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Ryan Cwynar Reviews

Dry vapor steamers are an essential tool in any complete bed bug treatment. By blasting cracks and crevices with steam at over 180 degrees, these machines can kill bed bugs of all life stages on contact. Steam can even penetrate into soft materials, like mattresses and upholstered furniture, to reach bed bugs hiding out of […]

Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 Bed Bug Steamer Review

Dry vapor steamers are an essential tool in any complete bed bug treatment. By blasting cracks and crevices with steam at over 180 degrees, these machines can kill bed bugs of all life stages on contact. Steam can even penetrate into soft materials, like mattresses and upholstered furniture, to reach bed bugs hiding out of view. But up until recently, consumers had to pay top dollar for fully-featured commercial steamers or compromise on a much weaker but more affordable alternative. The new Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 aims to fill that gap in the middle.

When using a typical bed bug steamer, the workflow is roughly the same regardless of the exact model being used: the operator will fill the water tank, turn the machine on and wait for it to boil, and then start steaming until the tank is empty. Once the water tank runs dry, the operator must turn off the machine and wait for the internal pressure to drop before they can refill and reheat the tank.

In recent years, more and more commercial bed bug steamers have begun offering continuous fill as a feature. This design combines a pressurized internal boiler with an unpressurized water tank. With a continuous fill steamer, the user can add more water to the tank without stopping and waiting for the boiler to reheat.

While continuous fill is in high demand among professionals, bed bug steamers with the technology can be prohibitively expensive. The Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 is one of the first continuous fill steamers available for under \$500. Is this the new mid-range bed bug steamer of choice? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Body and Accessories

With most commercial-grade bed bug steamers, you get a box with very little branding or accessories. Steamers like the Armato 9000 tend to come in a simple package with simple purpose. In this case, the Vaporetto Smart 100’s box and contents are targeted more as a consumer cleaning solution. That means you get plenty of attachments for cleaning and sanitizing every inch of your home.

The steamer itself is a unique and attractive design. The body is surprisingly compact given its dual-tank capacity. You wouldn’t expect two tanks filled with 11 cups of water to fit into this unit, but that’s what it’s capable of. Other dual-tank steamers may carry more water, but they are much larger and heavier. That makes them harder to carry around during a treatment, and harder to store afterwards. Conversely, the Vaporetto strikes an ideal balance between portability and power.

One of the most unique features on the Vaporetto is one that is nearly absent among continuous-fill steamers: an onboard accessory storage compartment. This slotted bay on the rear of the steamer body helps you keep everything you need within reach during your bed bug treatment or home cleaning. Thanks to the body’s compact design, both the steamer and its attachments can stow away together in a closet or pantry when you’re done.

Under the Hood

There are two internal features that set the Vaporetto apart from the competition:

The first is its continuous fill technology. Inside of the steamer’s compactly designed body are two water tanks, one pressurized and one unpressurized. The polymer reservoir tank can hold over a half gallon of water, and can continuously feed into the pressurized boiler.

All of this capacity for continuous operation would quickly go to waste if the steamer was only capable of projecting steam at maximum output all of the time. Fortunately, the Vaporetto features adjustable steam output via a dial to the rear of the body. At max pressure, the Vaporetto offers class-leading penetration but at a tradeoff of a lower tip temperature, since the rush of steam flow reduces the ability for the heat to stay in place. By turning the dial down, you can better focus the heat near the tip of the nozzle, which is ideal for attachments such as the flat fabric tool.

Using the Vaporetto Smart 100

The designers at Polti have years of experience building steamers that get the job done, and the Vaporetto Smart 100 is no exception to that. The Vaporetto is considered a dry vapor steamer, which means its high pressure allows it to deliver dryer steam than other consumer-grade steam mops (although both still expel water). The easily adjustable pressure control lets you dial up (or down) the steam output with ease, making it simple to switch from broadcast steaming over flat surfaces to high-pressure penetration in cracks and crevices throughout the room.

Thanks to the continuous fill design, using the Vaporetto over sustained treatment times is a cinch. The unpressurized water tank is easily detachable, so you can bring it to the faucet or other water source while the steamer body is still plugged in and boiling. Even the boiler maintenance has been made as simple as possible. The lower shell of the body features a cap that allows for easy access to the boiler. This is key to prevent limescale and other buildups that may occur over time within the pressurized tank.

