Frequently used online review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor can mean that one bad customer experience can significantly impact your business. While most people think bed bugs are only a problem for hotels, these pests can infest offices, clinics, hair salons, and other commercial sites. If you own a business in Bethlehem, Allentown, or Easton, PA, you need to rely on the best bed bug control in the Poconos to handle your problem, quickly and discreetly.
How do bed bugs get into commercial properties?
These brownish-colored insects with flat bodies feed on the blood of humans. They don’t fly but can move easily through a building over porous surfaces like walls and carpets. Because of their small size — about the size of an apple seed —they can hide easily in bedding, soft furniture, dresser drawers, and more.
Hotels are a highly common environment for bed bugs because they migrate by traveling on humans. They can also ride on outerwear, luggage, and boxes. So, while hospitality venues are at risk, other businesses aren’t immune. Bed bugs can travel into your business on customers, products, or employees. They can’t move well on smooth surfaces like metal or plastic, but any textiles that enter your building can start trouble. Some people have even found them in rideshares like Uber and Lyft. For businesses that regularly use towels, sheets, and other fabrics, such as salons, massage therapists, and physical therapists, a reputation for bed bugs is devastating.
Signs You Have Bed Bugs in Your Poconos Business
Luckily, you can see bed bugs with the unaided eye, but you need to look for them. Some signs that you have bed bugs include:
- Exoskeletons left from molting
- Droppings in the seams of mattresses or upholstery
- Dark red blood spots on sheets or light colored fabric furniture
- A sweet, musty aroma
You, your employees, or even your customers, may develop bite marks on the face, neck, arms, and hands, which are usually red and itchy. Often they will show up as raised bumps clustered in lines. While some people do not react to bed bug bites, a portion of the population is sensitive and reacts with welts and itching. Most distressingly, the severity of the reaction can increase over time with subsequent bites.
How can I prevent bed bugs from getting into my Poconos business?
On the whole, bed bugs don’t carry diseases and cause nothing more than skin irritation. However, the stigma of an infestation can impact your business’s reputation, and getting rid of them is a monumental task to take on without professional help. The perception that you and your staff are less than scrupulously clean could mean bankruptcy — even though the presence of bed bugs has nothing to do with your hygiene.
To prevent getting bed bugs in your business, inspect your facility regularly for evidence of bed bug activity. Another helpful tip would be to train your employees on how to spot a bed bug infestation. Inspect all of the items that come out of shipping crates and deliveries for bed bugs. If you find any signs of bed bugs, call Seitz Bros right away.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends washing and using heat to dry any bedding, toweling, or clothing used in your business, as well as frequent vacuuming. Make sure you change any vacuum bag and dispose of it immediately.
How can Seitz Bros. get rid of bed bugs in my commercial property?
The EPA also recommends turning to professionals to eradicate bed bugs. Bed bugs are challenging to treat since they only feed once a month and can live up to a year without feeding at all. You may not even realize that you have a growing bed bug infestation until it’s entirely out of hand. Contact the professional team at Seitz Bros. for bed bug control in the Poconos. We offer 40 years of experience protecting local businesses and homes from invaders. Give us a call or fill out the contact form on this page to get started!
