Bed bugs are a growing problem in nonresidential environments, including office complexes and office buildings. Whereas the threat of bed bugs used to be limited to homeowners, public housing and hotel environments, it is becoming a more common issue outside of these settings.
Although most offices don’t suit the feeding preferences of the nocturnal bed bug, that doesn’t deter them from hitching a ride on clothing, bags and other personal items from an infested location. In addition, with so many people coming and going in an office environment, including employees, staff, building service providers, contractors, guests and other visitors, there’s a whole lot of opportunity for a bed bug introduction.
While there are many ethical, legal and health related causes for concern that can stem from the having bed bugs in the office, from a pest management professional’s perspective, some of the most important actions a company can take to successfully combat bed bugs is to put preventative, educational and proactive measures in place to combat a potential infestation.
Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Office Today!
Preventative Bed Bug Measures
One of the most important steps that you can take to thwart bed bugs in the office is to put preventative actions in place. Usually, this would entail working with a pest management service to set up recurring inspections and other monitoring efforts to look for active signs of bed bugs. While a visual inspection is not a full-proof solution, especially for larger, multi-floor offices, it is a great proactive effort that can stem issues early.
Bed Bug Education
Another important aspect of minimizing bed bugs in the office includes education of your staff. Knowledge about bed bugs is a vital component to a well-rounded pest management program, as it helps to increase staff awareness of this pest, which can result in quicker bed bug identification and prevention of bed bug introductions.
Many pest management companies, including Smithereen Pest Management, offer staff training materials and seminars to educate your workforce on bed bug facts. A few of the different bed bug areas it can be helpful to educate your staff on, include:
- Common bed bug signs and detection methods
- Information on how to escalate a perceived threat if a visual sighting of bed bugs is made
- Answering common FAQs and dispelling bed bug myths
Bed Bug Action Plan & Protocols
Finally, in addition to the education of your staff, we believe it is important to have an action plan in place to handle an active bed bug population in the office. This plan can be developed with your contracted pest management company and can help your management team react appropriately if bed bugs are reported in the office. Such a plan will ensure that you’re poised and ready when bed bugs are identified by helping you easily implement actions and communication such as:
- How to mitigate the spread of active bed bug populations
- Who to contact at your pest management company for quick, immediate services
- Transparency with employees to ease anxieties
Combatting Bed Bug Issues in the Office
Eradicating bed bugs in office environments must be handled expeditiously. Although bed bugs certainly do not reflect on the success of your company or the sanitary conditions of your office space, it is important to confront such a problem head on to improve employee well-being and productivity.
This year, we urge you to put preventative, educational and reactive measures in place to combat the potential risk of a bed bug infestation in your office. Eradication can be complicated and sometimes, an expensive process; any steps you can take to offset such bad luck are a smart business decision that can protect your workplace as well as your employees’ health and safety.