Bed Bug Prevention Tips

Listed below are some helpful Bed Bug Prevention Tips

Office Buildings

Office buildings have a high risk of infestation due to the amount of people that come in and out of an office building each day. Typically the cases that are found in office buildings are lighter infestations, since bedbugs usually only feed when a person is completely still. When a person moves while a bed bug is feeding the bug will normally stop feeding and wait for the host to be still once again.

 Prevention Measures:

  • Educate employees on Bed Bug basics.
  • Have a written protocol on how to deal with a Bed Bug infestation or sighting.
  • Perform regular K-9 inspections of the facility. By doing this you will be able to catch even a small infestation before it spreads.

Single family dwellings

Single family dwellings have less exposure concerns than most other properties; however, once infested it is normally not detected right away. Many times people overlook the bites and assume they are from some other type of insect/bug.

Prevention Measures:

  • Educate your family about Bed Bugs and what they look like.
  • All clothing should be put in a dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes following any trip, hospital stay, and after purchase. This will help prevent you from bringing Bed Bugs into your home by way of luggage. Once the items have been removed from the luggage, the luggage should then be thoroughly inspected or heated above 140° F.
  • Be aware of where you go throughout the day. Check all chairs, couches and beds before sitting or lying down.
  • Regularly change and wash your bed linens. You should inspect your bed and furniture at least weekly.
  • Be cautious about letting friends stay at your house if they have Bed Bugs, until their issue has been taken care of.

Hotels

Hotels typically have the highest risk of a Bed Bug infestation. They have a very high turnover of people that typically bring personal belongings into their facility. Most of their customers also spend much of their time in the hotel sleeping, which creates an ideal situation for the Bed Bugs to feed and reproduce quickly. It is important for every hotel to have a prevention and control plan for dealing with Bed Bugs.

 Prevention Measures:

  • Regular K-9 inspections are vital to a successful Bed Bug prevention plan in a hotel. In most cases, if someone staying at the hotel has Bed Bugs they will not warn the hotel. If someone stays at the hotel and gets bitten they usually do not realize it until after they leave and in most cases the room has already been rented again.
  • All hotel staff should be thoroughly trained in Bed Bug identification, habits and inspection. Between every customer the room should at least be visually inspection if not inspected by our K-9 Division.
  • If a a Bed Bug case is found in a hotel, the units that surround the active unit must, at a minimum, be inspected with our K-9 Division, if not treated with the active unit.

Multifamily Dwellings

Multifamily dwellings have a significant risk of Bed Bug infestations since there are a large number of families living within the same building and many of the units share common walls with each other. A good prevention and control plan is vital in buildings such as these. Many of the residents become friends with their neighbors, so once one unit is infested it usually spreads quickly.

Prevention Measures:

  • Regular K-9 inspections are vital to a successful Bed Bug prevention plan with a multi-family dwelling. In many cases residents are afraid to report a Bed Bug issue within their unit; in fear of being evicted or embarrassment.
  • All building staff should be thoroughly trained in Bed Bug identification, habits and inspection.
  • When a Bed Bug case is found in a hotel the units that surround the active unit must at least be inspected with our K-9 Division, if not automatically treated along with the active unit.

Public Transit

Public transit is a higher risk location since there is a high turnover of people in the transit system. Also, many times people are sitting very close together which allows the bugs to move from one person to the next very easily.

 Make sure cracks and crevices are constantly cleaned and limit the amount of fabric in the interior.

  • Regular K-9 inspections are vital to a successful Bed Bug prevention plan with a public transit system.
  • All staff should be thoroughly trained in Bed Bug identification, habits and inspection.
  • If Bed Bugs are spotted within a car or bus the unit should be taken out of service as soon as possible and not put back into service until cleared by Go Bug Free.

Retail Facilities

If you believe that bed bugs have invaded your retail facility, Go Bug Free needs to be called immediately. These facilities are at high risk due to the number of people that move through the facility each day. Changing rooms are a high risk location for Bed Bugs.

Health Care Facilities

  • Bed Bugs in a health care facility should be addressed as a multifamily dwelling except when additional precautions are necessary for patients with allergy and chemical sensitivity concerns. (make multifamily dwelling a link to that section)
  • If you find bed bugs in anyone’s personal items, the owner must be informed that there are probably bed bugs in their home.

 Sporting events/Theaters

  • Regular inspections should be done at the facility by our K-9 Division.
  • These types of facilities are not similar to hospitals, where there is not really an option to vacate the building. In a sports building/ theater you are able to clear the building out and eradicate whatever bugs reside there.
  • Since most of these buildings are prided on their cleanliness it is important to call us when experiencing a bug problem. The quicker the company can get to work on the bugs, the faster the problem can be solved.