HOW TO GET RID OF BED BUGS IN SHELTERS
Bed bug infestations have increased exponentially in the last fifteen years. These pests were seldom seen in the United States for many years. Unfortunately, bed bugs are now a common pest. We’ve seen bed bug infestations occur in a wide variety of businesses and spaces. However, few organizations face the same kind of challenges as nonprofits that serve economically disadvantaged populations. Of these, organizations that seek to address homelessness and housing inequality may face the greatest challenges. The population they serve, and the services they offer virtually guarantee that bed bugs will be a regular and ongoing source of difficulty.
However, there are steps you can take to significantly reduce the incidence of bed bug infestations, as well as address problems when they arise. Contrary to popular belief, these solutions may not always require extensive use of chemicals, although they can certainly be a useful tool in the right hands. While we certainly recommend you partner with a good pest control company, it may be possible to handle a great deal of bed bug introductions yourself. You can certainly take steps to prevent infestations from happening, and contain them when they do.
This guide aims to inform and educate leaders at public-sector and non-profit organizations that house their clients. We want to give you the information and tools you will need to proactively address bed bug infestations in your facilities. This guide will contain:
Heat chambers are an integral part of some processes we outline in this guide. However, the information in this guide should be useful if you already own a chamber, or if you are currently unable to purchase a ZappBug heat chamber.
A final note before we begin: There are no easy, inexpensive, one-time solutions to bed bug infestations. Controlling pests will require continued effort. With that said, a little education and a few simple processes can greatly diminish the level of pest introduction and infestations you will experience. If you are willing to involve and educate your staff about pests, you can dramatically reduce bed bugs and other pest control issues in your facility.
