Have you struggled with bed bug infestations in your business? I have. While hospitality businesses seem to suffer most, I’ve talked to transport companies and traveling salesmen who have also dealt with repeated problems. Bed bugs aren’t a mark of whether you’re running a clean ship or not–they’re not cockroaches–and they’ll hitch a ride on anyone they come into contact with. That makes them a relentless enemy for business owners and traveling individuals.
I used to deal with them in a reactionary way, booking treatments after complaints (which could be terrible for our reputation) or when our eagle-eyed staff spotted an early sign. After dealing with the stress of working this way for a few years, I knew I had to find a better way of combating these pests in our New Jersey business. That’s when I found a way to conquer bed bugs in my business for good. Read on to find out how I did it!
How I Conquered Bed Bugs for Good in 4 Steps
1. Comprehensive Infestation Assessment
I didn’t set out to find some revolutionary new method – I just needed to treat a suspected infestation. Since, historically speaking, treating bed bugs at my establishment has been pretty disruptive to business, I decided to confirm whether or not we really were dealing with bed bugs before moving on to the next step. I’ve been a little skeptical of human inspections in the past (my staff can do a good job, and I’m not sure what else the professionals could see), so I decided to find a K9 bed bug detection team.
I learned that trained K9s are extremely effective at detecting bed bugs. In the same way drug detection dogs work in airports, trained bed bug detection dogs have an accuracy rate of 98% and sniff out these unwanted intruders. We hired Dog Team 6 who came out and covered our entire property in half a day, confirming we had two infected rooms.
2. Treatment
Now we knew where the infestation was, we could treat it. We used to treat our rooms with chemicals, but we found that doing so often required multiple treatments and would render the room uninhabitable for longer than we could afford. Then I learned of heat treatments, and they allowed us to heat one room at a time, discreetly, killing off the bed bugs. The rooms are inhabitable as soon as they’ve cooled back down to a normal temperature. Many pest control companies now offer heat treatments as an option, but we purchased our own so we could treat rooms as often as necessary. So, we set up our equipment and had both rooms treated in a couple of days.
3. Reinspection
After the main treatment, we had a follow-up K9 inspection to check the effectiveness of our treatment, and ensure our other rooms and spaces remained clear. After the dog gave us the all clear, we could relax and put our full focus back on serving our customers. A few of my staff also had K9 inspections at home to ensure they’d not taken any bed bugs home (they hadn’t).
4. Proactive Preventative Measures
From there, we knew that to keep bed bugs out for good, we needed to be proactive about identification. We educated our staff on visible warning signs and arranged regular K9 inspections, which not only ensured we stayed bed bug free, but also gave us peace of mind that we were on top of things.
Victory Over Bed Bugs in New Jersey
For businesses struggling with similar issues, I highly recommend incorporating K9 inspections into your bed bug prevention and treatment protocol. It has allowed us to feel in control and confident in the quality of service we’re offering our customers. If you’re in New Jersey, Dog Team 6 offers expert, professional bed bug detection services in Morris County and Middlesex County.
Don’t let bed bugs disrupt your business—take control and prevent infections with Dog Team 6. Click here to contact us now.