Workers and Travelers

Workers and Travelers

bed bug fully fed

Bed Bugs in the Workplace: 

Bed Bug infestations do not only occur in the home. Bed Bugs can spread to and thrive in office buildings and other places of work. This becomes an entirely separate problem from infestations in the living space, because early detection is rare, visual inspection is hard, and the bugs are usually spread out over a wide area. Controlling the problem in work places becomes difficult, as does identifying the point of origin.

But, the reintroduction of infestations in the workplace is a very common occurrence, as one or more of the workers are likely to bring bugs in with them from their homes. Bed Bugs in the workplace is also a unique problem because of the highly sensitive materials and/or equipment that could be damaged by the initial infestation or subsequent treatment of the problem. The situation therefore needs to be handled very delicately, especially while keeping the legal, ethical and human relations issues in mind.

The MGK Professional Pest Control Group has written a Special Report, informing readers of the aforementioned workplace pest problems, and offering helpful treatment options. They also provide a list of products, specially designed for bed bug treatment.

Here is a link to the MGK Special Report on "Bed Bugs in Office Buildings": Workplace (PDF)

 Bed Bug Tips for Travelers:

It's very important to inspect your hotel/motel room as soon as you arrive! There are various steps you can follow in order to ensure that your room is clean and pest-free.

bed bug with poppy and sesame

  • Take off the comforter and sheets from each bed, and check the mattresses and box springs for black fecal spots, including along the seams.
  • Check under the bed skirt as well.
  • Check along the bed frame for signs of bed bugs.
  • Open the drawers of night-stands, dressers, etc, and look for signs of bed bugs around the inner and outer edges.
  • Look for signs of bed bugs around baseboards.
  • A flashlight may be needed, so that all dark corners and crevices will be examined effectively

How to keep from picking up any un-wanted pests from your hotel/motel room:

Keep your clothing and other personal items in your zipped suitcase. Don't put your clothing in the hotel's dresser drawers. It is, however, okay to hang them in the closet.

Keep your suitcase on the luggage rack. Don't store your suitcase on the bed, on the floor, or on top of any upholstered furniture.

Various products are available online to ensure that you don't bring bed bugs home in your luggage, and further spread them.

moving bed bug 

Did you know that you should not use bug bombs against bed bugs?