Dear Fashion Houses,
Congratulations on presenting a dynamic and memorable Paris Fashion Week. Maximalism was the theme. Designers encouraged us all (especially celebrities) to enjoy an explosion of roses in polka dots, patent leather, latex and jewels. It’s a welcome site to help the world reopen and emerge with cheer as we overcome several rough years and address some longstanding and difficult problems.
Unfortunately, the top headline “Bedbugs, and Everything Else to Know About Fashion Month” in the New York Times’ recap of this big event, is related to these itchy pests. Unlike the old Vegas expression- what happens in Paris doesn’t stay in Paris. Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers. They’ve become an itchy problem in Paris and other world capitals such as London. Paris’ bed bugs are much more than just a source of Internet humor. Bed bugs will start a renewed worldwide spread when Paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics and brings athletes and visitors from every country.
Bell Environmental has received numerous inquiries from travelers to and businesses that just sent employees to Paris. All fear that these insects caught rides back to New York. Bed bugs hide in more than luggage. They can travel in clothing and boxes- and could therefore be coming to the US in items that were shipped back from the shows. Bed bugs also hitch rides to offices from your employees.
What do we recommend?
Schedule a canine inspection from Roscoe and our trained canine detection teams to check your offices and the items that you brought back from Paris. Just because you haven’t seen bed bugs and employees haven’t reported trouble, doesn’t mean you don’t have issues. Bed bugs travel well, find new places to hide, are patient as they can go long stretches without feeding. In addition, with employees spending less time in offices, bed bugs will be harder for them to notice and detect.
If there are alerts, Bell Environmental has multiple tools that can solve bed bug problems without affecting your valuable items, delicate fabrics, and office furniture. Our treatment methods and approach also allow your employees to continue to work safely – without interruption. We can provide service onsite with our exclusive InstantFreeze program. Bell has other tools including true fumigation. We’ll take your things back to our office, then run a true gas in an enclosed space to eliminate bed bugs and other insects, and will return it to you shortly afterward. These bed bug treatments penetrate all cracks and crevices and eliminate the insects, without any residue, film, or odor. Similar to our InstantFreeze program, there is no damage to your possessions and no residue. Fumigation is 100% effective as the insects cannot resist this solution.
What to avoid? First, please be aware and alert to potential bed bug problems. Schedule that canine inspection. Better to find out if and to what extent your office has issues before bed bugs settle in and spread.
If your office has bed bugs – don’t self treat. Most over the counter chemicals don’t work and make problems worse by aggravating bed bugs and encouraging their spread. Also don’t use heat. It’s a fire hazard. Several years ago there were heated suitcases called Pack Tites to envelope luggage and heat them to high temperatures.
The federal government warned about the the Pack Tite, which is a black canvas bag with a heater attached. The government recalled 9,000 of these devices because the bed bug heaters can overheat, melt and cause a fire and at minimum pose a fire hazard. In a troubling story, one such bed bug oven caused a fire at a Pennsylvania state hospital. The new generation of the same heating technology works the same way. Why take this risk with your valuable items?
Bell Environmental is here to help. Thanks for contacting us and we’ll be there right away!