One night you're in your apartment and something skitters across the floor. You go to investigate. You discover your apartment is filled with an army of cockroaches. Petrified and disgusted, you immediately want to call your landlord. However, how do you approach this situation?
Tenants may be nervous to report a pest problem to their landlords. Some landlords are reliable and responsible, and others simply aren't. Consider these tips if you're unsure of how to discuss a pest problem with your landlord.
In any pest infestation, tenants need to gather a good amount of information, Nolo stated. Be sure to cite any time you witnessed a pest in your home, noting the date and time. Try to describe the amount of pests you saw and what kind they were. Having record of this will be useful if you decide to take legal action against your landlord. Sometimes, landlords ignore claims from tenants. If you choose to take him or her to court, having a strong case with pictures and descriptions of the pests will help. That way, it's more than your word against his.
The Safer Pest Control Project - Chicago stated that if you notice pests in your home, it's a good idea to check in with your neighbors and see if they have a similar situation. More often than not, neighbors are sharing pests with you. Certain pests such as bed bugs, rats and cockroaches all travel between apartments. Having their testimony beside yours only makes the case stronger.
Many tenants may call their landlord and simply leave a message if he or she doesn't pick up. However, this isn't a great idea. Tenants should also document their complaint through the mail. Write a letter and send it to him or her, even if you've spoken with the landlord already. That way, if he or she does a poor job or never actually follow through, you have a written letter with a dated mail stamp that will hold up in court. Keep a backup copy of the letter for your records.
In the letter to your landlord, you should state that you're not responsible for eliminating the bugs. However, note that you're willing to cooperate and help control the pest infestation. Many states hold landlords responsible for creating homes that are fit to live in. If, for some reason, your landlord is negligent and your apartment can't be lived in, then you can take him or her to court. However, the place has to be truly infested in order for this to be the case.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
