Firefighters have a hard enough job saving the lives of people who become victims of a fire. The last thing they are worrying about when running into a burning building is bed bugs. Unfortunately, bed bugs are so widespread and common that they are a real concern for firefighters everywhere. They can easily attach to you and then infest the firetruck, firehouse, and even transfer home. Here is everything you need to know about bed bugs as a firefighter.
What to Look for
Although they are called “bed bugs” they rarely stay on beds. Bed bugs will be lurking within nightstands, baseboards, and electronics. They may even be on the people within the residence. Knowing how to differentiate them from other common household insects is key to stopping an infestation before it starts.
Bed bugs are brownish in color, relatively flat, and about a quarter of an inch long resembling an apple seed, tick or piece of rice. A good way to identify them from other bugs that may be in a house is that bed bugs do not jump or fly. Their primary mode of transportation is crawling. They can move three to four feet per minute, which is about the same speed as an ant.
How they are Transferred
These hungry pests are always looking for a meal and will crawl onto their next victim every chance they get. Bed bugs can be transferred through direct person-to-person contact, like by carrying someone out of a building and touching someone to perform CPR or to check for vitals. You can also get them from simply being in the home. You could get too close to the spot where they made their nest, and several could attach to you without you even realizing it.
What to do once you have bed bugs
The first thing you need to do is isolate the infestation from getting any worse, and a ZAPPBUG heater is the most effective way. Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol’s ZAPPBUG heaters are portable chambers that heat up to over 120 degrees, killing bed bugs and their larvae in about six hours. Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol’s ZAPPBUG heaters are perfect for the firefighters because they come in multiple sizes to accommodate one or several uniforms.
To use, simply place your uniform and/or equipment into the ZAPPBUG heater, zip the chamber, and turn it on. It’s really this simple to 100% effectively kill bed bugs. Although several other options are available on the market to “kill” bed bugs, the ZAPPBUG heaters are the only things that are sure to kill bed bugs dead. Bed bugs have become resilient to pesticides, making them only about 50% effective and, not to mention, terrible for the health of those who come into contact with them.
Let the Bed Bug Doctor Help Keep Your Firehouse
Bed Bug Free
If you’re facing a bigger problem and need to get rid of bed bugs that have infested the firehouse, you should get one of our whole room bed bug heater systems. All of the bed bug heater systems are made in the USA in order to provide the highest level of effectiveness at the best possible price. If you have any questions about exterminating an existing bed bug infestation, or what to do to be prepared for the next infestation, give us a call! The expert Bed Bug Heat Doctor/Prevsol staff are here to answer any questions you may have and explain our method of extermination by heat!