Wrapping Up

There’s no question that the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 is one of the best values on the steamer market. But it’s more than just a bargain — the Vaporetto has the guts and features to stand on its own, regardless of price. Few steamers boast continuous fill design, steam adjustment, and onboard accessory storage all in one package. The Vaporetto Smart 100 packs all of that into a simple, attractive, and compact package.

So who should buy the Smart 100? If you’re a pest control operator or property manager, the Vaporetto checks off most of the specs you’ll be looking for in a commercial steamer. However, you’ll still want to consider more expensive steamers, like the Armato 9000 or Cimex Eradicator (also by Polti). The Armato offers class-leading durability and water capacity, while the Cimex Eradicator was purpose-built for bed bug treatments. But if you’re a homeowner who won’t be steaming every day, and just want a steamer that’s a cut above the usual consumer-grade options, the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 is an exceptional choice.

Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 Steamer (58 PSI)

Kill bed bugs instantly with the Vaporetto’s lethal steam power! The Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 is a steam cleaner that combines the strength of steam and the ergonomics of Italian design. It’s compact, feature-packed, and comes with a complete set of accessories for bed bug treatment and home cleaning.
Our Price:

$399.00
Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 Steamer (58 PSI)
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MM Novato FAQ

Every year, thousands of Americans are exposed to bed bugs during hotel stays or while on airplanes, trains, buses, or cruise ships. Many of them bring the bedbugs home after their trip, opening the door to infestation. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of travel as we know it, causing most […]

Will COVID-19 Get Rid of Bed Bugs Forever?

Every year, thousands of Americans are exposed to bed bugs during hotel stays or while on airplanes, trains, buses, or cruise ships. Many of them bring the bedbugs home after their trip, opening the door to infestation. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of travel as we know it, causing most travel to halt as quarantine orders spread around the world. Will this sudden change in how people move and interact be the end of bed bugs as we know them?

How Bed Bugs Spread

Contrary to popular belief, cleanliness of living conditions has nothing to do with the likelihood of a bed bug infestation. They are found daily anywhere from motels to mansions. Anywhere where people sleep and travel is fair game. Bed bugs are most often encountered for the first time in a place of public frequenting, like an airport, train, or hotel.

Another misconception about bed bugs is how they spread from person to person. People like to compare bed bugs to fleas or ticks, picturing them as jumping bugs that crawl all over an infested person, looking for a passerby to hop onto. The fact is that bed bugs can’t jump or fly, and aren’t really that nimble. They spread through more subtle, but equally effective, means of travel.

Bed bugs are most commonly transported via luggage, after climbing into them in a hotel or airport. Once they’ve tucked into a dark hiding place, all they have to do is sit back and relax as their unsuspecting chauffeur sweeps them off to their new feeding ground, hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Mass consumer travel isn’t a bed bug’s only method of house-swapping. It’s also very common for them to spread between units of an infested apartment complex, usually through the walls via peeling wallpaper, electrical outlets, and other wall voids. While moving from person to person through contact isn’t a bed bug’s specialty, it’s not unheard of.

How COVID-19 Will Change Travel

Bed Bug Travel Tips

While lockdown restrictions are lifting around the world, the lasting effects of COVID-19 response methods will likely be in place for a long time. Airlines may still require masks and reduce occupancy rates in an effort to prevent resurgence of the virus.

For starters, a long-term trend may emerge of travelers taking fewer flights. A recent survey found that of those that had changed their travel plans for this year, 22% had switched from flying to driving . Aviation industry group Airlines for America says US airlines have idled 3,000 aircraft, or half the nation’s fleet, due to the downturn, while the number of passengers passing through TSA checkpoints at airports is down 93% over last year.

Since airports, hotels, and the planes themselves are such common travel methods for bed bugs, this change may drastically reduce the rate of transmission for bed bug infestations. While wearing a mask does nothing to prevent getting bed bugs, the other efforts made after the COVID-19 outbreak may have residual effect on bed bug infestation rates.

Other Factors to Bed Bug Survival

Ultimately, bed bugs will still be a threat. No one knows exactly why bed bugs came back after being nearly wiped out in the 20th century. While many are quick to point the blame at the banning of DDT in 2001, experts doubt that DDT would have prevented this new epidemic. With their uncanny ability to rapidly build resistance to many pesticide chemicals, bed bugs found today are believed to be widely immune to DDT. To make matters worse, most pesticide sprays found at local grocery and hardware stores still use outdated ingredients that are no longer effective against today’s strains of bed bugs.

