As hotels prepare for more trips, they are at increased risk from pests hitchhiking on guests’ property. Bed bugs – who can live months without food – come from years of waiting. Meanwhile, anxious guests concentrate even more on the smallest details of cleanliness, health and safety in the hotel rooms. The cost of bed bug incidents is rising too: A study published by the National Institutes of Health found that a single bed bug incident can cost up to $ 6,000 in treatment, furniture replacement, and lost revenue. When it goes viral on social media or review sites, a single incident can cut room rates by $ 38 per night. Half of all hotels have now faced bed bug litigation, with an NIH-reported study finding an average cost of around $ 20,000.
Hotel operators are looking for new innovations and better strategies to control bed bugs. But the reality is that there are no shortcuts; The bed bug control toolkit contains many tools, and each has its strengths and challenges. Science-based best practice uses an integrated approach with a three-pronged strategy of inspection, treatment and prevention:
inspection
Visual inspection by cleaning staff – during regular room cleaning and room turning logs – is simple, inexpensive, and a good part of the frontline defense. In recent years, dog screening has grown in popularity. However, the examination of the dog is not discreet and gives different results. To make visual inspections more effective, hotels need to continually train staff on how to spot the signs of bed bugs at all stages of life (which are easy to spot) and where to look. It’s not just the mattress – the headboard, box spring bed, carpeting and upholstered furniture can harbor bed bugs.
treatment
Getting bedbug clean up quickly and effectively is critical to reducing the likelihood of the infestation spreading to other areas. But even if treatment technologies have certainly developed further in recent years, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Chemical and biochemical treatment products can be applied as “point treatments” but can be harmful to certain surfaces, may not provide complete elimination, and are limited by government restrictions in some areas. Non-chemical treatments such as heat remain the most reliable means of getting rid of bed bugs in a comprehensive manner. However, these treatments can be costly and obtrusive and require an experienced professional to perform. All of this means that the right treatment for a particular incident will depend heavily on the size of the infestation, the risk of spread, the specifics of the room furnishings and materials, and your local regulatory requirements.
prevention
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Unfortunately, hotels cannot prevent bed bugs from being introduced as arriving guests and their personal belongings are the main source. However, there are tools and tactics that can be used in advance to proactively reduce bed bug risk. Mattress covers can protect some of the biggest investments in the guest room – they help reduce the need for replacement and get the affected rooms back online faster. But choose wisely – some brands of paneling are ineffective and easy to break – and know that bed bugs can still affect headboards, carpets, and upholstered furniture. Routine checks and, in some cases, residual treatments can be another form of proactive protection against bed bugs. Leading pest control providers are now using data-driven strategies and digital tools to ensure rooms are treated at the correct intervals while optimizing room rotation to minimize the impact on room availability.
The silver bullet against bed bugs (does not exist)
As hotel operators prepare for increased travel and anxious guests with increased cleanliness issues, now is the time to review their bed bug programs. There is no single solution or “silver bullet” to controlling bed bugs. Rather, hotels need to ensure that they have the right tools and tactics in place for three different pillars: catching bed bugs in front of guests, getting rid of bed bugs quickly and effectively when they occur, and proactively minimizing risk wherever possible.
Learn more about how to build a comprehensive bed bug strategy by reading the Ecolab eBook:
Better to beat bed bugs: why every hotel needs a 3-strand bed bug strategy
