Identifying a Pest Problem
The three big pests everyone should know to look out for are mice, roaches and bed bugs. Most people are familiar enough with mice and roaches to identify them but less are familiar with bed bugs. So, I’ve included an image of one of the little bloodsuckers. While seeing any one of these is a surefire way to notice a problem, looking for other signs can help identify the problem earlier. For mice and roaches, look for signs of their dropping around pantries, kitchen cabinets and bathrooms. Mice droppings will be more pointed, while
roaches will have more rounded droppings. These often resemble coffee grounds or small black spots. For bed bugs, check underneath your sheets near the corners of your mattress and box frame, and even your headboard. Seeing small black spots on the mattress and red spots on yourself when you wake up mean you probably have bed bugs.
Fixing the Problem
Once you identify you have a pest issue, you need to put in a maintenance request with your landlord, in writing, just like any other maintenance request. If you’re in private rental housing, you can make this request by writing directly to your landlord. For White Earth public housing, work orders need to be submitted by calling 218-473-463. For Leech Lake, these requests are done through the form found at this link (https://llboha.org/maintenance-inspections/#Maintenance). Taking pictures will help make sure your landlord responds to the issue quickly. Your landlord will have 14 days to address the problem. If they haven’t addressed the problem within that time, make another request. Save all your requests just in case the problem continues to go unsolved.
Most likely, your landlord or housing authority will get pest control specialists in your apartment as soon as they can to assess the problem and figure out how to remove all the pests from the property. Make sure to listen to your pest control technician about how to make sure treatment is successful, and how to prevent the same problem in the future.
Prevention
While identifying and solving pest issues is important, preventing them in the first place is always a good idea! Checking for bed bugs whenever you travel can help make sure you don’t accidentally take them home with you. And making sure you don’t have holes bigger than the diameter of a pencil, your food is properly stored, and regularly clean so you spot any signs early. All of these pests can cause health issues, and nobody wants to deal with them. Take these simple preventative measures.
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