When bed bugs appear in an office space, there can be some confusion. The first misconception you’re going to have to deal with is the idea that bed bugs don’t infest office spaces. The truth is that they can, and do, infest office spaces if they’re given the right conditions. How do they do this? Bed bugs can feed on humans when they’re fully awake. If you have any dark spaces in your office, or you have employees who work after dark, bed bugs can get a blood meal. They feed for about ten minutes at a time and can get a meal from someone sitting at a desk or lying on a couch.
The first hurdle you have to overcome is knowing that you could have a bed bug infestation. The second is to appropriately deal with employees that may be bringing bed bugs into work. This can be a very touchy subject, and it is possible that an employee has bed bugs in their area but didn’t bring them in. Bed bugs can be brought in by co-workers, clients, or customers. When you consider the danger bed bugs present to your Dallas business, you may immediately think of the medical consequences. The real danger is how bed bugs can affect morale, teamwork, and productivity. This is where we are going to start our conversation today.
Bed Bugs Get In Your Head, Not Just Your Bed
It is almost common knowledge that bed bugs are hitchhiking pests. Most of your employees will know that bed bugs are carried into work environments, and that they can also be carried home from work. This can cause more than a little bit of tension when bed bugs are discovered. No one wants to bring bed bugs home and have to deal with an infestation. For some, the thought of bed bugs is enough to cause distress. It can really get into your head.
Have you ever had a flea infestation at home? Do you know that feeling you get when you’re watching television and you think there is a flea on your leg, but nothing is there? A bed bug infestation can create the same response. Even if there was only one bed bug in your entire office space, your employees may feel like they’re in every nook and cranny, waiting to come out and feed on them. This is not good for productivity.
How To Get Employees To Stop Thinking About Bed Bugs
When your employees know that you have a bed bug plan, and they are equipped with the information they need to reduce their fear and anxiety, you don’t have to worry as much about lower productivity.
A Bed Bug Action Plan
When you have a plan, your employees know you mean business. They’re not going to worry as much when a bed bug appears if they know that these bugs aren’t going to be around for long. Your action plan should include:
- The dispersal of facts and information to employees to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride home with them.
- General information posted about bed bugs, such as the fact that they are not known to transmit diseases to humans and they aren’t attracted to dirty people.
- Let your employees know that the office will be inspected by Bullseye K9 Detection. Our trained dogs are able to detect bed bugs in all stages of development, and they’re able to move through office spaces with little to no disturbance. If bed bugs have infested any area of your office, our technicians will let you know and offer options for fast, effective, and discrete remediation.
Bed Bugs As A Medical Threat
In an office space, bed bugs don’t typically present the same issues as they do for residents that battle with infestations in their homes. You don’t need to share this information with your employees, but these facts are good for you to know:
- Each bed bug is likely to bite three times during the night. This can lead to numerous bite wounds.
- Bed bug bites can be itchy. If scratched, the wounds can become open, and this can lead to infection.
- Itching bed bug bites can increase the discomfort as it increases the inflammation.
- Ongoing bites can lead to a condition called anemia.
- Ongoing bites can cause sleep deprivation, which can cause anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide.
- Ongoing bites can lead to bite wounds that are much worse. In some cases, they can start to become painful welts.
Dallas Bed Bug Control
There is no better way to protect your Dallas office space from bed bug infestations than to partner with Bullseye K-9 Detection. Our experienced team members can guide you in creating the right plan for your business. Reach out to us today for an inspection or consultation. In Dallas, we are the bed bug experts.