Scientists do agree on how bed bugs were able to thrive so successfully in modern homes. Thanks to the advent of electricity and home air conditioning, bed bugs are now able to comfortably survive indoors year-round. Since they have evolved to live in the same climates that their human hosts do, there is little we can do about that.

If we want to keep our collective sanity, we’ll need to educate the world on new and effective ways to deal with bed bug infestations as they become even more common in the coming years. Fortunately, bed bug treatments can be done effectively and affordably, whether by a professional or in a do-it-yourself fashion.

Holistic treatment methods are quickly gaining preference by pest control professionals and homeowners alike, especially as treatment options and priorities have changed during COVID-19. Recognizing that many techniques are not effective by themselves, but can be part of a very effective combined process, a number of common holistic procedures have started to make their way into the public spotlight. Bed Bug Supply’s own 4-step solution is built on a combination of chemical and non-chemical treatment methods, and includes defensive tools to help prevent future infestations.

Stay On Guard: How to Prevent Bed Bugs

Just as we took measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as well as avoid getting an outbreak in our own homes, so too must we take efforts to prevent getting a bed bug infestation:

First, you need to completely treat the bed, ensuring that no bed bugs are on it and that they can’t get back in/on it. Begin by stripping the bedding and washing them on high heat, then drying on high heat if the beddings’ tags allow for it. While the laundry cycles are running, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any bed bugs and eggs that might be along the seams of your mattress, box spring, pillows, and bed frame.

Follow up the vacuuming with a high pressure steamer to penetrate deep inside those same nooks and crannies to kill bed bugs and eggs on contact. Lastly, spray down the joints of the bed frame, headboard, and footboard with contact and residual bed bug sprays that are labeled for use on the bed, and encase the mattress and box spring with sealed bed bug encasements once the bed is dry. Be sure to leave those encasements on for at least 18 months to ensure that any bed bugs that managed to survive stay trapped inside until they starve.

Next, you’ll need to isolate the bed to make sure bed bugs elsewhere in the room can’t get onto the bed and feed. Move the bed away from the walls and any nightstands or other furniture. Tuck in or remove any hanging skirts or sheets, and remove any storage under the bed that is touching any part of the frame. The only thing your bed should be touching is the floor via its legs. If you don’t have a bed frame with legs, you should purchase one to sleep in, at least until you are bed bug free.

To complete the isolation, place ClimbUp Interceptors under each leg of the bed. These traps will prevent bed bugs from climbing up your bed legs, stopping them from reaching you in your bed. As bed bugs attempt to get to you, they will climb up the edge of the interceptor and fall into the perimeter pitfall where they can’t escape. With the ClimbUps in place, you can monitor the population of bed bugs in the room over the next several weeks (and even longer to avoid future infestations).

There is a lot of discussion about the “new normal” during — and after — COVID-19. Whether this means increased flexibility for working from home, reduced airline travel in favor of local trips, or more frequent use of masks and social distancing when in public, we can all expect to take new precautions in our day to day lives. Since bed bugs won’t be gone for good any time soon, we should also consider some “new normal” measures to avoid infestation from these pests as well.

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MM Novato Treatments

Cruise ships in Florida. Hospitals in New York. Churches in Washington, DC. All undergoing drastic efforts to sanitize and disinfect after reports of coronavirus infections under their roofs. And that’s just scratching the surface of gathering places announcing step-ups in cleaning protocols. “Deep cleaning” doesn’t have a common rooting in everyday business. There is no […]

How to Use a Steamer to Sanitize in Hospitals, Schools, and Businesses

Cruise ships in Florida. Hospitals in New York. Churches in Washington, DC. All undergoing drastic efforts to sanitize and disinfect after reports of coronavirus infections under their roofs. And that’s just scratching the surface of gathering places announcing step-ups in cleaning protocols.

“Deep cleaning” doesn’t have a common rooting in everyday business. There is no universal protocol or legislative requirement. For many employers, sanitization is viewed as a cost center, an expense that should be minimized to improve the balance sheets.

Yet today, sanitization is being revisited with new eyes. As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe, both public and private sectors must look at new ways to disinfect common areas and surfaces to maintain health and productivity.

