New Program Cuts Mattress Bug Incidents by 97% in Inexpensive Housing, Enhancing the High quality of Lifetime of Residents and Employees

AMBLER, Pa .– (BUSINESS WIRE) – Allergy Technologies has developed a proven program that significantly reduces hard-to-eliminate bed bugs in the country’s most vulnerable residents and benefits a wide 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 large Philadelphia urban community to address the rampant bed bug problem. Its effectiveness after the first year was confirmed and published in an article recently published in Pest Control Technology magazine.

Highlights of the published ATAHC study results after one year include:

• More than 97 percent of the residential units had no bed bug reintroductions

• Facility managers saw bed bug-related cost savings of more than 35 percent in the first year, with greater savings expected in the second year

• Residents and staff at the facility were able to reduce contact time with pest controllers by 40%.

Prior to the implementation of the proactive, preventive ATAHC program, the facility used for the study with 470 residential units reported over 80 bed bug incidents annually.

ATAHC is an affordable and sustainable bed bug control and prevention model developed by Allergy Technologies for affordable housing. Gus Carey, Founder and General Manager of Allergy Technologies, said, “Affordable housing residents are now prepared to transform their lives through our groundbreaking ATAHC program.”

ATAHC differs from other approaches in that it involves initial facility-wide screening and subsequent treatment of infested residential units, which immediately reduces the bed bug population. The installation of long-term preventive measures throughout the property ensures that the bed bug population remains under control.

“Early detection and intervention are core principles of the ATAHC program,” said Joseph Latino, President of Allergy Technologies, “but a key component to the success of the program is our ATAHC team working with residents, property managers and professional pest control providers.”

According to the published PCT article, the ATAHC program has virtually eliminated bed bug incidents affecting residents and staff. Under ATAHC, residents now live without the stress and stigma of bed bugs and their bites. Residents no longer lose time working, waiting for professional pest control visits and spending money treating themselves with ineffective methods. The facility manager has seen a significant improvement in operational efficiency caused by reducing daily disruption from tenant complaints and frequent visits from service technicians.

“Current treatment strategies are not working,” Latino continued. “Bed bug infestation continues to increase across the country, especially in shared apartments. We find this unacceptable, especially for residents whose “quality of life” is severely impaired. We had the resources to address this and developed the ATAHC program that exceeded our expectations. ”

“Philadelphia, one of the most bed bug-infested cities in the country, wasn’t a good fit for us,” added Gus Carey, whose company is based just outside the City of Brotherly Love. Carey was so concerned that he donated over $ 100,000 worth of ActiveGuard® mattress liners to the Philadelphia Housing Authority building complex.

“We are touched by the positive response from residents and staff at the Philadelphia facility, and we appreciate the support and encouragement from Philadelphia City Councilor Mark Squilla and the assistance of entomologist Dr. Jim Ballard. Together, we were able to offer a solution to a huge unmet need in an environment in dire need of effective bed bug prevention. Our expectation is that this novel strategic program, which has saved money while significantly improving the quality of life for residents and staff, will be replicated in affordable shared and other multi-resident neighborhoods in the United States, ”concluded Carey.

Latino notes the additional support from several companies that made the program a success. Corbett Exterminating, a professional pest control provider with extensive experience in affordable housing, implemented the program with Allergy Technologies. Leading pest control companies like Key K9, Rockwell Labs, Bayer Environmental Science, Target Specialty Products, and MGK have made significant product donations and dedicated their professional time to support these efforts.

For more information, please visit Allergy Technologies’ website at: www.AllergyTechnologies.com.