A few summers ago, a property manager called our office just after dawn. Tenants in a 24-unit garden-style complex were waking to bites, strange skittering sounds behind the walls, and buckling baseboards. The exterior showed evidence of deferred maintenance: clogged gutters, wood mulch mounded against siding, and dryer vents with torn screens. Inside, the units varied from immaculate to overcrowded, with three apartments undergoing renovations that left construction debris piled in corners. What began as scattered complaints had coalesced into something more serious. We were the third pest control company to visit in six months and the first to get the green light for a full-court press.
Severe infestations are rarely about a single species. They are about ecology, pressure, and time. This site had all three. Over four weeks, our exterminator service eliminated active bed bug populations in nine units, knocked down German cockroaches in eight kitchens, and stabilized subterranean termite activity around two buildings. The property manager wanted results that stuck. That changed our focus from a one-off spray to a structured program with inspection, proofing, treatment, and habit change, all tracked with data rather than optimistic guesses.
What we found on day one
We booked a 4-person team with a K9 bed bug inspection, thermal imaging cameras, monitoring traps, and a building schematic. Within two hours, patterns emerged. Bed bugs were concentrated on the east wing, mostly second-floor units stacked above one resident who sourced furniture from curbside. German cockroaches clustered around two laundry-building-adjacent apartments, which is common when warm utility spaces bleed into kitchens. The termite indicators were subtler: pencil-thin mud tubes at the corner of building B, rotted sill plates, and high moisture readings at threshold transitions.
When people hear “severe infestation,” they picture a scene out of a horror film. In reality, the worst sites feel ordinary at first glance. The clues live in corners and in repetition. Five minor bed bug fecal spots on a headboard do not mean much in isolation. Five units with the same pattern across identical headboards tells a different story. That is why a competent pest control contractor carries a floor plan, labels every find, and verifies with at least two methods. For bed bugs, that means K9 scent plus visual confirmation. For termites, that means visual, moisture meter, and if needed, a probe to expose galleries.
Setting the scope and sequence
Spray-and-pray destroys trust. We built a scope in three tracks:
- Bed bugs: K9-assisted mapping, prep coaching, non-chemical heat in four units, focused chemical residuals in five, encasements on all beds, climb-up interceptors on bed and sofa legs, and a two-visit follow-up cadence at day 10 and day 21. Cockroaches: German cockroach IPM with crack-and-crevice insecticide, high-appeal baits rotated by matrix, insect growth regulators, and deep sanitation in food-contact areas, plus vacuuming to remove live adults and oothecae on day one. Termites: Perimeter trench-and-treat with a non-repellent termiticide, foam into wall voids with active shelter tubes, replacement of compromised sill sections by a licensed contractor, downspout extensions, and soil-to-wood gap restoration.
Those tracks overlapped by design. Any pest control service that treats pests in isolation without addressing transit pathways, harborage, and moisture will chase its tail. On this site, laundry areas supplied heat and humidity that benefited both roaches and termites, while shared walls and resident-to-resident movement kept bed bugs in circulation.
The bed bug front: decisive pressure, not collateral damage
The K9 sweep hit on nine units, with strongest alerts in four. We confirmed with live captures and fecal staining on mattress piping, bed frames, and the backs of electrical plates. Two residents had tried over-the-counter sprays and diatomaceous earth; one had a fogger can in the trash. Foggers don’t kill bed bugs in crevices and can push them deeper into walls. We collected the empty can for our notes, not to shame anyone, but to set expectations about why prior efforts failed.
Heat was the right call for four units. We blocked door sweeps, wrapped sensitive electronics with reflective insulation, placed wireless temperature probes, and brought rooms to 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit with high-flow heaters and fans. That window kills all life stages when sustained for long enough. The art is in airflow and load. Overstuffed closets and mattress stacks can create cold pockets. We used thermal imaging to find those and shifted belongings mid-cycle with heat-resistant gloves. Heat does not lay down residual protection, so we paired it with encasements and dust in wall voids, outlet boxes, and behind baseboards.
For the other five units, we took a surgical approach. A high-quality residual insecticide, when applied as a thin barrier to seams, tufts, and cracks, buys time between visits. We dusted outlets and switch plates with a desiccant product that does not degrade quickly and has no known resistance issues. Residents received mattress and box spring encasements. These are not a magic shield, but they trap any survivors inside and make new activity easier to detect. Climb-up interceptors under bed legs gave us data. A week later, interceptor counts had dropped by 80 percent in four units and to zero in two. One unit bounced back with six nymphs captured at day 10. We found a gap under a hallway baseboard that reopened after a plumber’s visit. We sealed it with a low-VOC sealant and re-treated.
If you have never cleared a bed bug infestation in a multiunit building, the biggest surprise is logistics. Perfect prep is rare. One resident had a knee replacement and could not lift more than 10 pounds. Another worked night shifts and needed a treatment window in the late afternoon. A professional pest control company earns its fee by solving for the human variables. We brought a prep crew to bag textiles, staged clean laundry in heat-treated bins, and coordinated with management to adjust schedules. Without this, the nicest treatment plan sits on paper while the bugs rebound.