One tool being reviewed for “high-touch” spots and surfaces is a high-pressure steamer, which we have quite a bit of experience working with in pest control. As we all come to grips with how to move forward during this outbreak, let’s take a look at how a steamer can change both the process and the outcome of a deep cleaning effort:

Why Deep Cleaning is More Important Than Ever

Keeping hospitals, offices, and other essential public spaces clean and sanitary has long been regarded as an esthetic necessity. Scientific evidence linking infection rates and contamination in public areas were steadily building over the 20th century. Even as late as the early 2000s, a rise in hospital-acquired MRSA infections was combatted by improved cleaning and sanitization protocols.

Today, deep cleaning is commonly viewed as an important sanitary task, especially during the coronavirus pandemic that has altered so much about our day-to-day work and social lives. To reduce infection rates, deep cleaning of common surfaces and “high-touch” points must be done regularly and effectively. This has brought renewed attention to deep cleaning protocols for hospitals, schools, businesses, and other public spaces.

Yet despite the clear importance of day-to-day deep cleaning, the task is often delegated to staff lacking in proper training and equipment to properly sanitize a workplace. Despite advances in available cleaning equipment, most janitorial services still rely on liquid disinfectants with varying effectiveness on different surfaces.

Steam Cleaning as a Rapid Response Sanitizer

Dry vapor steam

If the coronavirus outbreak has taught us anything, it’s at least these two things:

First, the need to sanitize and disinfect must be addressed with a rapid response. A potential contamination point can’t be left for the next scheduled cleaning or service appointment. Personnel and equipment must be available for immediate action.

Second, the tool used to sanitize must be capable of killing as many types of viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants on as many different surfaces as possible. A liquid cleaner that only works with certain types of germs isn’t helpful against a specific threat like Covid-19, while an all-purpose cleaner that doesn’t actually sanitize materials like carpeting also won’t cut it. The tools used to sanitize a public place must be able to tackle anything, anywhere.

This is why we recommend a high pressure, dry vapor steamer as the modern go-to deep cleaning solution. A steamer can be used to sanitize and disinfect a wide variety of surfaces in a hospital, school, or other workplace. This is a non-toxic, waste-free tool that kills viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants instantly on contact.

The Best Dry Vapor Steamer

Armato 9000 Steamer

Dry vapor steamers are essential tools in a professional deep cleaning treatment. By delivering 180-degree steam vapor on contact, these machines are capable of killing viruses and other contaminants instantly. They can even penetrate into soft materials like sofas, chairs and other upholstered furniture to sanitize beyond the surface.

Sanitization professionals are increasingly recognizing the utility of steamers and are investing in commercial-grade units for everyday use. However, choosing a commercial-grade steamer has been an act of compromise: you have to spend a lot of money to get the power and capacity you need to ensure speedy and effective cleaning, and choosing to purchase a steamer with less heating ability, water capacity, or without continuous flow means you’ll spend more time on the job to get the same results.

In 2015, the Armato 9000 hit the market as the first continuous-flow steamer designed to meet the demands of daily professional use. The Armato packs a class-leading boiler, integrated heating element and super high-capacity tank into an all-metal, heavy-duty body. It even includes high-end features like continuous fill and CEME® solenoid control for an affordable price.

How to Sanitize with a Dry Vapor Steamer

One benefit of dry vapor steamers is their ease of use. Unlike other commercial cleaning equipment, someone can be trained to use a steamer to sanitize and disinfect in less time than a single deep cleaning process would take. Steamers like the Armato 9000 are set up in just a few simple steps: filling the tank, heating up the boiler, and selecting the steam gun attachments for the task at hand.

When using a steam cleaner to combat the spread of coronavirus or other contaminants, clean and sanitize high-contact surfaces daily in the building’s common areas. This includes tables, chairs, doorknobs, handles, toilets, and sinks. Be sure to wipe down dirty surfaces before steaming, then wipe the surfaces down again afterwards to remove the dirt and contaminants that have been lifted up by the hot vapors.

To ensure reliable disinfection, ensure that the steam nozzle is as close as possible to the surface being treated, and that you move the nozzle slowly — roughly one inch per second. When possible, cover the nozzle or attachment with a microfiber cloth to break up excess pressure and moisture, allowing the heat to concentrate near the steam tip. Above all else, ensure that you are following the included instructions for safe and effective usage; high-pressure steam is hot enough to cause serious burns, and can damage certain surfaces and everyday items.

