Best Bed Bug Treatments to Prevent Infestations During COVID-19

With the emergence of COVID-19 and self-isolation procedures in place, many homeowners throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland are concerned about letting service professionals into their homes.

But for those who are unfortunate enough to experience a bed bug infestation during this time, not treating a pest control issue is not an option. Fortunately, homeowners can rest assured that reliable pest control treatments are still available and at the ready.

At Viking Pest, we’re continuing to provide exterior treatments, while also conducting interior services when reasons like Bed Bugs exist during COVID-19. 

Bed Bugs During COVID-19 – What You Need to Know

Most homeowners are familiar with bed bugs, even if they have been fortunate enough to not experience them first-hand. Their reputation precedes them as being pesky critters that love to make their home in mattresses, couches, wall outlets, or suitcases, and bite occupants during the night.

What makes bed bugs so menacing is their rapid reproduction rate. A single bed bug can easily turn into two or four or ten or twenty – so it’s important to seek treatment at the first signs of an infestation.

Appearance & How to Spot Them:

• Dark/light brown or dark red in color
• Small, about 1/4-inch in diameter
• Tiny heads with larger bodies
• Tend to leave blood marks on bedsheets, cushions, or mattresses
• Bed bug bites tend to be grouped in clusters, as a line, or in a zigzag pattern
• Bed bugs often leave fecal spots on mattresses, sheets, or other surfaces

Since these insects are so small, people often blame the bites on allergies or other skin irritants. Be sure to check for the signs of bed bugs on a regular basis to stop a possible infestation in its tracks.

Can Bed Bugs Spread the Coronavirus?

With the increase of bed bug infestations, Viking Pest wasn’t surprised to hear that homeowners were concerned about bed bugs spreading the coronavirus. But there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case. While allergic reactions to bed bug bites are common, bed bugs are not a concern when it comes to COVID-19 transmission.

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Proactive Bed Bug Prevention

During these unprecedented times, many homeowners may be concerned about a possible bed bug infestation and whether they will have access to the services they need if they are to experience an outbreak. 

The first step to preventing a bed bug infestation, is regularly inspecting your home and clothing for signs of bed bugs and knowing where bed bug infestations are more common. While travel has greatly decreased and the spread of bed bugs has reduced, apartment buildings, hospitals, and row houses are still at great risk of a bed bug infestation during this time. Bed bug infestations occur commonly in apartment complexes and row houses due to the close proximity of residents. Bed bugs multiply quickly and travel from room to room frequently. If one neighbor experiences an unfortunate bed bug infestation, the apartments or homes surrounding are at a greater risk of bed bug activity.

With the unfortunate rise in hospital visits during this time, hospitals are at great risk of a bed bug infestation as these pests can be brought in on a patient's clothing and quickly spread to other patients clothing and personal belongings. Even though apartments, hospitals, and row homes are at a greater risk, taking the proper precautionary steps such as inspecting clothing, mattresses, and crevices for bed bugs regularly can help prevent an infestation if bed bugs are discovered. The sooner bed bugs are detected, the quicker the bed bug problem can be resolved.

If you notice bed bug activity within your home during these times, effective bed bug treatment options are available from Viking Pest. Our team of certified and trained pest management professionals wear proper PPE when entering your home. Employee and customer safety are our top priority here at Viking Pest, and we will keep your home healthy and pest-free during
these unprecedented times. Precautionary tips for avoiding a bed bug infestation are:

Check Your Furniture for Signs of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are opportunistic travelers, and even if you aren’t out-and-about much during COVID-19, you should still check for the signs of bed bugs on a regular basis. Check the crevices of your mattresses and cushions for bed bugs, fecal spots, and eggs. 

Cover Your Mattresses & Box Springs

Cover your mattresses and box springs with a light-colored, protective layer to shield your mattress and make it easier to spot bed bugs.

