Avoid the bed bug blues

PHOTO: iStock.com /-lvinst-

Here’s what some PMP Magazine contributors suggest as a good way to ensure bed bugs don’t hitchhike home with your technicians:

Dr. Austin Frishman: Wear a tight-fitting white jumpsuit. If the infestation is really high, change the garment before entering the next apartment. Wrap the suit in a sealed plastic bag before it goes into your vehicle. At the end of the day, put your clothes in a hot cycle dryer — speaking from experience.

Ray Johnson: We wear disposable shoe coverings while inspecting and servicing. One of my techs will take off his shoes and socks after a treatment, put them inside a resealable plastic bag and put on a different pair of socks and shoes. My techs will also treat their pant legs and shoes with mosquito repellent and perform a good inspection of their belongings. We also have a washer and dryer at the office. Techs can put their clothing inside the dryer before going home.

Kurt Scherzinger: The biggest key to preventing bed bug hitchhikers is to always be aware of your surroundings and limit what you take into the job with you.

Stuart Aust: We invest in and wear Tyvek uniforms to make sure our service technicians and sales inspectors don’t bring bed bugs home or to our office. This has worked really well over the years.

Paul Hardy: Before starting the inspection and treatment, proper dress is important. Use disposable coveralls, shoe covers, and unlined gloves on each job. Dispose of them correctly. A standard clothing dryer will kill any activity.

Dr. Doug Mampe: When inspecting or servicing an area with a heavy bed bug infestation, place any fabric materials in the bathtub and spray your socks with an insect repellent.

Pete Schopen: Wear disposable microporous coveralls with a hood and throw them away in a garbage bag at the customer’s home.

Mark “Shep” Sheperdigian: For heavy infestations, it is very likely you will carry bed bugs out on your person. For exploded populations, it is a certainty. If you must take personal items into such an account, carry them in a clean and smooth plastic bucket or a new garbage bag. You can also store equipment this way while inside. It isn’t foolproof, but it’s very good. Wear coveralls or outer clothes that can be easily stripped off and stored in a garbage bag until fed into a dryer. Don’t forget your shoes. One of our supervisors found a bed bug in his wallet, but it was already spent.

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