Bed bugs at work? This may seem like a curious case, but in the cleaning services industry, this is not unheard of.

Bed bugs may be tiny but they sure are terrible. These notorious little bloodsuckers deliver bites that are so itchy, they can cause skin irritation and overall discomfort to a person. 

In a place like an office where focus and a sound mind is essential, it is difficult to concentrate on important work matters if you are constantly plagued with physiological pain in the form of a bed bug bite. 

Bed bugs at the office are not uncommon even if the name suggests that these insects could only be found in your bed. In fact, bed bugs in the office chair are the equivalent of bed bugs under your bet.

How to identify bed bugs and bed bug bites

Bed bugs are not microscopic, so it’s easy to spot one of these if it’s been hanging out on your workstation or desk. Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are brownish-red in color as adults and white or yellowish in younger forms.

When these bed bugs bite you, the bites tend to appear in rows that appear as red elevated areas on the skin. These bites are very itchy, but it is advised to not scratch these bites so that they don’t turn into wounds. To relieve symptoms, applying calamine lotion usually helps. 

Getting rid of  bed bugs in the workplace 

The thing about these bed bugs is that they are almost impossible to get rid of. What’s worse is that these parasitic insects can be easily transferred from one place to another, spreading a problem and making the situation even harder to deal with.

Two things are for sure. People don’t want to come home with bed bugs in their bags, and they definitely wouldn’t want to go to work in an office that is a hotbed for bed bugs and risk bringing these bugs home.

It’s not nice for any place, especially an office, to turn into a setting that is unsettling. If your office is becoming a hotspot for bed bugs, act quick, and make sure that you know the right thing to do.

Here is how you should handle a bedbug infestation when it occurs in your office:

Follow a regular cleaning schedule.

Bed bugs thrive in dusty locations. Make it a habit to have every nook and cranny of your office space vacuumed and given the proper cleaning treatment on a day-to-day basis.  This includes hallways, lobbies, kitchens, and even bathrooms. A clean space prevents the bed bugs from multiplying and spreading. 

Have your carpets and upholstery deep cleaned.

You might also want to pay close attention to your carpets. Because bed bugs like dirt, they can easily latch on your carpet sides– the areas that do not get easily noticed. In this case, it is best to get a professional cleaning services company to do encapsulation carpet cleaning on your carpets. Your carpets’ fibers could potentially become a breeding place for bed bugs. Encapsulation carpet cleaning is a deep cleaning treatment that ensures that your carpets are rid of the dirt and grime and are not a cause of bed bug infestation.

Make sure that every space and corner is thoroughly cleaned. 

Apart from getting your carpets deep cleaned, you also have to ensure that all areas of the office space are immaculate. While it does sound impossible, it actually isn’t if you opt for electrostatic disinfection. This cleaning method is a highly effective way to clean every spot of your office and is ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach areas and odd spaces. Because bed bugs can hide in dark, concealed spaces, electrostatic disinfection is a powerful way to eliminate bed bugs. 

Maintain a routine inspection of all areas.

Even if you are adhering to a strict cleaning schedule in your office, it is still essential to conduct inspection drills on every corner of your office to ensure that there are no infestations and in the event that there are, it is going to be easier for you to control the situation before it gets worse. Look for brownish or reddish spots on the seams of your furniture and upholstery. These are the first few signs of bed bug infestations. You should also inspect all electrical sockets, surge protectors, and picture frames as these are known locations that bed bugs favor to inhabit. 

Declutter. 

Applying the well-known KonMari Method in the workplace is a good idea to eliminate the possibility of bed bugs. All the unused stuff in the office can provide a home for these nasty bugs to hide into. As much as possible, throw away the things that you no longer use in the office. 

Make everyone involved.

It is not just the management’s fight against bed bug infestation. It is the problem of every person in the company especially as bed bugs can be contagious at work, if not addressed immediately. At this point, it is best to encourage everyone in the company to keep a watchful eye on bed bugs on their respective seats and desks, and to report any case immediately to the management. If someone at work has bed bugs, the management must be informed discreetly so that they could take proper action. 

It must be emphasized that as everyone participates in solving the infestation problem, the faster it is to arrive at the solution, and the better the problem is resolved for the benefit of all.

The workplace should be treated with respect. It should foster people’s productivity. It should be a place of dwelling for ideas. It should be clean and comfortable enough to become the employees’ second home. Don’t let these minuscule bed bugs turn it into a place that terrifies you.

Despite their size, bed bugs can be a huge nuisance. However, by understanding the proper cleaning management for your office, you can stay on top of things and maintain solid office space for you and your people.