AMBLER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allergy Technologies has created a proven program that significantly reduces hard-to-eradicate bed bugs among the country’s most at-risk residents with benefits for a broad range of stakeholders.
“Allergy Technologies’ Affordable Housing Control and Prevention Program” for bed bugs (ATAHC pronounced ‘attack’) is a two-year program launched in a major urban affordable housing community in Philadelphia to address the rampant bed bug problem. Its effectiveness after the first year was confirmed and published in a recent article in Pest Control Technology magazine.
Highlights of the published ATAHC study results after one year include:
- Greater than 97 percent of residential units had no bed bug reintroductions
- Facility managers realized a bed bug-related expense reduction of more than 35 percent in Year One, with greater savings expected in Year Two
- Facility residents and staff experienced a 40% reduction in contact time with pest management professionals.
Prior to implementing the proactive, preventative ATAHC Program, the 470-unit affordable housing facility used for the study reported over 80 bed bug incidents annually.
ATAHC is an affordable and sustainable model of control and prevention of bed bugs designed for affordable housing by Allergy Technologies. According to Gus Carey, founder and Managing Director for Allergy Technologies, “The residents of affordable housing are now primed to have their lives changed due to our groundbreaking ATAHC Program.”
ATAHC is distinguished from other approaches by incorporating an initial facility-wide screening and subsequent treatment of infested residential units, immediately lowering the bed bug population. The installation of long-acting preventive measures property-wide ensures that the bed bug population stays under control.
“Early detection and intervention are core tenets of the ATAHC Program,” says Joseph Latino, President of Allergy Technologies, “but a key component of the program’s success comes from having our ATAHC team work collaboratively with residents, property management and professional pest control providers.”
According to the published PCT article, the ATAHC Program has virtually eliminated bed bug incidents impacting residents and staff members. Under ATAHC, residents are now living without the stress and stigma of bed bugs and their bites. No longer are residents losing time from work, waiting for professional pest control visits and spending money trying to self-treat with ineffective methods. The building manager has experienced significant improvement in operating efficiencies driven by the reduction in day-to-day disruption from tenant complaints and frequent service technician visits.
“Current treatment strategies are not working,” Latino continued. “Bed bug infestations continue to rise across the country, especially in community housing environments. We find this unacceptable, especially for residents, whose ‘quality of life’ is being severely impacted. We had the means to address this and developed the ATAHC Program, which has exceeded even our expectations.”
“Philadelphia being one of the country’s most bed bug-infested cities did not sit well with us,” added Gus Carey, whose Company is based just outside of the City of Brotherly Love. Carey was so disturbed by this that he donated more than $100,000 of ActiveGuard® Mattress Liners to the Philadelphia Housing Authority building complex.
“We are touched by the positive responses from residents and staff at the Philadelphia facility and so appreciate the support and encouragement of Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla and assistance of Entomologist Dr. Jim Ballard. Together we have been able to provide a solution to a huge unmet need in an environment that desperately needs effective bed bug prevention. Our expectation is this novel strategic Program, which has saved money while significantly improving quality of life for the residents and staff, will be replicated in affordable housing communities and other multi-occupant dwelling environs throughout the U.S.,” Carey concluded.
Latino notes the additional support of several companies who have helped make the Program a success. Corbett Exterminating, a professional pest control provider with expansive experience in affordable housing, implemented the program with Allergy Technologies. Leading pest control companies including Key K9, Rockwell Labs, Bayer Environmental Science, Target Specialty Products, and MGK made significant product donations and lent their professional time to support this effort.
For more details, please visit the Allergy Technologies website at: www.AllergyTechnologies.com.
