Where are we now?

1. BED BUG COMPLAINTS
Where are we now?
Krista Conrad
Property Maintenance Inspector
City of Columbus
Department of Development

2. Where do complaints come from?
• This presentation
only includes
numbers from
the City of
Columbus,
Department of
Development.
• Suburbs (like
Whitehall, Bexley,
Dublin) typically
do not fall under
Columbus’
jursidiction.

3. 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.”

4. 2
1
0
1
0
3
2
0
5
7
0
1
30
13
27
54
53
39
38
10
30
19
4
35
3
27
1
1
23
38
77
43
39
58
1
7
42
8
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2010
ZIP CODE

5. 1
1
2
1
0
1
2
1
2
4
2
26
9
14
57
35
27
34
11
24
2
11
8
18
4
20
3
0
19
32
54
13
33
24
2
6
25
11
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2011
ZIP CODE

6. 3
1
0
3
0
5
1
0
2
4
0
18
4
17
66
29
33
49
8
31
0
11
6
17
5
19
5
0
21
49
85
17
30
31
4
8
34
7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2012
ZIP CODE

7. 3
0
3
2
1
0
1
0
4
10
0
19
6
24
39
26
20
33
11
37
1
11
11
23
1
14
2
0
24
55
40
13
21
47
2
4
26
5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2013
ZIP CODE

8. 2
0
4
1
0
0
5
0
6
5
0
13
4
18
29
39
53
22
3
29
1
6
1
13
1
11
1
0
15
41
40
5
12
28
0
4
21
6
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2014
Zip Code

9. 0
0
0
2
1
1
3
1
0
3
2
1
7
3
15
52
22
32
37
17
21
3
21
4
5
0
13
3
0
21
35
52
11
10
25
1
4
22
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
ZIP CODE
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2015

10. Factors:
• Socio-economic issues
• Tendencies to acquire second-
hand appliances and furniture
• No extra income to apply to self-
treatment
• Ineffective self-treatment
• Transient population

11. 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

12. 0
2
2
3
2
0
1
2
3
1
1
11
4
10
52
26
39
51
5
24
0
8
9
3
1
17
1
0
12
31
29
14
17
19
2
6
25
1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
43004
43016
43017
43026
43065
43068
43081
43085
43110
43119
43123
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43217
43219
43220
43221
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43230
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2016
ZIP CODE

13. What happened?
• Large apartment complexes
• Management companies are
finding ways to stay ahead of the
infestations
• Management companies are
changing the use of chemicals,
applying more effective
chemicals appropriately
• Some of the court cases on the
larger apartment complexes have
reached fruition in the system,
resulting in
fines/judgements/permanent
injunctions.

15. 1
1
3
1
8
2
11
43
20
25
32
6
17
10
7
3
21
3
13
43
28
17
16
11
1
13
1
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
43026
43110
43119
43125
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43213
43214
43215
43219
43220
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43231
43232
43235
43240
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2017

16. 2
2
2
14
6
11
21
9
5
12
5
11
2
3
5
2
5
2
5
12
20
6
8
12
3
8
2
0 5 10 15 20 25
43017
43054
43110
43201
43202
43203
43204
43205
43206
43207
43209
43211
43212
43213
43214
43215
43219
43220
43222
43223
43224
43227
43228
43229
43231
43232
43235
Complaints per ZIP Code - 2018 (through 6/30)

17. 186
359
434
454
449
539
623
539
744
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
2018 (Projected)
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Complaints by year

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. Addendum example

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

22. ORKIN SAYS:
1. Baltimore (+9)
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago
4. New York
5. Columbus, Ohio
6. Los Angeles
7. Detroit
8. Cincinnati
9. Philadelphia
10. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
(13. Cleveland/Akron/Canton)

23. TERMINIX SAYS:
…COLUMBUS IS
NOT
ON THE LIST!!

24. 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)

25. Thank you and
enjoy the rest of the Summit!
Krista Conrad
COBBTF Secretary
City of Columbus
Department of Development
Code Enforcement Division