Bed bugs are, perhaps, the most dreaded of insect pests to have within a home. Although bed bugs do not spread disease, their bites cause intolerable itchiness, red welts that are usually clustered on the neck and limbs, and in some cases, mental trauma. There are many other horrible aspects of a bed bug infestation that are unique as far as pest infestations go. For example, those who have an infestation within their home may think the infestation has been eradicated one day, only to suffer more bites a week later. It can be torturous to sleep within a home while not being sure if you will be greeted with more itchy bed bug bites upon waking. Considering the heavy media attention that’s been paid to bed bugs over the last two decades, as well as the many lawsuits that have been filed over the presence of bed bugs within hotels, apartments and public spaces, it should not be surprising to learn that nearly all US states have established a legal framework addressing how bed bug infestations should be handled. This framework covers pest control procedures as well as tenant/landlord disputes over bed bug infestations. In most states, bed bug laws even state the amount of time it takes before a home can be considered free of infestation after a pest control treatment.

The state of Massachusetts, like most states, holds landlords solely responsible for having bed bugs eradicated from a rental property. According to Massachusetts law, after a bed bug treatment is performed within a rental property, a period of 30 days must pass with no further bed bug disturbances or encounters before the insects can be considered fully eliminated from a formerly affected rental property. Most infestation cases see bed bugs fully eradicated after one single pest control treatment. Rare cases may see bed bugs reemerge following a treatment. When this occurs, pest control professionals will resort to a different and more thorough method of bed bug eradication. Only in exceptionally rare circumstances will bed bugs appear in a home 30 days after a bed bug treatment, and these situations likely result from the reintroduction of new bed bugs into a home.

Have you ever experienced multiple bed bug infestations within one single property?