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What precautions do I need to take against bringing home bed bugs, if I work in a Salvation Army?

  • I bought some things there this winter and while I was there, but in an application on a whim. Wouldn't you know, they gave me a part time job on weekend evenings as cashier? In a way that works out great for me, I could the gas money. When I bought stuff I would come right home and put the entire bag right in the freezer for a few days to kill any bed bugs. I just wondered what people who know about bed bugs had to say about working there and trying to bring any home on me, my coat that would go in a locker or my lunchbox and so forth. I know they don't wash any of the stuff that comes in the door. If just goes out on the sales floor from the unloading docks, and you know, if something comes in the back I can carry it out the front. A buddy of mine got them while he was living in an apartment building, and it was a nightmare for him. I have been kinda paranoid about them since. Any advice? I wasn't thinking about this sort of thing when I put in the application, though I guess I should have. Thanks.

  • Answer:

    good, proactive question, and you've already gotten 75% of the solution: freezing does kill them it done for over 24 hours. I would suggest bringing a separate set of clothes - including shoes and underwear, and keeping them in a sealed bag in your locker. Change before leaving, and put the worn items into a sealed bag that goes straight into the freezer (or wash the clothes, freeze the shoes). I work in low income housing, and am surprised by the number of people who aren't concerned about getting them in their car - I don't have one, but most of my coworkers do. Many caseworkers have a spray (the best spray I am aware of - natural ingredients, non-toxic and non-irritating to humans) is very expensive, but they do spray it on themselves and clothes before getting into their cars. I don't have cushioned chairs for visitors at work so they can't transfer them into my office. I don't bring any clothing or books or soft goods home without it spending a day in the freezer first. It is estimated that all of the highrises in my city have them. Not allowed in my mother's house for a year just from her fear of them, when her friend in the 26th floor of a fancy building got them, she finally believed me that you could get them from an opera seat as well as a bus seat. At the very least, I would shed my clothes the moment I walked through the door, and treat them to a wash or freeze. Good luck. I hear employees get first dibs on all donations.

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It definitely sounds like an occupational hazard that all the workers would experience, so try asking your co-workers what they do to alleviate the risk.

Sheila

use spray

David Clarke

spray off on you, bed bugs live off of live skin , you probably won;t btu i would change cloths from any sal store

it could happen

Freezing can work if done for several days. info below is copied from the link. The following procedures are advised: Bedding and garments which are prone to infestation need to be bagged and laundered at 120 F minimum, because these items cannot be treated with insecticides. Or.... Place these items in the clothes drier. Set it to high heat for ten to twenty minutes. "Dry-clean only" clothes may be placed in the drier as long as they are completely dry beforehand and are set at moderate heat (less than 160 F). It is possible to send your stuff off to be dry-cleaned - this will kill the bugs; but you may be passing your problem onto the dry-cleaning establishment. When the dry-cleaners open your bags and sort them the little bugs may get away and infest their new home. For things that cannot be treated by washing or placing in the drier, wrap them in plastic and place them outdoors in a very hot and sunny location for at least 24 hours. For best results pack each bag loosely. The aim is for an internal temperature of at least 120 F. Freezing may also work, but may take several days. It may be an option during winter months when finding hot and sunny locations may not be possible. Do not try to kill them off by ramping up the heating in your house - it won't work. Some pest control companies have special heaters for this. Although thorough vacuuming may not catch every single bug and egg, it will help get rid of some of the infestation before treatment with insecticides. When vacuuming make sure you include cracks and crevices. Dislodging eggs is extremely difficult - scraping as you vacuum along infested areas, such as fabric folds of beds and sofas and the perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpets, is more effective. When you have finished make sure you place the vacuum cleaner contents in a sealed bag. You may find it is best to throw some infested items away. A pest control professional will help advise you. Make sure you bag these items carefully before moving them. Insecticides are a crucial part of getting rid of bed bugs. Do not use baits for ants and cockroaches, they will not work with bed bugs. A good pest control professional will treat all areas where bugs are found, as well as areas bugs tend to like. Depending on the size of your home and the severity of the infestation, this may take several hours. Follow-up visits may also be necessary. If you have recently got rid of bats or birds in and around your home it is possible that the bed bugs that fed on them may have switched to human hosts. Bat and bird nesting sites must be treated too. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158065.php

dj

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