BED BUG COMPLAINTSWhere are we now?

Krista McAfeeProperty Maintenance Inspector

City of ColumbusDepartment of DevelopmentCode Enforcement Division

Where do complaints come from?

• This presentation only includes numbers from the City of Columbus.

• Suburbs (like Whitehall, Bexley, Dublin) typically do not fall under Columbus’ jursidiction.

Where do complaints come from?

• A vast majority of complaints are requests made through the City’s 311 call center.

• The remainder of the complaints are called in to the Code Enforcement Operator.

• Complaints range from– “I have bed bugs in my apartment” to– “My neighbor has a couch on their porch that is

infested with bed bugs.”

Factors:• Large immigrant population

• Somali and Nepali• Language Barrier making

education difficult• Cultural Barrier making

education difficult

• Large apartment complexes• Management may experience

difficulty staying ahead of infestation

• Management may be lax in treating practices

• Some apartment complexes are in court for inadequate treatment of infestations.

• Transient population

43224

43204

Factors:• Socio-economic issues

• Tendencies to acquire second-hand appliances and furniture

• No extra income to pay for self-treatment

• Ineffective self-treatment practices and products

• Transient population

Overall Trend

Why the decrease?

• Callers and complainants seem more self-educated. – Callers often tell us they have received information

from COBBTF website or other website.– Callers and complainants often tell us they have

general knowledge of self-treating basics.• Callers and complainants are often wary of

Code Enforcement’s involvement and are willing to attempt self-treatment first.

Decrease, continued

• Callers and complainants are realizing that Code Enforcement:– may, under certain circumstances, hold tenants

responsible.– does NOT offer or provide extermination services or

any type of financial assistance.• Code Officers have seen leases that include

riders requiring tenants to agree:– the unit was bed bug free and/or – The tenant is responsible for the cost (whole,

partial, flat fee, etc) of the extermination.

Decrease, continued

• In general, inspectors and clients alike are becoming more comfortable with handling bed bug issues.

Hamilton County

1) Chicago

2) Detroit

3) Columbus, Ohio

4) Los Angeles

5) Cleveland – Akron – Canton, Ohio

6) Dallas – Ft. Worth

7) Cincinnati

8) Denver

9) Richmond – Petersburg, VA.

10) Dayton, Ohio

11) Indianapolis

1. Philadelphia, Penn.

2. Cincinnati, Ohio

3. New York City, N.Y.

4. Detroit, Mich.

5. Chicago, Ill.

6. Boston, Mass.

7. Dallas, Texas

8. Columbus, Ohio

2014The 2014 list of Most-Infested Bedbug

Cities include:Chicago Tops Bed Bug Cities List for Third Year

in a Row

http://www.orkin.com/press-room/https://www.terminix.com/about/media-center/press-releases/

2014

The Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in the U.S.

Why the discrepancy?

• Requests and complaints made to exterminators are different than those that are reported to jurisdiction.

• Exterminators are receiving requests for service from people who normally would not call Code Enforcement (ie, high-income or owner-occupants)

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the Summit!

Krista McAfeeProperty Maintenance Inspector

City of Columbus Department of DevelopmentCode Enforcement Division