Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Bed Bugs and Public Places (continued)

Today's post will be the follow up the post on Monday "Bed Bugs and Public Places". So if you want to find out the last 5 major public places where bed bugs are a concern, then keep reading.

Quick recap:

1. Hospitals and Nursing Homes
2. Laundry Facilities
3. Retail Stores
4. Movie Theatres
5. Public Libraries

And now for the last five.

6. Public Transportation (planes, buses, trains)- If you've read our previous posts on bed bugs then this one shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Traveling can be a concern with the threat of bed bugs because they can live in the seats and such and you can get them that way. For more information about bed bugs and travel specifically (if you haven't already read it, check out our post on Bed Bugs and Travel).

7. Daycares, Schools and Colleges- When it comes to daycares and schools, kids are likely to share toys, cots, etc and unfortunately sometimes bed bugs. In regards to colleges the biggest concern is dorm living--students who live in dorms can spread bed bugs throughout the dorm through the laundry facilities, by sharing clothes or as discussed in the section on public libaries, we know that bed bugs can be transferred through books as well. Another concern is with visitors, who can pick up or drop of bed bugs in another dorm room and spread them that way. Finally, bed bugs can be brought home (or picked up by the student from their home) when they go home for visits.

8. Businesses and Offices- Bed bugs could be hiding in your office in the carpet or furniture. You may have clients, packages, and employees coming and going which can easily bring in bed bugs or you could pick them up at the office and bring them home.

9. Thrift stores and Yard Sales- The problem with these is that you have no real idea who brought them in and whether or not they brought along something extra. As we've already discussed bed bugs can be spread a number of ways (clothing, furniture, luggage, bedding, etc) so you really have to be careful when shopping at these places.

10. Places of Worship- Who would have thought right? Well unfortunately it does make sense as there is usually a large number of people in and out and it is possible to spread bed bugs in a church or other place of worship.

So that wraps this series up and while it can be a little nervewracking not knowing whether a place is safe or not, as long as you know what to look for in terms of finding signs of a bed bug infestation then you can hopefully catch anything sooner rather than later.

If you do have a problem with bed bugs or you think you might (or any other pests), give Cottage Country Pest Control a call today at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Bed bugs and Public Places

Many people think of bed bugs as only being something they have to worry about in their home. They hear bed bugs and think "bed", but unfortunately bed bugs are not something that is limited to someone's home.

Since bed bugs have been making a well publicized return it is important to remember that bed bugs can be found in many public places and not just at someone homes.

Today's blog post will discuss 5 of the top 10 public bed bug infestation spots. We'll conclude the list tomorrow!

1. Hospitals and Nursing Homes- bed bugs are not really know for disriminating against anyone and that includes the sick, elderly or the employees of these institutions. There have been cases in recent years where some hospitals had to quarantine some rooms and triage centres in order to fight the spread of bed bugs.

2. Laundry Facilities- this one almost seems like a no-brainer...right? Granted washing and drying your clothes and bedding in super hot water is a good start to treating bed bugs, if you are in a laundry in a laundromat you are at risk for picking it up from someone there. It's a good idea to keep your clothing and bedding separate from other people to try and avoid cross contamination.

3. Retail Stores- Another obvious one? right? If you are at a retail store and maybe you are trying on some clothes, it's important to know that while it is rare, it is possible to get bed bugs that way. Bed bugs could also be found on furniture, in shoes. etc. Some stores have had to close down to deal with bed bug infestations after discovering the pesky critters within the stores.

4. Movie theatres- A movie theatre has plushy seats and LOTS of hosts in which they can travel on. See where I'm going with this? Movie theatres are a really good places to catch bed bugs and bring them home with you.

5. Public Libraries- did you see this one coming? Recently bed bugs have been found in a few libraries around Ontario (and probably Canada and the States as well but I cannot confirm nor deny). Anyway bed bugs can be found in books and if you happen to check those books out, you could potentially bring bed bugs into your home. You could also bring bed bugs into your home by visiting the library if you hang around the library reading or using their computers.

Check back tomorrow for the last 5 public places where bed bugs could be an issue.

If you have a problem with bed bugs or any other pests or you think you may, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-54-7863 or email us today.