As a hospital manager, you want to keep patients and their families as satisfied as possible. However, that becomes a challenge when bed bugs arrive in patient's beds. This pest can spread like wildfire, putting both patients and staff in jeopardy. It can be tough to zone in on the cause of these bugs, making the elimination process even harder. Consider these tips to keep bed bugs out of the hospital.
Bed bugs arrive in these facilities in a few ways. A nurse may visit a patient at home who happens to have a bed bug infestation. When he or she puts her bag down, a few bugs could crawl into it, allowing her to transport them back into the hospital, NurseZone noted. Bed bugs could also be in a patient's or loved ones' belongings who arrives at the hospital. As this pest is so small, most staff would not spot it. However, once they have gotten access to this facility, they will spread quickly. Many people come and go from a hospital, making it hard to track down the culprit. Bed bugs might get into beds, a storage closet with linens, and staff and patient belongings. Before you know it, they're everywhere.
Regularly inspect beds: As the name suggests, beds are one of the most common spots this pest is found. Staff should consistently pull the covers back to look for signs of bed bugs, Health Facilities Management magazine stated. Some indicators include small blood stains on the mattress or egg casings. If one area of the hospital gets new beds, it's important to inspect these beds before they're placed in the hospital.
Cover beds: All hospital beds should have a vinyl or plastic casing on them that will prevent bed bugs from getting in or crawling out. You should also cover the box spring of the beds. These coverings help prevent bed bugs from wiggling into the interior of the mattress, where they prefer to shelter. Even if bed bugs have already accessed the mattress, these small coverings can prevent them from feeding on patients and leaving the mattress.
Check all furniture: If you get new chairs in the waiting room or in patient rooms, it's crucial that hospital staff makes sure it's clean of bed bugs. Even new furniture can carry these pests if they have been stored in a factory for long enough.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
