Facility and Risk Management Tips

Bed bugs are increasingly appearing in hospitals, homes and commercial facilities, creating costly, hard-to-control challenges for facility managers.

Despite their name, bed bugs are not just a problem in the bedroom: Pest control professionals are finding them in hospital operating rooms, MRI scanners, sound booths, DMV waiting areas, and even the sleeper cabs of big rig trucks, according to new research from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

The Bugs Without Borders survey, which gathered insights from 375 pest management professionals nationwide, found that 90% of professionals are called to treat “bed bugs” that turn out to be something else entirely. Carpet beetles (60%), flies (48%), and cockroaches (32%) are the usual culprits behind false alarms. However, when bed bugs are correctly identified, 24% of pest professionals rank them as the single most difficult pest to control, nearly twice as challenging as German cockroaches and rodents.

“Bed bugs are master hitchhikers that spread fast and hide everywhere — not just in mattresses,” said Jim Fredericks, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for NPMA. “We’re seeing them in libraries, school buses, electronics, and even cat towers. Bed bugs are often misidentified by the untrained eye. As a result, homeowners who attempt DIY solutions are likely treating the wrong pest entirely, wasting money while the real problem spreads.”

Bed Bugs Spread Beyond Beds

Pest professionals have found bed bugs in places you might never expect:

Public spaces: Hospital operating rooms, courtrooms, army bases, church sound booths, DMV waiting areas, movie theaters, libraries, gyms, summer cabins, storage units, and more

Electronics: Cell phones, radios, TVs, game consoles, electrical outlets, and an MRI scanner

Furniture: Wheelchairs, cabinets, TV stands, a rocking horse tail, and cat towers

Vehicles: Cars, ambulances, buses, boats, RVs, feed mill trucks, and big rig sleeper cabs

According to an NPMA survey, more than 82% of pest control professionals have treated bed bugs in the past year. The most common locations were:

Single-family homes, 89%

Apartments and condos, 88%

Hotels and motels, 70%

Nursing homes and assisted care facilities, 57%

College dormitories, 36%

At Solid Rock Group we recommend the following steps to get rid of bedbugs at your homes and commercial facilities 

1. Remove all of them from the Headboard and the Bed Frame

2. Try a Natural Pesticide

3. Lavender Oil Works like Magic

4. Vacuum Everything

5. Wash Your Bedding at Very High Temperatures

6. Steam Cleaning For Your Fabrics and Soft Furniture

7. CALL US AT SOLID ROCK ®

Of course, the best method to destroying bed bugs is to call us Solid Rock Group ®. Our Experts are  ready to professionally inspect and attend to your situation, eliminate bed bugs where they live and get them out of your home and commercial facilities at once. Call us, and let us help you protect your family and facilities 

At Solid Rock, we are behind your business success www.solidrockfacilitymanagers.com