Why should you keep a bed bug report?
Bed bug reports are records that detail whether there are bed bug infestations in a room or not, and what signs were found. These reports should be based on data collected using a bed bug inspection checklist, and include information about which items and locations exhibit signs of bedbugs.
Bed bug infestations are a concern in places with a high turnover of people such as hotels, hostels, dormitories or other communal facilities, as well as health care facilities and long-distance transportation like airplanes.
Writing a bed bug report using a checklist
There are various ways you can find and eliminate a bed bug infestation. Using bed bug inspection checklist to write your bed bug reports ensures the process is as structured and thorough as it can be. There are 7 steps to writing effective checklist-assisted bed bug reports.
1. Detect bed bugs
First, of course, you should be sure that it is bed bugs. Once you have checked for the signs included in your bed bug inspection checklist, you can start to fight the bed bugs. These signs include:
- Musty or sweet odor on the mattress
- Shell casings
- Dark brown or red stains on mattresses
2. Analyze the problem
If you suspect you may have bed bugs, find the root cause. Look in dark spaces, bed frames, crevasses, and other areas they could be coming from.
3. Create order
The fewer hiding places bed bugs have, the better. So tidy up the area, clean all the surfaces, and wash all the bedding. Pay particular attention to corners and hard-to-reach openings.
4. Wash your clothes and textiles
Wash all textiles and vacuum all areas of the room, including sofas and furniture. All textiles should be washed at 60°C and kept airtight for some time so the bugs have no chance to get back in.
5. Apply bed bug barriers
If you want to prevent bed bugs, you can apply double-sided tape to the bed. This will prevent bed bugs from crawling into the bed.
6. Regular bed bug inspections
After getting rid of bedbugs once, make sure to keep an eye on affected areas for weeks to come. This is where having a checklist to refer to periodically is useful. Once you’re about 60 days bed bug free, the infestation is probably over.
7. Prevent future bed bugs
Now you have to make sure to prevent bed bugs in the future. Often, bed bugs are brought from outside or from travel. When you or one of your staff travels, pay attention to the accommodations provided. Know the signs of a bed bug infestation so you can avoid infestations in other places too.
The importance of preventive bed bug reports and inspections
In private residences, preventive bed bug inspections are not strictly necessary unless special circumstances (such as regular overnight travel) pose higher risks. On the other hand, in commercial overnight accommodations and rooms with highly variable overnight guests, it’s important to inspect premises regularly and maintain accurate bed bug reports.
These recurring inspections do not necessarily have to be performed by pest control operators. The staff can do it when they make the beds. However, anyone checking for bedbugs should be trained and know what to look for.
You can partner with with pest controllers to provide training for employees, motivate them to perform the inspections thoroughly, and helping plan inspections (including frequency, type and extent of documentation, and procedures to remove bedbugs).
The frequency of bed bug inspections depends on your specific case. For example, shelters that have had an infestation in the past should conduct preventive inspections more often than those that have never had bed bug problems.
Bed bug reports and faster inspections with workflow automation software
Paper-based bed bug reports are time-consuming and annoying to keep track of. With Lumiform’s desktop and mobile workflow automation platform, you can carry out effective bed bug inspections using digital checklists and produce a professional bed bug report in half the time. Lumiform allows you to:
- Bundle inspection results automatically into regular bed bug reports and send them to stakeholders instantly
- Inspect any place for bed bugs at any time, thanks to the mobile app, which works both online and off
- Take photos and annotate them to add support for your conclusions during inspections
- Save time by working through a step-by-step process that’s the same every time and covers all the areas required by a bed bug report
- Be secure in the knowledge that all your data is saved in the cloud and only your business has access