Armato 9000 Steamer

We at Bed Bug Supply have always taken the health and safety of our customers seriously. We wish you and your family the best during these uncertain times, and urge you to follow guidance issued by the CDC and your local authorities to minimize your chances of contracting or spreading this virus. For more information about our steamers, please reach out to our support specialists 7 days a week at 866-238-9868.

Armato 9000 Commercial Heavy Duty Steamer

Arm yourself with the most powerful dry vapor steamer available! The Armato’s incredible 90 PSI steam output is unmatched in its class, providing consistent penetration into any soft materials.
Our Price: $999.95

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MM Novato Treatments

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated many aspects of life in the US. For many, work, school, and social activities have been turned upside down or vanished entirely. While the Bed Bug Supply team is still hard at work to ensure that bed bug infestations don’t continue to add to your stress, many customers have asked […]

How to Clean & Disinfect Your Home for Coronavirus

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated many aspects of life in the US. For many, work, school, and social activities have been turned upside down or vanished entirely. While the Bed Bug Supply team is still hard at work to ensure that bed bug infestations don’t continue to add to your stress, many customers have asked what they can use to clean and disinfect their homes for coronavirus.

How Coronavirus Survives in Your Home

How coronavirus survives in a home
Photo source: Flickr

The most common advice related to the coronavirus pandemic is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and practice social isolation to reduce the virus’s spread. What is less common is advice related to ensuring the virus does not spread in your own home.

This is especially important if there are children, seniors, or immunocompromised members of your household. But even without those vulnerable demographics present, killing the virus before it spreads to more people is key to saving lives during this pandemic.

Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 is quite stable on various household surfaces. The virus can remain viable for up to 2 to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel, and can even survive on cardboard and various metals (though not for as long). Even if no one in your home has coronavirus symptoms, coming in contact with these infected surfaces increases the risk that you might spread it to others.

What Kills Coronavirus?

Do household cleaners kill coronavirus?

While we still don’t know everything that we want to about the new COVID-19 viral strain, doctors and other experts have confirmed certain tools and methods that are effective at killing the coronavirus on various household surfaces.

The most common tools recommended for disinfecting surfaces for the coronavirus are household cleaning products that use hydrogen peroxide or quaternary ammonium. These cleaners are able to kill a large majority of virus specimens on various household surfaces, but they are often sold out at local grocery and department stores.

A more reliable and cost-effective means of disinfecting is the use of high-pressure steam. Like most viral strains, COVID-19 has adapted to live in temperatures similar to a human body’s. Exposure to significantly hotter temperatures will instantly kill coronavirus and other germs, offering quick sanitization for many key household surfaces.

Steam Cleaning Household Surfaces

Steam cleaning to kill coronavirus

A high-pressure, dry vapor steamer can be used to sanitize and disinfect a wide variety of surfaces in your home. This is a non-toxic, waste-free cleaning method that is effective at killing coronavirus specimens wherever they may be, along with other viruses, bacteria, mold spores and allergens.

Dry-vapor steam is hot enough to kill nearly any virus instantly on contact, and can penetrate materials like carpeting, tile grout, and other porous spaces to reach contaminants that have settled beyond surfaces. Steam from a dry-vapor steamer contains minimal amounts of water, and is generally safe for use on countertops, stainless steel handles and fixtures, carpeting, tile and sealed wood floors.

A high-quality dry-vapor steamer, such as the Vapamore MR-100 Primo, will include interchangeable attachments for different steam applications. Ideally, the steamer will come with a floor head for carpet and tile floors, a grout brush for tile grout, and brush heads of varying sizes and materials for other surfaces.

When using a steam cleaner to combat the spread of coronavirus, clean and disinfect high-contact surfaces daily in household common areas. This includes tables, chairs, doorknobs, handles, toilets, and sinks. Be sure to wipe down dirty surfaces before steaming, then wipe the surfaces down again afterwards to remove the dirt and contaminants that have been lifted up by the hot vapors.

