Bed Bug Control Can Be Tricky For Lake Worth Business Owners

The dreaded bed bug. It gets into your business in mysterious ways and damages your reputation faster than you can say, "How do you get bed bugs?" How it gets into your business isn't the only thing mysterious about this bug. When Lake Worth business owners attempt to control bed bugs with DIY pest control, they quickly discover it is trickier than one might think. Bed bugs are robust insects with abilities that help them avoid extermination in mysterious ways. What can you do when you find bed bugs in your business? And, when is it time to contact Lake Worth pest control for help with bed bugs? Let's look at how bed bugs get in, the problems they create, how do-it-yourself bed bug pest control can fall short, and how a professional bed bug control plan can guard your reputation from harm.

Three Ways Bed Bugs Spread To Your Business Space

Bed bugs are not like the other bugs that get into your business. They don't live outside, they live indoors, close to humans. Since they don't live outside, repellents won't drive them out. And, if you attempt to keep bed bugs from getting inside your business by applying perimeter treatments, you won't have any success. They hitch rides and pass over your perimeter pest protection. Do you see the problem? If you want to get control of bed bugs and keep them out, you need to understand how they spread to your business. 

1. Bed bugs hide in tiny gaps, cracks, tight spaces, and dark voids. When they infest a location, they'll hide in furniture, luggage, pocketbooks, duffel bags, briefcases, etc. When these items move, bed bugs move with them. An infestation can begin with a small number of bed bugs tucked away in a hiding place.
2. Bed bugs lay eggs in tiny gaps, cracks, tight spaces, and dark voids. These eggs don't need the mother bed bug. They can hatch without attendance. You'll have dozens of bed bugs appear in your business overnight when this happens.
3. Bed bugs get behind baseboards and crown molding, hide in electric outlets, and make their way into wall voids. If your office space is one of many office spaces in your building, you may acquire a bed bug infestation from an adjacent business.

When you attempt to get control of a bed bug infestation or as you work to prevent an infestation, you need to consider how they get in. As you do, keep in mind that anyone can bring bed bugs into your business. It may be a customer, an employee, or someone who visited your business. Diplomacy and education are tools to help minimize the potential for misunderstandings.

Diplomacy: Bed bugs aren't attracted to dirty people or dirty environments. They spread passively. Your customers and your employees did not bring this trouble upon themselves. They are victims of these irritating pests, the same as you. 

Education: Let your customers and employees know that bed bugs are constantly spreading, and no one is to blame for attracting them. You're all in this together. The goal should be to find these insects and address them as a team.

Do you see how tricky it can be to deal with bed bugs? It is hard to track how they got into your business and even harder to get them out without creating a conflict. No one wants to be seen as the one who has bed bugs. These challenges are magnified in a small business where there is often little room for misconceptions or bad feelings. 

Problems Bed Bugs Cause For The Small Business Owner

As a business owner, you know bed bugs aren't a health threat. It is your job to know this. But most customers and employees don't know this about bed bugs. You need to be ahead of bed bugs to avoid the problems. Here are a few examples:

• When a customer finds bed bugs in overnight accommodations, you and your staff need to be equipped with information about these pests so that you may alleviate any fears. Reassure your guest(s) that bed bugs aren't dangerous and that there is no widespread infestation. Bed bugs are a constant challenge, but you are on top of bed bug control.  
• When an employee finds bed bugs in the office, they should already know what to do. Educating your employees helps to limit fears and equips them with the information necessary to inform clients or customers of what they can do to protect themselves. It also helps to have your employees immediately point out that your company has zero tolerance for these pests and that there is a plan in place to deal with them.
• When a tenant finds bed bugs, it pays to have a proper response. Your tenant will be thankful to know that you're on top of bed bug problems and that you have helpful advice to correct the problem.

The problems bed bugs cause are most often related to a poor response. Customers may be fearful or wrongly determine that you don't maintain your business the way you should. Employees can feel nervous about bringing bugs home with them and be frustrated when their concerns are not addressed. Good tenants may decide to move out, believing that bed bugs are running rampant in your apartment complex. Do you see the problem? You can guard yourself against these problems by getting ahead of them. It is also essential to take appropriate measures to arrest bed bug activity. Unfortunately, taking matters into your own hands might make your problems worse. Bed bug control is best performed by an educated and experienced professional.

DIY Bed Bug Control Drawbacks

When you attempt to get control of bed bugs yourself, mistakes can happen. Your employees aren't likely to know how to check for bed bugs or how to treat bed bugs. They are not likely to even know how to identify bed bugs. It is startling but true. Bed bugs don't always look like bed bugs. 

The bed bugs you and your employees are likely familiar with are the adult bed bugs shown on news reports. They are shaped-like apple seeds and have a rusty coloration and horizontal creases. But, when you or your employees look for bed bugs, you may not recognize them. Here are a few facts to consider:

• Bed bugs are small. Even adult bed bugs can be mistaken for other bugs due to their tiny size and how hard it can be to see details, such as the horizontal creases.
• Bed bugs can appear black or red. The black coloration is the feces inside their large abdomens. The red coloration is human blood.
• Bed bug nymphs may be a tan or milky coloration.
• Nymphs can appear to be white and red insects after a bloodmeal.
• All bed bugs hide in tight spaces and hidden voids. You may not see them at all.

Not knowing where to look for bed bugs or how to identify them when you find them can make these pests tricky to control. But this is only part of the problem. Bed bugs are hard to control, and many bed bug control tips online have no impact on bed bugs.

• It is possible to use heat to exterminate bed bugs but purchasing space heaters and placing them in areas of infestation will not solve your bed bug problem. Bed bugs will find cold spots and hide from the heat.
• It is possible to exterminate bed bugs with insecticides, but over-the-counter sprays are topical and don't get into the hiding places where bed bugs are found.
• There are many home remedies that can exterminate bed bugs, such as vinegar, diatomaceous earth, etc. But they just don't work to eliminate an infestation.
• Traps can be used to capture bed bugs, but they rarely arrest infestations because bed bugs learn to avoid them.            

In light of the ways bed bugs can make customers and employees uneasy, you need to properly address these pests the first time. Failing to do so can drive customers and employees away and impact your bottom line.

Why You Should Always Order Professional Bed Bug Control

A licensed commercial pest control professional uses a multi-pronged strategy to ensure that no bed bugs remain in your business after treatment. The process is complicated and your service professional provides all the information you need to make everything run as smoothly as possible. You'll be given a prep sheet to prepare for your treatment. You'll be given instructions on how to run your business around the treatment schedule and be instructed on what steps can be taken to prevent future infestations.

Is your business in Lake Worth? If so, contact Above and Beyond Pest Control for assistance with bed bug problems. Our service team has the training, experience, and professionalism to go above and beyond your expectations. We understand the challenges you face, and we know what is needed to get rid of bed bugs and get you back to business as usual.