Send the evidence with the report
Record the date, unit, room, and exact location. Describe what you saw. Include clear close and context photos or tell the manager if a specimen is available. A report of live insects or repeated catches in a known place gives an inspector a more useful starting point than a pest name by itself.
Example report: “On 12 November, I found two small roach-like insects on a monitor beside the kitchen pipe opening. I have a photo and have kept the monitor out of reach of children and pets. Please tell me who will identify it and whether connected units or the pipe opening will be inspected.”
Ask who will do each part
For suspected bed bugs, keep belongings contained and request preparation instructions before moving them. For cockroaches, share monitor locations and ask about adjoining units and service gaps. For rodent signs, report entry points and contaminated areas so cleanup and repairs can be assessed together. Follow the rodent cleanup precautions before touching waste.
Ask who will inspect, arrange access, handle preparations that require assistance, repair building gaps or leaks, and complete follow-up. Record access constraints, areas omitted from the inspection, the next visit, and how each household will receive instructions.
Bed bugs: confirm the evidence and contain the problem · Cockroaches: distinguish indoor breeding from outdoor arrivals · Compare house and deer mice
Sources: EPA bed bug preparation · University of Kentucky Extension apartment cockroaches · CDC rodent cleanup
Keep travel and secondhand findings contained
If there is physical evidence of bed bugs in luggage, keep suspect items contained while you inspect them. Follow the fabric’s care instructions and the bed bug guide when separating items that can be dried safely from materials requiring another approach. Store treated items separately in clean containers.
Inspect seams, joints and the underside of used furniture before bringing it into living space. If you find a suspect insect, photograph or preserve it and seek identification before moving the item into another room or sharing it. Record where the item came from and where it has been since arrival.
Bed bugs: confirm the evidence and contain the problem · Review travel and secondhand precautions
Sources: EPA protecting your home from bed bugs · EPA treatment preparation
Compare the same places after the visit
Keep the written work scope and review it at the next scheduled inspection. Match observations to the same numbered monitors or locations, including checks with no activity. If the problem returns, report which sites changed and which agreed repairs or inspections are outstanding.
Tenancy duties vary by jurisdiction. Use the applicable housing authority or local council and bring the dated reports, treatment plans, and repair history. Find the relevant authority and what to bring.