Can Hospitals Get Bed Bugs?
Hospitals have seen a significant rise in bed bug infestation in recent years.
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities should maintain the highest sanitation levels. The presence of any pest could mean the risk of diseases, painful bites, and allergic reactions. One pest that has become a severe cause of concern in the healthcare sector is bed bugs. Most people associate the bed bug problem in the commercial setting with the hotel industry. However, hospitals have seen a significant rise in bed bug infestation in recent years.
How do hospitals get bed bugs?
A hospital sees a constant influx of people, including patients, doctors, staff, visitors, and their belongings, which offers several opportunities for bed bugs to infest the space. In addition, a hospital has multiple rooms with beds, several patients lying on the bed at all times, food service, furniture, and ample storage space that makes them more susceptible to bed bug infestation.
These tiny creatures can hide in folded bed sheets, mattresses, and cracks in the drywall and can easily feed off patients’ blood. The more foot traffic a hospital sees, the probability of encountering a bed bug infestation increases. If left unchecked, bed bug infestation in hospitals can grow and spread quickly and become very difficult to control.
Why are bed bugs a concern for hospitals?
Although these little critters do not transmit diseases or pose a significant health hazard, they can cause psychological harm to patients already suffering, leading to emotional distress and insomnia. In addition, bed bug bites can cause itching and blistering and, in some cases, can lead to infection, which can prove detrimental for sensitive and immunocompromised patients.
Also, there is always a risk of bed bugs hitching a ride and infecting the homes of patients, hospital staff, and other medical personnel when they go home. In addition, an infestation harms a hospital’s reputation and can put a question mark on its services. The hospital also needs to bear the cost of treating bed bugs. When people know that there are bed bugs in a hospital, they might choose not to visit it.
How to treat a bed bug infestation in hospitals
Bed bugs are hard to eliminate as they breed quickly and can hide in imperceptible spaces. Treating bed bugs in a hospital is far more complex than treating an infestation in a home. If there is a suspicion of a bed bug infestation in a hospital, it is best to contact a professional commercial bed bug exterminator. Bed bugs are hard to find and treat and require experts with the right tools and training to devise a customized treatment plan. A hospital may need more than one treatment to eliminate an infestation and prevent it from recurring.
Pest control professionals can inspect the facility to determine if there is an actual infestation. They are trained in identifying potential bed bug hiding spots and can eliminate bed bugs and their eggs from the root. Pros use a variety of treatment methods to eliminate an infestation. Their procedures are entirely safe and chemical-free and won’t harm the patients.
Pest-proof the facility
Get in touch with a local bed bug treatment company to discuss a preventative bed bug management plan for the hospital.
Bed Bugs Arizona offers a free, in-home bed bug inspection and a one-year warranty on all bed bug services. No obligation. We specialize in apartment communities. Our fast, certified technicians provide the Pro-Treat Plus method of bed bug removal to Phoenix and surrounding cities in a 100-mile plus radius including Flagstaff, Globe, and Casa Grande. Veteran and senior discounts. Call now at (602) 962-8806.
