by AF0822 b3 — August 27, 2010—Survey results released by pest control company Orkin, LLC, and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International indicate that the commercial property management industry is largely unaware that bed bugs are a growing concern in office buildings.
The survey recently distributed to BOMA members — property managers, building owners and other commercial real estate professionals — asked about pest management issues, including bed bugs, and sustainability practices.
More than 90 percent of respondents have not experienced or are even aware of a commercial real estate bed bug problem. In fact, 75 percent said that bed bugs pose “little to no threat” or a “minor threat” to the commercial real estate industry. However, even one in ten reporting a bed bug presence is a concerning emergent trend in an environment with no beds.
Other data indicate that commercial offices are increasingly susceptible to bed bugs. From 2008 to 2009, Orkin’s bed bug service in office properties more than doubled.
“It’s a common misconception that bed bugs only affect places where people sleep — hotels, apartments, homes — but bed bugs are migrating into offices and other commercial spaces,” said Orkin Director of Technical Services Dr. Ron Harrison. “Tenants can easily and unknowingly transport bed bugs from their home or travels to their workplace, where the bugs can infest practically any soft surface like chairs, rugs, sofas and even cubicle dividers.”
In the survey, one BOMA member commented on the difficulty of controlling an infestation.
“The biggest problem is treating and containing the spread. We were able to treat the tenant space, remove the chairs that were hosting the bugs; however, we cannot stop the main source since it [was] mostly coming [from] someones home.” Respondents indicated the need for an educational resource to help them communicate about the issue with tenants. In response, Orkin has developed a tip sheet to provide property managers the key facts about bed bugs and how to educate their tenants. It is available online.
