The short answer is...yes.
Bed bugs are terrific travellers and are easily spread within public places such as offices and other work areas, classrooms, retirement homes, hotels, motels, hospitals and department stores. If someone at your work has bed bugs at home, they could end up bringing them into the work place unknowingly.
Who is most at risk?
Bed bugs thrive off humans and therefore every person is at risk of picking up bed bugs, if they visit an infected area. If you work in a profession where you are making visits to clients homes, take extra precautions such as:
- Hanging up your bag or purse upon arrival into the home.
- Sit on a hard chair rather than on upholstered furniture.
- Wear light clothing, this will allow you to easily see if any bugs are on you.
What can employers do?
Whether your workplace has seen bed bugs in the past or not, educating your employees to know what to look for is important. Being able to correctly identify bed bugs early on could be your key to stopping an infestation!
What should you look for?
Make sure that you check furniture (seams and around the cushions). You will be looking for bed bugs, bed bug exoskeletons (shed skins), eggs or egg casings, blood stains and bed bug droppings (these appear as small reddish-brown and sometimes black spots). Also take time to safely check around electrical outlets, light switches, and the cracks and crevices where the carpet meets the baseboards.
A few preventative tips!
- Vacuum and clean all areas frequently. Especially areas where employees congregate such as break/lunch rooms or other areas where there may be plush furniture, such as boardrooms and waiting areas.
- Using monitors to detect bed bugs is an easy way to identify early infestations.
- Thoroughly inspect any second-hand furniture before bringing it into the office.
- Employees should be vigilant about bed bugs while travelling.
- Encourage employees to report ANY insect activity - bed bug or otherwise!
Important to note:
- Bed bugs are typically nocturnal and rarely come out during daylight hours.
- They cannot jump and are not capable of flying. They get around by climbing and crawling and can do so at a quick pace.
- Bed bugs rely on a blood meal in order to obtain the nutrients they require to survive and reproduce.
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