BedBugWizard

Bed Bugs in Atlanta

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Atlanta mixes mid-rise and high-rise apartments, older bungalows and brick houses inside the Perimeter, newer townhomes and large apartment communities further out. It is also a travel hub: a very busy airport, conventions, hotels and a lot of business travel. Both facts show up in how bed bugs move through the metro.

Travel is a big route

If you or your household travel often, or host out-of-town visitors, the most likely route for bed bugs is a suitcase. Make a habit of inspecting a hotel bed before unpacking, keep luggage off the bed and floor, and put travel clothes straight in a hot dryer when you get home. Our hotel room checklist walks through it step by step. People who rent a spare room to short-term guests should inspect the bed after each stay.

Apartments, bungalows and townhomes

  • Mid- and high-rise apartments: shared walls, floors, trash rooms and elevators. Management controls access and the pest vendor, so report in writing and ask that neighboring units be checked.
  • Intown bungalows and older houses: usually a single household, so the problem is contained, but older crawl spaces, trim and attics can hide bugs. Remove clutter before treatment.
  • Townhomes and condos: share at least one wall, and the association rules may govern who can enter and who pays. Read your governing documents.

What to do first

  • Save a specimen and take photos before you start treatment.
  • If you rent, notify your landlord in writing and keep copies of everything.
  • Launder fabrics on high heat, store clean items in sealed bags, and encase your mattress and box spring.
  • Resist throwing away furniture; treated or encased items can often be kept.

What to ask a local exterminator

  • Are you licensed by the state of Georgia for structural pest control?
  • Will you inspect neighboring units or common areas in a multi-unit building?
  • How will you handle crawl spaces or attics in an older house?
  • What does the guarantee cover, and what are my responsibilities?

Official resources

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs publishes a landlord and tenant handbook for the state, available as the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook. For city housing code questions, check the City of Atlanta website. A legal aid organization can explain how Georgia law applies to your lease. This site cannot provide legal advice.

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