Cockroaches: population suppression with patience
German cockroaches move fast and reproduce faster. Seeing five in daylight means dozens behind the refrigerator. In unit 12, one look under the sink told the story: wet wood, a leak around the P-trap, and a warm void reaching into the wall cavity. We started with HEPA vacuuming to remove live insects and egg cases. Vacuuming is underused, but it provides an immediate knockdown and helps baits outcompete leftovers.
Bait placement is an art learned over hundreds of kitchens. Too much bait becomes food that stales before it’s consumed. Too little sits ignored. We used small, fresh dots tucked into hinge recesses, drawer tracks, and voids behind splash guards. We rotated bait matrices to prevent bait aversion, a phenomenon where roaches learn to avoid a flavor profile after repeated exposure. A growth regulator ensured that any nymphs maturing would be sterile, buying us time between visits.
Crack-and-crevice liquid treatments went behind stoves, under baseboards, and into wall voids, not across countertops. Adjacent units received preventive bait placements, and we left low-profile monitors to track activity. In two kitchens, sanitation was the limiting factor. Piles of unwashed dishes, grease film under appliances, and food stored without lids create a buffet. The property manager authorized a one-time deep clean, and we coached residents on maintaining perimeter cleanliness. Ten days later, monitors had single-digit captures. At three weeks, activity had declined by roughly 90 percent. One unit still showed nymph captures near a pet feeding station. We raised the feeding bowls, used a silicone bead to seal a cabinet gap, and refreshed baits.
The temptation with cockroaches is to flood the environment with repellent aerosols. That can scatter populations and drive them into wall voids, which then travel through conduits to cleaner units. Non-repellent chemistry, targeted application, and habitat change are smarter choices. It takes longer, but the reductions last.
Termites: treating the soil, not just the symptom
The termite problem was both old and new. Old, because the baseboard staining and soft flooring suggested long-term moisture intrusion. New, because the mud tubes were fresh and fragile, a sign of current foraging. We opened a small access at the damaged corner of building B and found active workers. The termites were subterranean, common in our region, with sandy soils and shallow water tables. We planned a trench-and-treat using a non-repellent termiticide around both buildings, with special attention to the damaged corner and expansion joints.
We trenched to the footer where accessible, injected along slab seams, and foamed wall voids through small drilled holes into the areas with shelter tubes. Non-repellent chemistry lets workers pass through treated zones and carry the active ingredient back to the colony, creating a transfer effect. It is not a quick spray-and-walk. We documented injection volumes by linear foot and calibrated our equipment against a graduated cylinder that morning.
Termites follow moisture. The downspouts on the east side terminated within a foot of the foundation. Mulch was piled high against vinyl, hiding the weep screed. We requested downspout extensions to carry water 6 to 10 feet away, a 4 to 6 inch clearance between soil and siding, and the removal of cellulose debris near crawl vents. Our termite control services always include this kind of punch list, because ignoring moisture is like throwing seed on a feeder. Four weeks later, we broke open two of the treated tubes and found them abandoned. Moisture readings dropped after downspout extensions went in. At the 6-month check, no new tubes had formed.
Building buy-in: communication that prevents backsliding
The strongest products on the truck will not outmuscle poor communication. We met with tenants twice. The first meeting explained what we would do, why preparation mattered, and how to read the door tags we left after each visit. The second meeting, held after initial treatments, shared early results and reinforced habits: bag laundry before transport, don’t move furniture between units, and call maintenance for leaks immediately. We handed out a one-page checklist that covered the essentials in simple phrases and avoided industry jargon.
Property managers sometimes fear that education sessions will fuel panic. In practice, clear instructions reduce rumor-driven behaviors like swapping couches or setting off foggers. Our exterminator company has learned that respectful, calm, precise communication is itself a control measure.
Why this case was tough
Technical work is the easy part. The hard part lives in the edges. Here were the friction points:
- Mixed ownership responsibilities: Who fixes leaks, who handles prep, who pays for encasements. We settled it upfront to avoid delays. Variable resident capacity: Seniors and people with mobility limitations needed hands-on prep help. We built those hours into the plan. Construction activity: Contractors opening walls for renovations created new voids and dust. We coordinated schedules to seal gaps the same day walls were closed. Supply chain timing: Encasements and interceptor cups were low in stock. We brought substitutions and verified fit before installation.
A pest control contractor earns trust by anticipating snags and removing them from the resident’s path.
The numbers that mattered
We do not brag about chemical volumes or brand names. We track outcomes that tie to human comfort and structural health.
- Bed bug interceptors captured 129 bugs across nine units in week one. By week three, that number fell to 7, with two units recording zero for two consecutive visits. German cockroach monitors averaged 34 captures per kitchen at baseline in the worst four units. By day 21, those dropped to 2 to 5 captures, steady over the subsequent two weeks. Termite monitor points remained clean at 6 months, and moisture readings at the previously wet corner dropped from 18 to 11 percent, a safe range for the installed materials.