Vacuum Frequently

Be sure to vacuum frequently to suck up any stray bed bugs. Then, dispose of the vacuum bag to avoid a possible infestation.

Possibility of Bed Bug Infestations as Businesses Reopen After COVID-19

As restrictions begin to lift and the stay-at-home order comes to an end, bed bug activity is likely to increase as businesses reopen and residents of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland begin returning to work. As we all return to business as usual, it is important to be cautious and inspect your clothing for bed bugs when returning home. Public transit and soft surfaces such as common room furniture, is a breeding ground for bed bugs.

Viking Pest’s K9 Bed Bug Detection Dogs are certified and trained to detect live bed bugs. To receive a peace of mind, hiring our K9 team to inspect your home or workspace for bed bug activity regularly can decrease your possibility of a bed bug infestation. 

Safe & Dependable Pest Control Services

If you are in the NJ, PA, DE, or MD areas and find yourself in the midst of a bed bug infestation, know that Viking Pest is here to provide effective, reliable pest control services.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, our team is equipped with the proper PPE while performing any interior bed bug treatments. The health of our customers is of the utmost importance to us, so we are taking every precaution to prevent contamination while providing reliable pest control services. 

Need a bed bug treatment? Viking Pest open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact us to schedule your service today.

What if you could make your nursing home that much safer for all of the seniors living there?

Nursing home housekeeping is the cornerstone of senior safety. But to make sure these retirement homes are completely safe, it's important to understand the right disinfection and sanitation practices.

Wondering what you can do to make your nursing home safer? Keep reading to discover our complete guide!

Proper Isolation

The old saying is true: an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. And when it comes to keeping a nursing home safe, that means properly isolating patients.

One example that many nursing homes now follow is forbidding or minimizing new admissions to the home. On top of that, such facilities also avoid letting in outsiders such as visitors (more on this in a minute).

The reason for this is simple: even the tightest cleaning and disinfecting regimen can only do so much. And the more people you allow into a contained environment, the more the risk of infection grows.

Sadly, proper isolation also means canceling many of the group events that bring seniors together in these homes. Such events are a valuable part of group morale, but these gatherings now put residents in genuine danger.

Doing all of this may make you feel like the bad guy. But such measures are a vital part of keeping nursing homes clean and keeping each person inside healthy and safe.

While it is crucial to limit the amount of traffic coming in and out of your nursing home it is also important to understand that there is still risk of someone within your facility catching and spreading viruses.  To combat this, it is recommended to treat your facility with disinfection and sanitization services to help prevent the spread of any possible viruses present. 

The professionals at Viking Pest offer Viking Pro-Clean a disinfectant and sanitization service proven to dramatically reduce the number of harmful bacteria and emerging viruses like Coronaviruses, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Influenza A, and the H1N1 Virus. 

Remote Communication

Preventing outside visitors from coming in doesn't mean that residents cannot communicate with the outside world. However, doing so safely means mastering the art of remote communication.

Many of your residents likely have access to smartphones. You can help walk them through how to use apps such as Facetime or Skype to conduct video chats with their friends and family.

And if they don't want to fiddle with the app, there is nothing wrong with an old-fashioned phone call. If you have properly kept residents isolated, then there is little risk of infection from residents using their own phones.

Avoid Moving Patients When Possible

Sometimes, the families of residents may get frustrated with their inability to enter the nursing home. And because of this, they may be tempted to move patients into their own homes to care for them directly during the COVID-19 crisis.

While you should consider each patient on a case by case basis, it's a good idea in most instances to resist moving patients out of the nursing home. The reason for this is that they are safer inside the home than outside of it.

With a proper sanitation and disinfecting routine, you can create a controlled environment for seniors that is clean and safe. Moving them outside of the nursing home is likely to put them at more risk of contracting COVID-19 or some other illness.

On top of this, many families are not truly prepared to take care of an elderly family member. And a lapse in quality care, combined with a less-than-sterile new environment, may put a senior's life at risk.

