A Kwik Trip store in Waukesha discovered bed bugs in one of its restrooms earlier this month, as reported by the Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use. The initial report came to the county’s online complaint portal on Oct. 21, with two separate messages noting that employees at the Kwik Trip at 2530 N. Grandview Blvd. were overheard discussing the issue.
Following these reports, pest control specialists visited the site and took steps to eliminate the infestation. Kwik Trip’s public relations officer, David Niemi, assured that there is no ongoing risk to the public.
The bed bugs were initially discovered by a worker cleaning the women’s restroom, according to the report. The employee took photos of the bugs and sent them to Kwik Trip Internal Operations Support. A pest control work order was placed shortly after, at 1 a.m. on Oct. 21. Although the report doesn’t specify how much time passed between the discovery and the pest control request, the Kwik Trip location remained open throughout the process.
In addition to the restrooms, the store’s back room was also quarantined, according to Niemi. The main area of the store, where food and merchandise are located, was not affected, so it remained accessible.
Pest control professionals treated the affected areas with insecticides on Oct. 21, with a follow-up spray conducted on Oct. 23. The county also inspected the location on Oct. 23 to ensure the issue was fully addressed.
According to the county report, “Bed bugs are a public health nuisance and have not been found to create a food safety risk through the spread of pathogens that may cause a foodborne illness.”
Do the bed bugs pose an ongoing risk?
As of Oct. 24, the restrooms at the Kwik Trip location remained closed, Niemi stated. However, he assured that there is no ongoing risk to the public, as the bugs were contained and did not spread to other areas of the store.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
