Home sweet home! There's nothing like it, however these days a big problem is crawling into Tennessee Valley apartment complexes.  We’re talking about bed bugs, which explains why experts say bed bug calls, are up over 500% this year.

Recently West Gate Apartments in Huntsville reached out to WHNT News 19 after seeing our extensive coverage on the blood suckers.  Manager Norma Hunt said one of their units was battling a case of bed bugs, but she was having difficulty getting the tenant to cooperate.  “You know everyone thinks landlords have all the control and we don't, we are under all sorts of federal guidelines,” said Hunt.

These days it seems landlords and tenants are butting heads when it comes to bed bugs.  A theme Attorney at Law Sarah Taggart knows all too well.  The Huntsville attorney represents landlords, property managers, and

owner's agents in litigation to enforce the lessor's rights under commercial and residential leases and rental agreements.  Business is booming!  “I know that it's not present it any kind of volume in Birmingham, I know it's not present in any kind of volume in Mobile ... and that's part of the problem of how cosmopolitan Huntsville is,” said Taggart.

Taggart says landlords and tenants can’t come to an agreement when it comes to who has to pay and who has to clean up the infestation.  After all, not every tenant is receptive to the idea of throwing away perfectly good furniture.  That’s why WHNT News 19 decided to get involved and help out.

We called up a Nashville based bed bug company called ThermalRid.  They use big industrious heaters to bake the bugs. And you don’t have to throw away furniture and ransack your apartment or home.  This was the major issue at West Gate Apartments.  Here’s how it works.  Gentle heat is generated to draw bed bugs out of hiding. As the room is slowly heated to 135 degrees all pests including adults, nymphs, and eggs are destroyed wherever they are.  

Barry Voorhies with ThermalRid says it’s important to note, bed bugs don’t pick social classes.  “It’s a Russian roulette and doesn't matter if a house is clean or dirty, if you are rich or poor, they don't care … they only care if you have blood!”  ThermalRid spent 8 hours at West Gate Apartments and guarantee, the unit is now bed bug free.

A bed bug bill is now in the works here in Alabama.  Nine states introduced the bed bug legislation and currently two states passed it.  Sarah Taggart is hopeful state lawmakers will give it top consideration. “It’s a bill aimed at finding compromise between landlords and tenants,” said Taggart.  Until then pest control companies continue their plight in fighting off the vampires and landlords and tenants try to hash out where the responsibility lies.