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Pay Attention to Shared Surfaces

So far, we have focused primarily on keeping patients safe. However, proper sanitation and disinfectant policies are an important way to keep your nursing home staff safe during the COVID-19 crisis.

It is equally important to avoid sharing items whenever possible. Staff should all have their own pens and pads and not have to share. For any items that do need to be shared (such as specialized equipment), make sure those are properly cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis.

Pay special attention to any shared surfaces within the home. Properly cleaning dining areas is a great way to lower the risk for your staff and residents.  With constant activity in commonly frequented places such as dining areas the risk of spread from one individual to another is naturally higher. Inform your staff and residents to always wash their hands thoroughly after each time they leave their personal room or come in contact with items that others may have also touched. 

To help lower the number of bacteria and viruses found on common surfaces, hire a disinfectant professional, like Viking Pest.  Viking’s Pro-Clean service professionals are trained to focus the disinfectant and sanitization treatment on commonly used items and frequently touched surfaces to help maintain the health and safety of your facility.

Constant Vigilance

Our knowledge of how this virus spreads and how to test for and treat it changes week by week. Sometimes, it changes day by day! That's why it's important for you to stay up to date regarding all things COVID-19.

Staying on top of such a depressing news cycle may feel exhausting at times. But it is the only way you can truly maximize the safety of your seniors.

Professional Help

Properly sanitizing and disinfecting during this crisis is important for all groups. Why, then, have we focused on nursing homes?

According to the CDC, nursing homes are actually at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19. That's because such homes combine many who are at a unique risk of COVID-19 and may also be suffering from a variety of underlying conditions.

That's why you need to take extraordinary measures in order to keep your nursing home safe. Hiring professionals, like Viking Pest, to disinfect and sanitize every area of your nursing home can help reduce the risk of infection.

And even when COVID-19 is behind us, it's important to know the local professionals at Viking Pest can handle all of your sanitation and disinfectant needs.

Nursing Home Housekeeping: The Next Steps

Now you know the importance of proper nursing home housekeeping. But do you know who can help keep all of your seniors safe?

Viking Pest specializes in sanitation and disinfection services for your nursing home, as well as residential and commercial pest control. To learn more about how Viking can keep your nursing home safe contact us today!

It’s finally starting to feel like spring throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland with warmer weather, blooming trees, and longer nights. While trees and flowers are blooming, pests such as ants, carpenter ants, and cockroaches are emerging from their winter nests and are invading homes in search of food and water. Keeping a clean and tidy home will greatly reduce the number of pests inside your space.

With most of us staying inside during this time, deep cleaning your home may be on the top of your to-do list. Viking Pest has created the perfect weekly cleaning schedule that will not only help keep pests such as ants from invading your home, but also help disinfect and sanitize your space to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses.

Weekly Cleaning Schedule

Daily Maintaining

• Make beds
• Clean kitchen counters/floors
• clean dishes
• take out trash
• One load of laundry per day
• Pick up clutter

Sunday- Deep clean your kitchen to start off your week right.

• Clean stovetop of any spills and food
• Wipe down all counters with a bleach spray to fully disinfect of bacteria. Make sure to wipe down with water after
• Clean inside of your microwave with soap and warm water to rid of any food
• Go through your fridge and throw out any food that is no longer good. Wipe down shelves and drawers if needed.
• Sweep/vacuum your kitchen floors paying special attention to the baseboards to pick up any crumbs or fallen food
• Mop kitchen floors
• Inspect cabinets for any food that may have dripped and clean if necessary
• Clean underneath your toaster/toaster oven to make sure there are no hidden crumbs on your counter.
• Go through your pantry to ensure all products are tightly sealed in plastic containers. If products such as sugar are left open, ants will invade your pantry and spoil your products.
• Wipe down the front of all appliances

