Q. The main thing is we were in her unit for something else and happened to notice she had roaches I freaked and called the pest control. i sent her a notice that he was coming to do all 6 units in her building at once and left complete instructions on what she needed to do including clean up the debris but, she didn't do it. Since then he has come again to find the place a disgusting fire hazard with dead bug lying every where. He had to climb over a bike and piles of debris to get in the kitchen the rest of the place was pretty much like that as well. That has got to be a safety issue and fire hazard not to mention the company wont guarantee the service because her unit is so disgusting so we have had to pay 2 times already and working on a 3rd in a week. What can I do? I wouldn't live with bugs so I sure wouldn't expect my tenants too.

A. Your Real property is a business, no different then your local supermarket; your product is Habitable housing. You are also bond by state tenant laws, city codes/laws which applies to both the LL & tenant. First, the easiest think that you could have done is give a 3 day notice to quit; they are not just for late rent. The 3 day notice is to correct/comply with an issue that falls under tenant responsibilities. Next, is to give a 30 day notice to vacate; because she would at that point willfully not complied and now you have incurred costs. You can still do this. Next, the pest company was under no obligation to go into the unit and was actually in your best interest if they didn't; he should have documented on his assessment of the unit that he did not want to enter the unit for the reasons you mentioned. This is your paper trail for compliance, and something you would need to make her paid for additional cost incurred by your business. Now, funny that you mentioned safety & fire hazard issues; this could turn on you for the same reasons you are concerned about the dirty tenant; either by that tenant or other tenants can now claim Habitability issues because of pest; if your all tenant's have children and take that a child to a doctor, and that doctor declares that the pest have infected that child guess who is liable - not the dirty tenant.... So, long advice longer - document, document, document...take picture of the unit, let the tenant know you will be deducting the cost from her security deposit; you may have to consult an attorney on how your state handles depleted security deposits - different rules per state. He may suggest that you give the tenant the entire bill in lew of the security deposit.

Q. What is the best company to control bugs in my house. Dallas area. I had some dude who owned his own company. He would come 2 times a year, spray, and I still had bugs . Mostly I have earwigs. or I think that's what they are. Black, long bugs with horns on their tail. any ideas how to kill them?? Thanks.

A. Mary try DE diatamaceous earth Household: Use Diatomaceous Earth for control of roaches, silverfish, ants, bedbugs, flies, fleas, box elder bugs, scorpions, crickets, and many other insects. Diatomaceous Earth can be used in and around the home, yard, animal housing, grain storage in silos and bunkers, etc. I live in cowtown next door to dallas and this is what we use Pets: Our best friends come in all shapes and sizes. Protect them with Diatomaceous Earth. When lightly rubbed into their coats it is very effective against fleas, ticks, lice, and other pests on pet dogs, cats, and their premises. It can also be used as an organic wormer and will kill any worms or parasites the pets may have. When using as a de-wormer, mix the Diatomaceous Earth into their food. Ask your vet how much for your size pet

Q. I have a rental property. My management company charge me to do pest control, and I am not sure if this is necessary. I thought a tenant should pay, isn't it? If this is for termite control, then I don't mind paying them. Anyone know about a pest control for rental property, please give me an answer it this is necessary.

A. I find the landlord will usually pay for pests considered to do structural damage to the home (termite-carpenter ants) or may cause a health issue. (German roaches, rats, mites) Pest that are considered nuisances or are caused by tenant, the tenant usually pays. (crickets, wasp nest, fleas caused by tenants pets) No real rule of thumb, depends on what the contract agreement is in the lease agreed upon by landlord and tenant for the most part. DM---today's best liquids (since 2000) do kill the colony within three months, unlike the Sentricon sysrtem that asks for 18 months for control. Would not suggest trying to protect a home with Sentricon even if it was applied free of charge

Q. I have tried everything to get rid of roaches in my apartment. The boric acid worked for a little bit, but now that it is getting hot I see more bugs. Will the plug in pest control systems work???? I stay very clean. I clean with bleach every day but the roaches still come back.

