Protecting Hospitals From Bed Bugs

We're sure you've heard by now about the hospital with bed bugs. It's true. Bed bugs can show up in hospitals. There are becoming fewer and fewer places these bugs don't show up, and when they appear, they can cause panic. But there are two sides to every story. Here are a few facts patients and hospitals should know about bed bugs.

• Bed bugs are hitchhiking bugs. If you see a bed bug in your hospital room, it does not necessarily mean that the hospital is infested. That bed bug could have come in on someone else. These blood-eating pests are spreading like wildfire across the country, and there are a number of places they can climb on us. Another patient could have brought that bug into the hospital inside a pocketbook or bag. It could have been picked up in a taxi cab and ridden in on a shirt sleeve.
• Bed bugs do not mean a hospital is dirty. It is a common belief that bed bugs live in dirty places. This can cause quite a bit of alarm for someone staying in a hospital where they rely upon things to be clean and disinfected. The truth is bed bugs are not drawn to dirty places; they are drawn to blood. That is why they can be found in some of the cleanest environments. They will infest any place they can get a blood meal.
• The signs aren't so obvious. You might wonder how a hospital staff could miss the signs of bed bugs, but the truth is these bugs do a really good job of hiding their presence. It isn't a simple matter of checking all the mattresses in a room because bed bugs don't only hide in mattresses. These pests can be found behind baseboards, inside wall voids, and even in electronics. They will hide until it is safe, then come out and feed.
• Training and inspections are key. The only solution to preventing a bed bug scare, or the bad publicity that can come from bed bugs appearing, is to have staff trained to deal with this issue and ongoing bed bug inspections. Proper education is necessary for staff members to recognize these bugs and to field questions from patients if a bug is found. And, ongoing bed bug inspections prevent infestation, even before they start. At Action Pest Control, we utilize canine inspectors to quickly and effectively locate infested areas.

If you have any questions about how bed bug sniffing dogs are turning the tide in the war against bed bugs or how Action Pest Control can help you prevent a bed bug scare, reach out to us. Our specialists look forward to helping you with this growing problem.