP to better deploy their tech-
hook,” explained Vice President Robert gram to hotels, casinos and other com- nical staff, facilitating scheduling and
Schwenker, who cited the high risk of mercial properties in his market. saving in labor expense.
bed bug reintroductions and retreats in But because fewer remedial bed bug
this sector. Nor does the company want treatments are needed, pest control com- “The ATAHC program is a
to get paid to put a bandage on the prob- panies may earn less revenue using the
REAL-WORLD FORMULA
lem; it wants to solve bed bug problems ATAHC protocol at an account. “We
FOR SUCCESS. It’s
to improve residents’ quality of life, he absolutely have lost income from insti-
said. tuting this program,” admitted Charles absolutely sustainable.”
The ATAHC Program provides this Cerbini of Corbett Exterminating’s work – Chuck Cerbini, Corbett Exterminating
opportunity. “If you can get the results at the Philadelphia housing complex.
from the very beginning and you’re not He said it’s more important, however,
returning, it’s a win for the complex and to eliminate residents’ bed bug misery.
it’s a win for the pest control operator,” “That in itself is its own reward because
said Schwenker, who is “ready to push that’s what we’re here for; we’re here to
the go button” on a project using the get rid of problems.” Cerbini expects to
ATAHC protocol. make up for the lost revenue by gaining
“WE’RE VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH HOW THIS PILOT TURNED OUT
and would like to see it duplicated in other facilities, whether it’s public
housing or private housing complexes.”
– Mark Squilla, Philadelphia City CouncilmEMBER
Sponsored by Novel Bed Bug Strategy 7
ATAHC ®
Finally, the Program that Perfects
Bed Bug Prevention
Year One Results
t
Hea
• 97% of units
al
hemic did not have a
C
reintroduction or
AD
®
d
nt Guar
icca ive re-emergence of
Des Act
bed bugs
®
TAHC • 81% reduction
Stea
m A ine
Can ction
in the number of
pe required thermal
e Ins
Passiv treatments
/
ive ors
Act onit • $40K savings
M
to property
c uumon
a
V acti management
r
Ext
• 40% reduction
in technician
on-site time
CALL TODAY to learn why the ATAHC program is a win-win-win
for the PMP, Residents, and Property Management in affordable
housing and all multi-occupant dwelling environments.
Bed Bug Prevention is Good Business
Visit AllergyTechnologies.com or call 866.978.6288You can also read