These are not perfect numbers; they are honest ones, pulled from logs and monitor photos. The property manager stopped getting nightly texts from tenants about bites. Maintenance finally had time to address paint and gutters, tasks that had been deferred for months while everyone chased pests.
Technique details that made the difference
Two decisions saved us hours and future callbacks. First, we decoupled bed frames from walls and repositioned them 6 to 8 inches away with interceptors. This won us visibility and control. Second, we standardized caulking of wall-floor gaps near utilities. A bead of silicone or painter’s caulk does not kill pests, but it denies the pathways that help them meet, feed, and reproduce.
On product rotation, we moved cockroach baits through three matrices over 21 days. It is tempting to stick with a favorite bait that works at first. Behavioral resistance is real. Switching flavors, as crude as that phrase sounds, keeps intake high. For bed bugs, we favored dust in voids where residents could not disturb it with cleaning. Residual sprays went to areas where contact was likely but interference was low.
Dealing with furniture from unknown sources required diplomacy. We never shame residents for resourcefulness. We do explain that curbside furniture can carry infestations that cost thousands to remove building-wide. The property management agreed to provide vouchers for a local thrift store that heat-treats donations, paired with a policy against bringing items from the curb into the building. People follow rules when the alternatives are affordable and the reasons are clear.
What property managers can do before calling a pro
Strong pest control starts before the first truck arrives. If you manage multiunit housing, three moves will save you money and headaches.
- Set a moisture and sanitation baseline. Fix leaks within 48 hours, keep gutters clear, and write down who handles what. Add this to move-in packets so expectations are clear. Standardize bed frames and encasements for units with repeat bed bug issues. A sturdy metal frame six inches off the floor with interceptors will outperform a fancy headboard every time. Require that renovation contractors seal wall penetrations and clean debris the same day. Open voids are pest highways. Closing them promptly keeps the problem from spreading.
Those steps do not replace a pest control service, but they exterminator company multiply its effectiveness. When we arrive at a property that already tracks moisture, has a working leak-response process, and enforces basic standards, we can focus on targeted, high-yield work.
Choosing the right partner
Not every exterminator company is set up for complex, multi-species cases. Look for a team that does more than quote a square-foot rate. Ask how they verify bed bug elimination without relying only on resident reports. Ask whether they rotate cockroach baits and use growth regulators. Ask to see soil treatment logs for termite work, with linear feet and injection volumes noted. A mature pest control company will be comfortable sharing methods and results, not just brand names.
Credentials matter, but field habits matter more. Do technicians carry flashlights and mirrors and actually use them? Do they bring vacuum units for German cockroaches, or do they start spraying before a single tool comes out? Do they photograph mud tubes and mark treatment points, or do they walk the perimeter once and declare victory? When a pest control contractor treats documentation and monitoring as core tasks, you get better outcomes.
Aftercare and staying clean
The four-week push solved the immediate crisis, but we did not walk away. We scheduled quarterly visits for a year, then semiannual. The cadence was lighter, tuned to indicators rather than fear. Bed bug interceptors remain in high-risk units and we spot-check them during visits. Cockroach monitors go in when we notice increased food debris or hear new complaints, then come out once captures return to baseline. Termite checks happen at 6 and 12 months, with attention to any landscaping changes. A mulch top-off against the siding can undo a careful soil treatment if left unchecked.
Residents earned a win too. With education and small supports, they shifted habits: bagging laundry before the communal room, wiping counters before bed, and reporting leaks at the first drip. The property manager revised the lease addendum to prohibit curbside furniture without inspection. None of these are heroic acts. Together, they create a building less friendly to pests.
Lessons that travel
Every site is different, but a few principles show up again and again.
- Diagnose, then treat. K9 confirmation for bed bugs, moisture mapping for termites, and monitor data for roaches beat guesswork. Favor non-repellent chemistry and precise placement over broadcast sprays. Precision reduces resistance and protects non-targets. Close the loop with structure and moisture repairs. Termite control services are not complete without water management. Cockroach control fails when leaks persist. Respect resident realities. Good prep happens when people are supported, not scolded. An exterminator service that budgets for prep assistance will outperform a cheaper bid that leaves residents to fend for themselves. Measure what matters. Interceptor counts, monitor captures, moisture percentages, and repair logs tell you whether the trend is down or rebounding.
In the months after we wrapped the initial program, the complex stayed stable. New move-ins got a welcome packet that covered pest prevention without drama. Maintenance sent pictures of fixed leaks and sealed gaps. We made friends with the renovation crew lead and swapped schedules when walls were open. The property manager stopped using the word infestation and started using the word maintenance.
That is the quiet success you want from a pest control service: fewer surprises, cleaner baselines, and a building where people sleep through the night without bites or skittering in the walls. It is not glamorous work, but it is work that responds to real conditions with proven steps. When a pest control contractor brings field experience, patience, and structure, severe infestations become solvable problems rather than permanent headlines.
Howie the Bugman Pest Control
Address: 3281 SW 3rd St, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Phone: (954) 427-1784