High Risk Careers for Getting Bed Bugs
High risk careers may be more prevalent than you think! For more than a decade now it seems that the hospitality industry has bore the brunt when it comes to being blamed for the bedbug epidemic in America. It’s true the hospitality does have its fair share of bed bug infestations, but by no means is it the only culprit.
With a little common sense it’s easy to see how there are quite a few careers out there that are more prone to bringing bedbugs home then others.
Nurses
EMTs
Firemen
Daycare Workers
House Cleaners
Hospice Workers
Home Health Care
Nursing Facilities
Transportation
What Makes These High Risk Careers for Bed Bugs?
Hitchhiking. It is the main form of transportation for a bed bug. It can be on bedding, on clothing, or on a person themselves, but ultimately a bug moves from one place to another because of us and our habits. This means if our careers take us into houses, direct physical contact, or areas that are prone to bedbugs – The risk is there. It should only be natural to take extra precautions, so as to not bring them home to your house.
Whenever you find your self in an area that is suspected of having bed bugs or bed bugs are in plain sight, here are a few things to do in order to help minimize the risk of having one come home on you!
1.) Try not to sit down on any furniture, bed bugs are also found in couches and other upholstered items ( recliner chairs, and love seats, etc). When possible use countertops to do paperwork and/or to place your items that you will be taking with you when you leave.
2.) Keep a cloth laundry bag in your vehicle and use it to put your work clothes in before you get in your car before you drive home. Tie the top in a knot in order to trap any bugs or eggs that might have been on you clothes inside the bag. When you get home through the whole bag into the dryer and run it on high for at least 30 mins. The high heat will kill all stages of the bedbug life cycle.
3.) Talk with your coworkers about what they’ve seen on the job. This will help you identify and take the proper steps in order to avoid contact with suspected areas.
4.) Use a Bed Bug Repellent like CimeX86
