Pest Management

Pest management is an important part of Ottawa Community Housing’s (OCH) operations and maintenance responsibility.

PESTS INCLUDE:

• Cockroaches
• Bed bugs
• Rodents
• Ants
• Pigeons
• Other forms of wildlife, such as raccoons

Pest management is a priority at Ottawa Community Housing and every pest instance is taken very seriously. Every effort is being made to ensure that OCH’s tenants live in healthy communities. Our aim is to eliminate occurrences or re-occurrences through effective preparation and appropriate treatment; raise awareness through reporting, while assisting tenants to cope with the invasiveness and stresses that pests can create. We provide professional pest control management at no charge to assist tenants experiencing pest control challenges. OCH works closely and proactively with its tenants and partners, including Ottawa Public Health and Aging in Place, to reduce the chances of pest occurrences or re-occurrences.

OCH complies with and adheres to all government regulations for pest control products. Pest management issues are increasingly prevalent with all landlords and is not a challenge specific to OCH. We are committed to continuously improving the program’s effectiveness. OCH has launched a new approach called Integrated Pest Management to the control and management of pests.  Working closely with the leaders in the industry, OCH has adopted a multifaceted treatment and prevention approach, one that is recognized as a leading best practice for all landlords in pest management.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) TEAM 

• Launched in March 2016
• Established to improve services to tenants and to reduce the level of pest infestations
• A dedicated group of in-house licensed pest management specialists who work with OCH tenants and collaborate with agency partners to not only provide a comprehensive treatment program but also to educate, provide support and engage tenants in the prevention and treatment process
• Created to increase the ability to analyze, measure, continually improve, and to have a consistent, standardized and planned approach

Pest prevention begins in your home. It is the tenant’s responsibility to maintain their home regularly and to inform OCH immediately if a pest is spotted.

• Keep the kitchen and bathroom clean and tidy
• Clean up all food spills promptly, including from carpet and furniture
• Clean dirty dishes after each meal
• Keep area clean around the refrigerator, stove and sink.
• Immediately report leaking faucets and water dripping under kitchen and bathroom sinks.
• Get rid of food packaging immediately after use.
• Do not store plastic bags or paper under the sink.
• Remove garbage from your home daily and place it in a sealed bag for proper disposal down the chute or outside.
• Vacuum and sweep your home every day
• Call OCH at 613-731-1182, option 3, at the first signs of any pest problems

Once the tenant has spotted and reported a pest:

• Regular inspection and thorough inspection of the common areas and apartments
• OCH provides tools and tips for prevention (monitoring tools/devices, which are free of charge)
• Tenants will not be singled out
• Access to commercial dryer to help tenants prepare
• Treatment of tenant’s home at no charge