To ensure reliable disinfection, ensure that the steam nozzle is as close as possible to the surface being treated, and that you move the nozzle slowly — roughly one inch per second. When possible, cover the nozzle or attachment with a microfiber cloth to break up excess pressure and moisture, allowing the heat to concentrate near the steam tip. Above all else, ensure that you are following the included instructions for safe and effective usage; high-pressure steam is hot enough to cause serious burns, and can damage certain surfaces and household items.

Alcohol-based Disinfectants

STERI-FAB alcohol-based disinfectant

Not every high-contact surface in a household can be safely or effectively treated by a steamer. To disinfect more sensitive materials, such as unsealed wood and certain fabrics, a non-steam alternative is important to have on hand.

A top choice disinfectant is STERI-FAB, an alcohol-based sanitizer that has been proven effective against a wide range of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and more. STERI-FAB combines isopropyl alcohol with phenothrin and ammonium chloride to kill contaminants on contact. It then dries in less than 15 minutes with no residue left behind.

STERI-FAB’s non-irritating, non-staining formula is safe for use on carpet, wood, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and nearly any other surface that can safely get wet. Since it is an insecticide that’s regulated by the EPA, make sure that you read and follow the included product label and MSDS for safe and effective usage.

DIY Alternatives

Clothes iron to kill coronavirus

Due to the financial concerns surrounding the pandemic, many are tempted to clean and disinfect their homes for coronavirus using unproven do-it-yourself methods. The World Health Organization even launched a campaign of myth-busting graphics, explaining that things like cold weather, snow, and hot baths won’t prevent the spread of the virus.

Alcohol and chlorine are commonly recommended as cheap solutions to sanitize around the house. However, both of these substances release dangerous vapors in the air, and can be harmful to clothes and your skin, eyes, and mouth if contact is made during their use.

While the heat from a dry-vapor steamer is proven effective at killing a wide range of viruses and other contaminants, heat from other sources won’t always have such clear-cut results. Steam from humidifiers are not nearly hot enough to kill viruses in the air and can’t be directed on surfaces in a way that will be effective for treatment, while other heating appliances like clothing irons will offer more risk of damage to household materials than they’ll provide effective sanitization.

We at Bed Bug Supply have always taken the health and safety of our customers seriously. We wish you and your family the best during these uncertain times, and urge you to follow guidance issued by the CDC and your local authorities to minimize your chances of contracting or spreading this virus. For more information about our steamers and alcohol-based disinfectants, please reach out to our support specialists 7 days a week at 866-238-9868.

Dry-vapor steamers can kill bed bugs and most viruses on contact with just water. Our steamers produce 200+ degree steam, which is needed to kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact.
Starting at:

$99.00

Bed Bug Steamers
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MM Novato bed bug treatments

Whether you work in an office environment or are a business owner, you are surely aware of the current bed bug epidemic. Even if you’ve never seen a live bug in person, the news headlines and lamentations by friends and family weigh on your mind. Yet most workplaces don’t have a plan of action for […]

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in the Workplace

Bed bugs in the workplace

Whether you work in an office environment or are a business owner, you are surely aware of the current bed bug epidemic. Even if you’ve never seen a live bug in person, the news headlines and lamentations by friends and family weigh on your mind. Yet most workplaces don’t have a plan of action for bed bugs, despite infestations so often starting there. Don’t wait until it’s too late — learn how to treat your workplace for bed bugs today so that your business stays bed bug free in the future.

More often than not, workplace infestations start by a bed bug hitchhiking from an individual’s home into the office, where they then find a hiding place somewhere in this new location. While many bugs found are simply adults in search of a new nest, some can be pregnant females that are ready to create a new infestation wherever they find their next host. It’s crucial that your workplace has a plan to monitor for bed bugs as well as to inspect and treat suspected areas.

Inspecting an Office for Bed Bugs

While their names may imply that bed bugs can only be found on your bed, that simply isn’t the case. You can find bed bugs anywhere where humans frequent. They like to tuck away in places out of sight and out of reach, such as between baseboards, floorboards, and the edge of the carpet. It’s also common to find bed bugs tucked away in furniture like chairs and desks.

You can start to inspect an office for bed bugs by inspecting the immediate area around each employee’s workspace. Make sure to perform your search slowly and thoroughly so you don’t miss anything.

If the office has hardwood or tile floors, shine a flashlight along any cracks or spaces between floor panels. Remember, a bed bug has a very flat body that can hide anywhere a credit card can fit. Use a bank card or something similar to scrape along cracks and crevices to try and dig out anything that might be hiding in them.

