Park Tower Condominiums, 5415 N Sheridan. Credit: Jeremy Bressman

“I challenge you to find me a building that doesn’t have a bed bug”  announced Tim Patricio, Manager of Edgewater’s tallest and largest condo association at the Park Tower Condominiums.  Patricio has been fighting bed bugs since 2009 and feels that a prevention program, built into their annual budget, can be credited with the success.

Their first bed bug report was when a unit owner came into the management office at her doctor’s suggestion to report “spider bites”.  The result of an intensive investigation was a diagnosis of  bed bugs.  Treatment was immediate but with a building population that traveled for pleasure and business and some transiency in the rental apartments the problem grew.

Edgewater resident William Kay, a principal at AEGIS Bed Bug Detection Service, said exterminators call the CTA #151 bus “the bed bug bus”.  Running through Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park, the bus is believed to be one of  the major transporters of the blood suckers.  He complained that some people are too embarrassed to report bed bugs.

Sheli Lulkin, president of ASCO, the sponsoring organization, said having bed bugs could be a “badge of honor.  It shows that even in this economy you can afford to travel.”  She pointed out that this is a city wide problem and that even the Bar Association condo subcommittee is studying it.

Attorney Eliot G. Schencker of Michael C. Kim & Associates commended the Park Tower Board for their decision to be transparent about the problem and adopting an aggressive program.  Residents were encouraged to report citings and suspicions and educational meetings were held.  They have built into their move-in and move-out policy the cost of canine bed bug detection of the unit and furniture.  The Association has amended their rules to strengthen enforcement ability.

Unfortunately for private buildings, landlords do not have this power.  ASCO General Counsel Michael Kim suggested that landlords look into working with tenant organizations to amend the city’s tenant ordinance to allow effective bed bug prevention programs.

The audience of condo board members and managers saw a demonstration by AEGIS Bed Bug Detection Service, a local company, of how a trained dog works and got to examine live bed bugs in bottles.   AEGIS, Patricio and Schencker all emphasized prevention programs.  AEGIS is now using a specially developed software program for tracking by unit which can be used by the Association in defending court cases.

At ASCO’s next meeting they will be unveiling a bed bug insurance program for condominiums.