The continuing bed bug epidemic requires you to be extra stringent about your housekeeping measures around the boutique. Although bed bugs prefer to live near their feeding areas such as in bedrooms, they sometimes hitch a ride on people's clothing. Naturally, your boutique is at higher risk for bed bug infestations than other businesses such as restaurants simply because of the close contact people make with the clothing. Fortunately, you can preserve your reputation as the best boutique around by making sure to implement these three bed bug control measures in your business plan.
Reduce Hiding Places
As a boutique owner, you have to walk a fine line between setting up a comfortable space for your customers and keeping things streamlined to avoid setting up a bed bug haven. Try to avoid putting soft carpets and fluffy seats in the dressing rooms since these are harder to clean, and a bed bug can easily hide between the fibers in the material. Instead, choose hard surface flooring and chairs that provide fewer spaces for bed bugs to hide in. You should also keep clutter down throughout the boutique so that an errant insect is easily visible.
Train Staff to Watch for Warning Signs
Ideally, a member of your staff should notice a bed bug before a customer every gets a nasty surprise. Teach your staff what bed bugs look like, and establish a protocol for handling a suspected bed bug infestation. For example, a returned item that housed a bed bug should be placed in a sealed bag until the commercial pest extermination company has a chance to inspect it for bed bugs.
Arrange for Preventative Inspections
Preventative maintenance is an essential part of business pest extermination that is effective for keeping a minor bed bug infestation from turning into a major problem. During your preventative inspection, a company like Paffy's Pest Control checks for signs of pests and gives you a recommendation for regular treatments that can keep other types of pests such as closet moths away as well. Typically, preventative inspections occur seasonally, but you can set up a schedule that works best for your store's needs.
Owning a boutique is a dream come true, and the last thing you want is to find out that bed bugs have turned it into a nightmare. Now that your business is up and running, make sure to keep it pest-free so that your guests always have a pleasant experience in your shop.