Many people and unaware of the bed bug risk that is present all around them. While most people would agree that bed bugs are most commonly found in hotels/motels, they don’t know that they could just as easily find bed bugs on their way to work, in their leisure time or in the classroom. This year for bed bug awareness week AZEX wants to shed some light on some of the “lesser known” places where bed bugs are commonly found.
Schools
College dorm rooms are notorious for bed bugs issues. For many of the same reasons that hotels/motels are known for bed bugs, dorm rooms are equally at risk. Once bed bugs infest a single room they can move through the walls and infest other rooms, as well as hitch rides into the class room, locker rooms, and offices. College students around the country should be aware of the risk of bed bugs, how to properly identify he bugs, and what to do if bed bugs are sighted on school property.
Public Transit
Buses, trains, subways, planes, and boats are all places where bed bugs like to hide. Due to the high “turn-over” of people it make it an easy place for bed bugs to jump from one host to another. While most public transportation business keep a proactive bed bug treatment and cleaning schedule we have seen an increase in the number of reports of bed bug sightings in news in the past few years.
Movie Theaters
The plush seats of the movie theater makes it an ideal place for bed bugs to live. With plenty of hosts cycling through daily, bed bugs can infest a theater in no time. If you want to protect you next date night from these blood suckers don’t forget to bring a flashlight with you to your next movie. A quick inspection of the seats should give you peace of mind before sitting down. If you find bed bugs be sure to tell management immediately and of course, don’t sit down!
Hospitals and Car Facilities
While hospitals and care facilities are regularly cleaned and maintained you could find bed bugs located in the waiting rooms. Senior care facilities are also at risk for bed bug issues. Both locations are usually due to visiting family members, and sometimes new patients that bring the bugs into the facility. These issues are usually taken very seriously by the medical staff.
Stores and Shopping Locations
In 2016 we saw multiple reports of scooters, shopping carts, and even products being infected with bed bugs. Other reports mentioned car rentals, new or gently used car lots, furniture stores and mattress rental businesses. Keeping a proactive bed bug detection and treatment plan is essential to ANY business and should be taken seriously, especially after a sighting has been made.
So what should do you if you find bed bugs in a public locations?
Here are a few simple steps to help you identify and notify the right people of the problem.
- Identify the bugs – see our bed bug identification blog at:
- Tell Management – always tell management immediately if bed bug activity if expected or confirmed.
- Leave the area – After alerting management, you should leave the area and carefully inspect your belongings. Get a refund for you room, movie or transport and make substitute arrangements. If you think you may have contracted bugs be sure to leave your clothes, bags and other belongings outside or in the garage until a thorough inspection can be done and the items cleaned.
What should I do if I find bed bugs at my business location?
Here are a few easy steps that will help you prepare for a heat treatment and reduce your lawsuit risk.
- Do a detailed inspection of the area
- Clear the area of all customers and employees
- Call in the Professionals – AZEX Pest Solutions
- Sit back and let us handle it! We will do an inspection and schedule a heat treatment that will SOLVE your bed bug problem! We can even set up a proactive plan to keep you bed bug free all year long!
If you have any other questions about bed bugs or bed bug awareness week, please see our other blog posts at https://azexpest.com/blog/ or give us a call at 877-445-2847 to schedule an inspection and heat treatment.