A. Boric acid and cleanliness is the best control for roaches. Renew the boric acid from time to time making sure to get it in the corners, along the baseboards, at door and window openings & inside base cabinets. The plug-ins aren't really worth wasting money on.

Q. We are moving to apartment that is kept very untidy and there are roaches all around. Planning to get the pest control and professional cleaning done. Not sure which one has to be done first. Will cleaning after pest control take away the effect of pest control? Thanks.

A. Yeah, do the cleaning after the pest control, since you wouldn't want cockroaches crawling around you and the cleaners, etc. If you will be paying for the exterminator, I've got to tell you to get more than one estimate, and the estimates should be for free, obviously! For your convenience, take advantage of the text-link ad towards the middle of the following handyman web page I came across that offers up to four (4) Free extermination estimates (it's the text-ad link towards kind of the middle that says, "Find Local Pest Control Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now...Free"): http://yourhandymanzone.com/Your_Handyman_Zone_How_To_Pages_Home_Improvement_Zone_Bug_Insect_Pest_Control.htm Do yourself a favor and utilize the above ad link to get several estimates in order to get a good price. Good luck!

Q. I live in Tallahassee, Florida. The rent is $520 a month and "includes pest control". We have not received this service and we have requested it for two months now. I want the landlord to repay me for the service I have not received but do not know how much it costs for a one bedroom apartment...

A. Ask 10 different companies you may get 10 different prices...for just a general pest program larger companies around me (N Tx) will have an initial and get as much as they can from you and lock you into a contract $150-$175 initial then $75 or so a quarter..maybe $35 if you go monthly I'll get around $65 a quarter with no initial and there are plenty of other smaller companies around here that go for $25-$30 a month. If there is a specific issue such as German roaches the initial prices will jump up,sometimes quite a bit

Q. We've only been here a month...at first we didn't know what it was so that accounts for at least 2 weeks worth of bites because we've NEVER had them before moving here. I realized very quickly we needed to cover up at night and use plastic or hypo allergenic mattress cover but that just left the face exposed and caused more bites in the face area. I talked to the neighbors here at the complex and they confirmed that it was bed bugs; they all have similar bites. I HAVE ALREADY DONE A WEB SEARCH found out there's not much to do to kill these things and even a professional pest control agency won't help unless they are specialists. YES THIS PLACE WAS FOGGED AND BATED BEFORE WE MOVED IN. We noticed there are lots of roaches crawling out of nooks and crannies to die but the bed bugs are thriving. This is what we found so far to repel them: 1. Cold air 2. Reduce clutter in home and near bed. 3. Special pesticides if placed in their home space (if you can find it) 4. Regular or special pesticide fogs work up to 3 or 4 months but then they come back.

A. There's an east solution to bed bugs and I am surprised you haven't found it out yet. Strip the bed of all linen and wash all the bedding, including the blankets and cover with hot water, then vacuum the mattress real good, both sides especially the seams. Look at the seams, if it's bed bugs they'll be clustered along the seams on the inside, you have to turn the seam out to see them, they'll be reddish brown. Then wash the bed entirely, the floor or vacuum the carpet under the bed, the drapes and any clothes around, pick them up.

Q. We are dealing with a national pest control company that is notorious for shoddy contractors. I am very concerned about the exposed insulation where walls were left for 5 months, plus the fact the plastic curtain was removed and then they sanded drywall which filtered throughout my home. They have NEVER cleaned. They have agreed to pay for air/duct cleaning now, but I am very concerned about the insulation and exposure in the kitchen. HELP

A. Assuming * the yellow insulation is fiberglass * it was primarily undisturbed - minimal airborne fibers. Then, in R/L, the risk of health problems are prolly less than driving in traffic: However, should a lawyer describe this relatively benign situation in a civil suit, yall might as well be dead and buried... *L*