The risk of a new bed bug infestation is different for every hotel guest and their luggage. Photo: onurdongel/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
Question: I’m having trouble getting rid of bed bugs in a luxury hotel. We seem to get rid of them, but then they reappear. what am i missing
— Be undeterred, gather good information necessary for greatness
Answers: Thanks for the question BUGGING. I know it can be frustrating to answer a question with more questions, but sitting here at my desk I’m not sure what you’re missing.
The first question is, do you inspect and treat the structure – meaning the wall voids as well as the interior of the room and the furniture within? Bed bugs can often be found right in electrical and other outlets, and behind or under baseboards. There is often a significant gap between the underside of the wall surface and the floor, which is obscured by baseboards. However, there is usually enough space between the flooring and baseboards in commercial establishments for bed bugs to crawl.
The next question would be, have you thoroughly inspected all adjacent rooms? I’ve been to hotels that had reports of activity in one room but activity in a room right next door with no reports of bites or sightings. It may seem overly aggressive; However, if you get repeated calls about the same problem, you need to investigate each possibility with an equal probability assumption. That certainly doesn’t mean you start applying pesticides indiscriminately, it just means you need to inspect more areas thoroughly.
Dan Baldwin, BCE, CCFS, CP-FS, REHS/RS
Another factor to consider is how the cleaning operation works in the hotel. I remember one hotel that had frequent bed bug problems in the two rooms down the hall. These rooms faced each other; there were no adjoining rooms. There was nothing special about these rooms other than their location in the hotel. It turned out that one member of the cleaning team was collecting the dirty sheets from the rooms in a cart while other members were cleaning and preparing the rooms. The collection truck then stood at the end of the hallway while they did everything.
Human activities are usually at the root of bed bug problems, so we need to understand what ongoing human activities are taking place in the hotel.
Once you’ve looked at all the parts of the structure that touch and have a good understanding of how the staff work at the hotel, you need to take a look at your treatment logs. That’s not to say you have to question the materials you use. Rather, you need to evaluate how, where, and why you use them. Without touring the hotel itself, I certainly can’t tell you which treatment approach or materials are most appropriate. But I would suggest that you think about all the structural components and furniture in the room and ask yourself, “Is it likely that the treatment method I’m using will kill all the bed bugs in and around this area?” In other words, the bed bugs that come possibly in the room you don’t see, likely in contact with your treated surfaces? Is it the right formula for the finish?
And, best of all, do you leave bed bugs behind? Hopefully you use a proper vacuum to physically remove bed bugs as this is a great tool for most insect pests. A powerful vacuum with a crack and crack tool can remove bugs and eggs you haven’t seen. Removing insects and eggs from the environment is an essential part of an effective pest control program.