As a last measure, check any hanging picture frames or other wall decorations. Pull the cushions off any sofas or benches in the area and check their seams for warning signs. Remove the drawers from shelves and lockers and look inside the emptied cabinets.

What Signs to Look For

Bed Bug Eggs

While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, it’s not likely that you’ll find any running around in the open. If you do, that’s a bad sign – it suggests that you have a high active population nearby. In most cases, you’re more likely to find inanimate signs of bed bugs than you are to find the bugs themselves. Here are some examples:

Blood Spots:

They’re dark, they’re red, they’re round. This is arguably the most common sign of a recent bed bug feeding. However, they’re not the most convincing indicator of bed bug activity, since there are other bloodsuckers that could leave these spots behind.

Fecal Droppings:

These thin, dark streaks are left behind as bed bugs digest their latest blood meal. These droppings are made by heavily digested blood; they’ll smear red if you dab them with a wet cloth. Bed bug feces are usually smeared in thin streaks since they poop while walking. Gross.

Shed Skins:

Like other invertebrates, bed bugs need to shed their exoskeletons as they grow. When one shell gets too cramped, they shed it and grow a new, roomier shell in its place. Since bed bugs need a blood meal to grow to their next stage, finding these skins means that bed bugs have been feeding on somebody nearby.

Bed Bugs:

If you do find a live bug, pay close attention to its shape, size, and color. Bed bugs are mostly round with a pointed posterior. Their shell is a dark reddish brown, and they’ll grow up to be about the size of an apple seed. They have six legs, short antennae, and no visible (or functional) wings. Make sure the bug you find matches this description before jumping to conclusions.

Treating Suspected Areas

If you’ve found signs of bed bugs or otherwise still suspect bed bug activity in a part of the office, it’s time to begin treatment. The sooner you start with a bed bug treatment, the greater your chance of success. This is due to the bed bugs’ rapid rate of feeding and reproducing — catching an infestation early means it’s smaller, with fewer bugs to address.

First up are the contact sprays, like STERI-FAB and JT Eaton Kills Bed Bugs. These will kill quickly, but evaporate shortly after, leaving no long-lasting protection. Spray along baseboards, below drawers and on drawer slides, behind cabinets, and behind desks. Follow up with a residual spray, such as Bedlam Plus and JT Eaton Kills Bed Bugs Plus. Residual sprays will offer long-lasting protection against bed bugs and hatchlings. Bedlam Plus is ideal for cracks and crevices throughout the room, while JT Eaton Plus can be used below the cushions and bases of chairs, sofas, carpet edges and other fabric items.

Remember that sprays shouldn’t be applied to areas that you’ll touch, walk on, or sit on. Sprays are designed to treat hiding places that bed bugs are or may be, and bed bugs tend to not want to hang out in open areas like the carpet or the tops of furniture.

Next, apply a bed bug powder into confined areas where it won’t be stirred up into the air. Places like the edges of carpeting, inside deep cracks and wall voids, and inside electrical outlets and light switches (accessed by removing the faceplate with a screwdriver) are good candidates for powders, as sprays can’t reach into these areas quite as well. We recommend using a professional powder applicator, which offers better control when applying the powder.

To ensure that all bed bugs are killed, reapply the contact and residual sprays two weeks after the initial treatment, then again two weeks after that, for a total of three applications. These reapplications make sure that any eggs that have hatched will be killed off so that they can’t create a new infestation. Bed bug powders will not need to be reapplied, as they work for as long as they remain dry and undisturbed.

Monitoring for Bed Bug Activity

Once a treatment is done, we still can’t be sure that the bed bugs are truly gone. Is the infestation eliminated, or are a few stragglers still hiding nearby? The best way to know for sure is with continued, post-treatment monitoring. Thanks to its long-term, low-maintenance function, the Bed Bug Plug is up to the task.

No active monitoring solution has ever been truly set and forget, where you can just stick it somewhere and leave it alone forever, but the Bed Bug Plug comes closer than anything else. Simply keep the device running for at least six weeks after your treatment to see if any remaining bugs are caught. For long-term monitoring, you just need to check the glue traps regularly for captured bugs and replace the traps every 3 months for a fresh one so that it stays nice and sticky.

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