Hi Everyone,
I’m running a little late on this month’s posting because the topic is so, well, yucky!! That is, as I promised last month, I want to talk about BEDBUGS!! (Yeah, you heard right!!).
As always, when I create these posts, I try to come up with a reasonable segue from our virtual office support services to the topic I want to chat about. Today’s email was difficult (ie: How do you jump from virtual office staffing to bedbugs?) Well, it took some creative thinking, but Valerie came up with it: “Since our service will give you more free time and the ability to get away more frequently, we want to make sure that you don’t bring bedbugs back with you when you return home.” (Whew – that wasn’t easy!!)
FIRST, THE COMMERCIAL: We’re modifying our name, but not our service:
One of our problems has been getting people to understand what we do without a lot of explanation. People have assumed we sell office supplies, rent office space, sell virtual software, or that we are a temp agency who will send someone to their office. We don’t do any of those things.
To resolve this, we’re changing our name to “DAYBREAK VIRTUAL STAFFING.” Since we provide clients with a Virtual Assistant (a real live, off-site person) who works with a virtual back office team (also real live, off-site people), the name “Daybreak Virtual Staffing” would seem to sum it up. Of course, if you have a better idea, let us know by leaving a post with your thoughts and suggestions.
Imagine having the full functionality of trained in-house office staff without the hassles of hiring employees, at costs that are 20-30% less than hiring.
If you think our virtual support services would be helpful, give me a call or email (jmehl@daybreakvirtual.com) and I’ll be happy to have a conversation to see if there’s a fit.
NOW, ON TO THE ISSUE OF … BED BUGS!!
(NOTE: As I mentioned earlier, please feel free to leave a post with any insights or experiences you may have on this topic).
We’ve all heard, with revulsion, that bed bugs are becoming an epidemic. These critters seem to be especially known for two things:
1) They are travelers. That is, they travel freely between hotel rooms, clothing, bedding, luggage, etc. In hotel rooms, they often infest rooms that are side-by-side, and exterminators will generally treat adjoining rooms. (HINT: That means if you find bedbugs in a hotel room, don’t let them relocate you to an adjoining room! I would ask to be put on a different floor).
2) Happily, unlike flies & mosquitoes, bed bugs are not known for carrying any diseases. So unless you’re allergic to them, there are no health hazards other than the ‘yuck’ factor.
It’s believed that bedbugs traveled from Europe to the USA in the 1600’s. They were reaching epidemic proportions until after WWII when efforts were made to eradicate them. Over the past decade, however, they have had a resurgence and are now a major nuisance. Why the resurgence? No one really knows for sure but one possible reason is the banning of many powerful insecticides.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? They are about the size of a tick, so they can be seen. For instance, here are pictures of an engorged and non-engorged bedbug:
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A BEDBUG PROBLEM? None of this is pleasant. Look for:
- Small brownish or reddish dots on bed linens and mattresses (these are droppings and blood spots),
- You’ll find them hiding in mattresses (particularly under the buttons and beading), upholstery, and even behind wallpaper & picture frames,
- Heavy infestations can have a “sweet” smell.
- The appearance of little red bites on you without knowing why. (They are rarely caught in the act of biting – they come out when you are asleep and only bite for a short period period of time).
HOW CAN I GET RID OF THEM? It’s generally felt that home remedies are not very effective. For instance, using a fogger will kill many of them, but possibly cause others to go to adjoining rooms, closets, etc, only to return when the fog clears. Other solutions include using mattress encasement covers that completely seal the mattress. That means that those inside will eventually die (which can take up to 18 months), but it doesn’t address those that are not hiding in the mattress.
The wisest thing is to contact a pest control expert to resolve the issue once and for all. If you decide to call an expert, you can prepare for their visit by cleaning the area. They will be looking for small crevices, so make sure the walls and floors are clear of “stuff.” Speaking of “stuff”, avoid moving things from the bedroom to other areas of the house as the bugs will travel with the stuff. Wash the bedsheets and any clothing (over 120 degrees) which will kill any bugs hiding in them.
PREVENTION: It’s very difficult to prevent the spread of bedbugs. One suggestion is to keep your luggage and clothing off the floor of hotel rooms and to wash everything when you return home.
- When staying in a hotel, pull the sheets and bedding off the bed when you first arrive to expose the mattress and look carefully for the signs noted above (red/brown spots, the bugs hiding in the crevices and under the mattress buttons, etc). Look around the headboard, night stands and low hanging picture frames, etc. Obviously if you find signs of bedbugs, you don’t want to stay in that room, or adjoining rooms.
TO CLOSE: I hope you’ve found this information helpful. As noted earlier, if you would like to continue the conversation and share your experiences with others, feel free leave a post.
Until the next time when we’ll talk about the impact of social networking on the job.
And, from all of us at Daybreak: Our sincere best wishes for a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or a wonderful time however you celebrate the holidays. And lets welcome the new year with enthusiasm (and hope it’s a better one than 2009).
Best regards,
Jeff Mehl
Jeffrey T. Mehl
President
Daybreak Office Solutions, LLC
Daybreak Virtual Staffing
PO Box 161
Esopus, NY 12429
Phone: (845) 790-2900
Fax: (845) 790-2901
WEB: www.daybreakvirtual.com
BLOG: http://blog.daybreakvirtual.com
LINKEDIN: www.linkedin.com/in/daybreakvirtual
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/daybreakvirtual
FACEBOOK: www.daybreakvirtual.com/facebook.shtml