Getting Rid of Bed Bugs: An Area Treatment Solution

Using WAXIE Bug Off II - Part of an Integrated Pest Management Approach

In treating for bed bugs, the first thing to know is you are not just treating the mattress and box spring – you are treating the entire room. Nothing should be removed from the infested areas without first being treated and/or double bagged. Repeated treatments may be required.

Secondly, training and educating your staff and cleaning crew is vitally important. A well informed staff is your first line of defense both in the prevention and the management (if an infestation is discovered) of bed bugs in your facility. Create and keep checklists with the cleaning carts that consist of pictures of what to look for and a series of instructions listing what one should do once bed bugs are found in a room. Establish a communication protocol so that supervisors and other staff are informed of the problem and what steps have been taken in the removal process.

SNAPSHOT: FACTS ABOUT BED BUGS

• Bed bugs food source: blood meal (human or animal blood)
• Time of greatest activity: they are nocturnal insects
• Hiding places: tuffs of mattresses, cuffs and pleats of draperies, behind baseboards, wallpaper, in walls and where the carpeting meets with the walls
• Insect size: adults are about ¼ inch in length and flat, and babies are the size of a poppy seed; bed bugs can lay dormant for up to six months

TREATMENT PROCESS

Applying WAXIE Bug Off II – A unique feature of WAXIE Bug Off II (#470090) is the ability to spray in a stream spray or mist spray pattern. Both will be needed to treat a bed bug infestation.

Housekeeping and Maintenance Staff – The personnel or department selected for this job should be the same team that will treat all areas when the bed bug infestations show up in the facility. Thoroughness and a detail-oriented staff are essential. Make sure the staff checks/cleans themselves – pant cuffs, socks, shoes and shoe soles before exiting the room.

Drapes – Spray using mist spray pattern with WAXIE Bug Off II. Spray in place, after drapes have dried, take down and double bag to be sent out for steam pressing. Check for color fastness in inconspicuous area of the drapes before applying.

Rugs - Steam spray WAXIE Bug Off into all crevices around the room, especially by the hallway, to prevent the bugs from crawling out of the infected room. Mist spray the carpeting thoroughly to cover all the areas.

Linens – Lines should be double bagged (in the room) and tied shut. The bags should be washed separately and the bags emptied directly in the washing machines (bag all trash bags, seal, and dispose of to an external dumpster). Do not mix with the rest of the hotel laundry. The linens should be washed in high heat cycled for a minimum of 20 minutes – the longer the better. The 120-deree heat will kill the bed bugs, not the water; the dryer’s high heat setting will kill all stages of bed bugs.

Vacuuming – A vacuum with both a beater bar and crevice tool with a disposable dirt bag will be required. A thorough vacuuming of the room including the mattress, box spring and removing all drawers from any furniture in the room is a must before the extermination process starts. Using the crevice tool, vacuum all seam areas on the mattress, box spring, and on the floor. Pull all the furniture away from the walls and use the crevice tool to vacuum the area where the rug meets the wall. Dispose of vacuum bags after every use. Double bag, seal, and remove to an external dumpster. Invert vacuum and spray beater bar and crevice tool with WAXIE Bug Off II.

Mattress – The mattress is to be sprayed in a mist pattern. After thoroughly vacuuming, stand mattress on its end the long way against a wall. Mist down the flat mattress area and continue to cover the seam areas. Start at the front/top of the mattress and follow the graphic below. Pillow top mattresses: the pillow top should be pulled up to allow spray to get into that area.

Let the mattress air dry by turning the mattress to expose all sides to the air during the drying period. The same procedures should be followed for the box spring. Want to remove the mattress and box spring from the room? It should be treated in place first and then removed. Any mattress and box spring should be bagged and sealed before leaving the room. Mattress bags are available from mattress supply companies in various sizes. Want to dispose of the mattress? It should be marked appropriately so dumpster divers won’t salvage the mattress and use it. A mattress cover can be used when returning the room to service.

Sofas – Vacuum all the crevices underneath webbing and bottom coverings carefully with a crevice tool. Leather sofas are to be vacuumed carefully. Do not spray a leather sofa directly. Let room and furnishings air dry overnight. Open windows if possible and repeat if necessary.

Furniture – All drawers should be removed, and everything should be sprayed with WAXIE Bug Off II, including the inside drawer cavities, as well as the bottom and backs of furniture.

FURTHER READING:

• WAXIE Blog Article: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite.
  An article on bed bug facts & additional bed bug information.
  http://info.waxie.com/blog/bid/90195/Good-Night-Sleep-Tight-Don-t-Let-the-Bed-Bugs-Bite
• Housekeeping Solutions Article: Taking a Bite Out of Bed Bugs.
  A GREAT article on the bed bug removal efforts at the Victory Center in Joliet, IL. Corrinne Zudonyi, an editor for Housekeeping Solutions, narrates the Victory Center’s experiences from the initial discovery of a bed bug infestation to their integrated pest management approach in the removal of the bed bugs. The article concludes by describing the prevention techniques the Victory Center employs to keep their facility bed bug free.
  http://www.cleanlink.com/hs/article/Taking-A-Bite-Out-Of-Bed-Bugs--14897