Monday – Bedrooms

• Clean sheets and pillowcases
• Dust furniture
• Vacuum carpet/ hardwood floors
• Spray windows and mirrors with a glass cleaner and wipe them down
• Take a disinfecting wipe and clean light switches, remotes, and your bedroom door handles

Tuesday – Bathrooms

• Wipe down all toilets
• Wipe down all counters and mirrors
• Clean the shower
• Wash any rugs and mats you may have
• Use a disinfecting wipe to sanitize the light switches, door handles, and faucet pieces
• Replace all hand towels with fresh ones
• Replace any other paper products needed (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)

Wednesday – Living spaces

• Dust all surfaces
• Make sure to dust/vacuum underneath your couch. If crumbs are here, this could be a big attractant for pests such as ants.
• Use a disinfectant wipe to clean all light switches, remotes, and door handles
• Vacuum/sweep/ mop your floors

Thursday – Spot Clean Any Areas

• Clean and organize any area of your home that may need extra attention

Friday and Saturday – RELAX! You deserve it!

• Keep on top of your daily cleaning routine to keep your home clean and tidy on these days.

Monthly Maintaining

• Deep clean your oven
• Fully disinfect and sanitize your entire home with Pro-Clean from Viking Pest. This service, when performed twice a month, will fully disinfect and sanitize your entire home top to bottom to slow the spread of bacteria and viruses. A Pro-Clean treatment is effective at dramatically reducing the number of bacteria and viruses from common colds, Coronavirus, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Influenza A, H1N1 Virus and more!

Keeping a healthy and clean home is a top priority for many homeowners throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and Viking Pest is here to help keep your home healthy and pest-free. CLICK HERE to receive a FREE estimate for a pest control or Pro-Clean service from Viking Pest.

Viking Pest Control, An Anticimex Company, Expands Disinfectant and Sanitization Service, Pro-Clean to Homes and Businesses Throughout NJ, PA, DE, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Viking Pest Control – March 30,2020 - Viking Pest, an innovative pest control company focused on new pest control technology and sustainable solutions, is helping to stem the outbreak of COVID-19 with Pro-Clean Disinfectant and Sanitization service for both homes and businesses. Pro-Clean is unlike simple fogging treatments or basic cleaning; Viking Pro-Clean Disinfectant and Sanitization Treatments combine a variety of application methods to thoroughly disinfect your living, workspace or common areas for any home or business. This sanitization treatment is effective at dramatically reducing the number of bacteria and viruses from common colds, Coronavirus, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Influenza A, H1N1 Virus and more. By utilizing various methods, this allows the disinfectant to reach the multiple surfaces promoting a stronger antibacterial and antiviral effect. Pro-Clean materials have all been approved by the EPA as effective for viral elimination, Viking Pest reports.

“While we all navigate through this uncertain time, Viking wanted to further expand our disinfectant and sanitization services to homes and businesses to provide additional ways for home and business owners to protect their loved ones, employees, and customers. We are all in this together, and whether you own a home, restaurant, or other commercial space, Viking Pest is here to help you in any way that we can” says Paul Bergmann, President of Viking Pest.  

For more information about Pro-Clean Disinfectant and Sanitization Service for both homes and businesses, please visit: https://www.vikingpest.com/pro-clean-disinfecting-sanitization-services/

About Viking Pest Control

Viking Pest is a full-service pest control company locally serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Viking is the modern pest control company. Through prevention, new technology, and sustainable solutions, we met the new demands for healthy environments for both individuals and businesses.

Although most people only heard about the coronavirus a couple weeks ago, it has already altered the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the world. From lock-downs of entire communities to changes in the way we interact with one another, health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are asking everyone to quickly adapt to our new reality. 

An important part of combating the Coronavirus virus epidemic is following the health and safety guidelines established by the CDC and WHO. Current guidelines for the public outline several non-medical steps that everyone should be taking to stem the outbreak and minimize their chances of contracting the virus. These recommendations apply to people of all ages, living anywhere in the country.

