Arizona is seeing more cases of bed bugs in the workplace!

oliviaofficechair3.jpg

By Keith Coddington Ever since the “bed bug boom” started several years ago the cases nationwide have continued to soar.  Arizona unfortunately was not spared and has consistently seen the number of cases of bed bugs increase.

Olivia the bed bug dog sniffing a chair

Although bed bugs can colonize in just about any area where people are, offices and call centers have recently seen an increase in bed bug activity.  This situation creates a public relations nightmare for the employer due to the stress caused by panicking employees.

Here are some steps to consider to stop the panic and minimize the stress should there be a suspicion of bed bugs in the workplace:

  1. Have a pest professional positively identify the insect in question immediately.
  1. If it is in fact bed bugs consider a large scale proactive bed bug dog inspection rather than paying for a costly large scale treatment when it may not be necessary.  Hiring highly trained bed bug detection dog teams is a great option in this case.
  1. Speak with your employees in private and try to determine if one of them is having an issue at home.  If you don’t figure out where the bugs are coming from no amount of treatment will prevent them from returning.
  1. Word will quickly spread through the workplace when news of a bed bug infestation gets out.  Be open and honest with everyone and keep them informed that you are taking the best steps possible which should not only include treatment, but proactive periodic inspections of the facility.
  1. Have employees prepared for bed bug sightings.  Offices are not the ideal place for a bed bug colony to inhabit.  Workers will without a doubt see a bug or two wandering even after a treatment.  Patience is key in these situations because if a chemical treatment was applied it does not kill every bug instantly and needs time to take effect.  Often a smaller scale K9 inspection in the area of the sighting is in order which not only confirms there is no colony established, but it puts everyone at ease.

We here at Cimex K9 have dealt with this situation numerous times and understand how sensitive conditions in the workplace can be.  It is amazing to see how quickly the panic, stress and drama is reduced when your employees see that you hire a service such as ours to take care of the matter.  We are a third party inspection bed bug detection dog service that does not profit from treatments.  We have a network of over 30 pest control providers that can take care of the issue using various methods once the problem is positively identified by us.

If you have an issue in the workplace please call us immediately at 888-928-4364 so we can at least point you in the right direction.