Apartments share walls, plumbing and pests, and that is the whole problem. Cockroaches travel between units through shared walls and plumbing chases. Mice run the same chases. Bed bugs move through the walls between units. A single unit's treatment alone rarely holds when the population lives in the walls between units — and the visit covers the shared routes, not just the single kitchen.
Worcester's apartments — the triple-deckers, the converted mill buildings, the newer complexes — each have their own shared routes, and the inspection maps them before any treatment. The plan covers the unit, the neighboring units the population uses, and the common areas where pests travel.
TL;DR
Problem: pests travel between apartments through shared walls and plumbing.
Solution: a visit that covers the unit, the neighboring units, and the shared routes.
When to call: at the first sign in any unit — cockroaches, mice, or bed bugs.
Shared walls and plumbing chases
Cockroaches, mice and bed bugs all travel through the gaps in shared walls and the chases that carry plumbing between units. A cockroach population in one unit feeds from the kitchen next door; a mouse in one unit runs the chase to the next. The visit inspects the shared walls and the plumbing chases, because the population may not be confined to the unit that called.
Cockroaches in apartments
German cockroaches are the apartment pest. They live in kitchens and bathrooms, spread fast, and travel between units through shared walls. A broad spray in one unit scatters the population deeper into the walls and into neighboring units. The visit places bait in the harborages and covers the shared routes, and the plan includes follow-up visits to check whether the population is dropping or moving.
Mice in apartments
Mice run the plumbing chases and the wall voids between units, and they feed from the kitchens on every floor. A mouse in one unit is rarely the only mouse in the building. The visit traps on the runs in the unit and maps the chases to the neighboring units, and the sealing list covers the gaps in the shared walls.
Bed bugs in apartments
Bed bugs travel between units through shared walls, and one unit's treatment alone rarely holds. The visit covers the neighboring units and the shared walls, and the building's common areas — laundry rooms, hallways — are checked alongside the unit. Preparation is part of the treatment, and the prep list is handed over at inspection.
Steps
Describe the unit and the building
On the call, describe the unit, the building type, and what you have seen — and whether neighbors have seen the same.
Inspection of the unit and the shared routes
The visit inspects the unit, the shared walls, the plumbing chases, and the common areas where pests travel.
Plan covers the building
The plan covers the unit, the neighboring units the population uses, and the shared routes — not just the single kitchen.
Follow up across units
Follow-up visits check whether the population is dropping across the units, or moving to a new one.