What steps can you take today to protect yourself and your family from the coronavirus?

1. Regularly wash your hands. 

The importance of regularly washing your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds cannot be stressed enough. According to the CDC, “Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.” 

When you’re on the go, hand sanitizer is the next best thing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer can reduce the number of microbes on your hands, but they are not as effective as the classic hand wash. 

2. Avoid touching your face.

Even if you do manage to wash your hands very often, you will still pick up some bacteria on your hands throughout the day. The best way to protect your body from bacteria and viruses is to avoid touching your face, especially your nose, eyes, and mouth. These parts of your body have less of a natural defense system to protect against invasive bacteria and can easily become the entryway for dangerous germs.  

3. Sanitize your home and business space.

Cleaning your hands regularly is no use if you live or work in an unsanitary environment. Set up a sanitization schedule to thoroughly disinfect your home or office regularly, paying special attention to spaces that are heavily used by multiple people. Make sure to use an approved disinfectant that has been shown to have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. 

To help you meet these ends, Viking Pest Control offers Pro-Clean a disinfectant and sanitization method that combines several disinfectant techniques to dramatically reduces the number of bacteria and viruses in a cleansed space, including Coronavirus, Influenza, and H1N1 Virus. Viking Pro-Clean Disinfecting and Sanitization Treatments can be done in both residential and commercial properties throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland on a regular schedule to guarantee maximum viral threat reduction. 

Viking Pest’s Pro-Clean Disinfectant and Sanitization treatment can be used anytime you need to clean and sanitize the following:

• Homes
• Business facilities
• Medical facilities
• Emergency vehicles
• Childcare location
• Bars /restaurants/cafeterias/ fast food operations, & supermarkets
• Retail stores
• Public restrooms or home facilities
• Home kitchens and bathrooms, common living areas
• Spas, tanning salons, health clubs
• Cruise lines, airline terminals, shipping terminals and more

For treatment methods, Viking will be conducting a combination of fogging, wiping down, misting, and arsenal treatments throughout critical areas.  This application has been proven and is an effective treatment towards reducing harmful bacteria and emerging viruses, including common colds, Coronavirus, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Influenza A, and H1N1 Virus.

4. Practice social distancing.

Social distancing is the practice of maintaining a certain distance between people in groups, put in place to help minimize the spread of the Coronavirus throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Health officials currently recommend people to social distance themselves with a space of at least 6-feet . Many local governments have also banned people from gathering in groups of more than 10 people.

5. Always cover your cough and sneeze into your elbow.

When you sneeze or cough, tiny liquid droplets from your nose and mouth are spread into the air for several feet around you. It is paramount that if you must sneeze or cough, you do so into a tissue or your elbow. These droplets can easily be breathed in by nearby people and cause the virus to spread.

6. Stay home if you are mildly sick.

Health experts estimate that millions of people will eventually fall ill from the Coronavirus, but the vast majority will survive the pandemic. If you think you may have the virus or another illness but do not need emergent care, avoid going straight to the hospital. Try to treat yourself at home so that you don’t inadvertently spread your illness or further weaken your compromised immune system.

7. Seek medical care if you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing or any of these symptoms in addition to a serious underlying condition (like heart or lung disease), contact your doctor or nearest hospital for guidance. If you need to go to the hospital, it is important to call ahead to make sure they are taking new patients and to prepare for your arrival (if necessary). 

Viking Pest Control is dedicated to doing everything we can to help our community through this pandemic. We designed our new Viking Pro-Clean Disinfecting and Sanitization Treatments to greatly reduce the number of dangerous bacteria and viruses in your home or work environment and an essential part of your Coronavirus response strategy. Contact a Viking Pest Control representative to learn about setting up regular sanitization treatments for your home or business today. Or visit Viking’s Pro-Clean webpage, where you may learn more about our disinfectant and sanitization services.