How To Spot A Bed Bug Infestation In A Commercial Building In Yakima County

Who knew you could get bed bugs at the office? It’s gross but true. Despite their name, bed bugs infest much more than just beds. In fact, they can be a huge problem in commercial buildings in Yakima County. Bed bugs can hitch a ride on employees, clients, or anyone who enters the building and then infest office furniture or carpeting. Worse still, you can take them home with you on your clothes or briefcase, and pretty soon, your house is overrun with these tiny biting insects.

Feeling anxious yet? You should be. Bed bugs are extremely irritating and notoriously difficult to get rid of. That’s why it is so important to be able to spot a bed bug infestation in your office and know how to reduce the chances of bringing them home with you.

Bed Bug Identification

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch long. If unfed, they are flat and oval-shaped, and brown in color. When fed, their bodies swell, elongate, and become reddish-brown. Young bed bugs, or nymphs, are smaller and nearly colorless, making them very difficult to see with the naked eye. Bed bugs also emit a noticeable smell through glands on the bottom side of their bodies.

In addition to noticing the bugs themselves, bed bug infestations are often identified by the dark fecal spots they leave behind on furniture, mattresses, or walls. You can also discover a bed bug problem by looking for their molt skins, eggs, and empty eggshells. Small, itchy bites on the skin may also indicate an infestation, but only in conjunction with other evidence of bed bugs.

Bed Bugs In Yakima County Businesses

Bed bugs are hitchhiking pests and are easily carried on people and objects to new locations. For this reason, they are quite prevalent in commercial settings, as many people are coming and going daily. For example, an employee may go on vacation and stay in a hotel room with bed bugs. He may then unwittingly bring the bugs home with him and then to the office when he returns to work.

Since bed bugs are nocturnal, they often go unnoticed in commercial buildings since no one is there at night. While the actual bugs may not be spotted, it is important to inspect your office space for dark spots caused by bed bug fecal matter. You will likely find these stains on furniture upholstery or the walls. It would be best if you also were on the lookout for whitish bed bug eggs, eggshells, or molt skins. A sweet, musty smell could also indicate bed bugs in the office.

How To Prevent Bringing Bed Bugs Home From Work

It’s bad enough having bed bugs at work; the last thing you need is to have them tormenting you at home too. Luckily, there are precautions you can take to keep bed bugs from hitching a ride home with you.

If you find out that your office has a bed bug infestation, follow these tips to reduce the chance of bringing them home with you:

• Thoroughly inspect all items before bringing them home from work - briefcase, purse, files, etc.
• Check your clothing and shoes for signs of bed bugs before entering your home.
• If you find bed bugs on your personal items or clothing, destroy them immediately or seal them in plastic bags to be treated by a professional.
• Even if your work clothes are not visibly infested, wash them in hot water to ensure they’re safe.
• Vacuum purses, briefcases, and laptop bags.
• Stay home from work until the bed bugs have been eradicated from the office.

Following these prevention techniques will help reduce the likelihood of bringing bed bugs home. For better peace of mind, consider reaching out to a professional for a bed bug inspection.

Commercial Bed Bug Control In Yakima County, WA

If your commercial building has a bed bug infestation, it is imperative that a professional commercial pest control service be called immediately. Protect your business, employees, and visitors from these pervasive pests with service from Prosite. Our professionals will effectively eliminate bed bugs from your property using our comprehensive bed bug treatment process.

We will first inspect the entire property, including all the small spaces, cracks, and gaps in the building, to successfully identify the bed bug populations and get right to the source. Then we will use either heat or conventional bed bug treatment, depending on which one is right for the situation. After the property has been treated, we will schedule follow-up visits for three weeks to ensure that the bed bugs have been completely wiped out. Don’t let the bed bugs bite in your workplace, contact Prosite today to schedule your consultation.